The Rogue Half Marathon Race Report

Tissue in one hand, bottle of water in the other, I shuffled into the Medford Comfort Inn. I sniffled, coughed, and then rang the bell. The desk attendant, also named Karen, came to my aid. With a very congested hum in my voice, I asked if I could please, please, pretty please, check in early. It was only about 1:00pm and since the previous night's checkout time was noon, I knew chances were slim of getting into our room but I really needed a nap. Karen tapped away at the computer, performed magic that people at this specific hotel seem to do on the regular, and soon I found myself melting into the pillows atop my luxurious king sized bed. This is exactly how one should feel the day before a race, right?

Saturday morning at Lake Selmac

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Race morning dawns and I realize that for the first time this week, I haven't been awakened every hour or two feeling like I'm suffocating beneath my own sinus drainage. I actually feel rested. I make the last-minute decision to go for my original race goal and see what happens, arguing that if I don't give it my best shot, I'll be angry at myself later.

(The mile markers for this race were waaaaaaaaaaaaayyyy off----they came every 0.95 mile after the first few until the distance between mile 13 and the finish was almost 0.5 mile long--- so these are my Garmin splits.)

Mile 1: 7:16

The first mile of this race has a pretty big downhill in it, so I just let my legs run this one. Once the downhill runs out, I usually find the right pace. This race was no exception.


Mile 2: 7:32
Mile 3: 7:33

The pack thins and I finally find my running buddy for the day. Her form is strong, fluid, and honestly, I'm a little mesmerized by the thick brown braid that waves back and forth with each stride. We chat a few moments glad to have someone with whom to share the day. I always find it incredibly motivating to have a race buddy. Without one, I tend to get lazy and fall apart.


Mile 4: 7:33
Mile 5: 7:35

By now, I can tell that I'm not going to make it the whole way at this pace. I decide to keep with my buddy and if she slows down, I will too. We seem to have a similar racing approach: slow on the uphills, recover on the downhills, walk through the aid stations and leave with a cup of something in each hand. Our slowdown is even happening at the same rate. I see her form begin to deteriorate and I'm sure I'm a big mess right now too.


Mile 6: 7:44
Mile 7: 7:45
Mile 8: 7:45

If I'm having a good day, this is where I begin dropping people. I catch up and pass them one by one, reeling them in as if we're tied together by an actual line. Today I'm being reeled in. One person at a time overtakes me and I'm powerless to keep up. Here's where I see my buddy disappear around a corner ahead of me and I don't see her again until the finish line. Even though I'm recovering well from my cold, it doesn't make up for the week of horrible rest and recovery I have been doing. I debate whether or not to jog it in at an easy pace. It is my birthday after all. Do I want to spend my birthday run feeling miserable?


Mile 9: 7:46
Mile 10: 7:50

There's an aid station at mile 10 as the course makes a 360 degree corkscrew climb up  to the same level as the interstate. I grab my two cups of water and am refreshed by the small amount of relief the cold water provides my sinuses. It feels so good. Instead, my mind shifts its focus to how dead my arms and legs are.

I reach the Table of Temptation just before the 12th mile begins. Serving only beer, wine, and donuts, volunteers spend their morning catcalling runners, trying to tempt them into indulging in their spoils. A man pulls up next to me offering a cup of beer. I have never stopped at this station before, but today I pull to the side of the trail and drink, my first beer during a race. If there's one day to imbibe during a race, it's on your birthday, right? It goes down more smoothly than expected. In between sips, I mention to him that it's my birthday.

Mile 11: 8:15

The volunteers erupt into a chorus of Happy Birthday while that same volunteer asks if I need a birthday tequila shot. Apparently, this is not on the normal menu, but they made a special exception to offer me the hard stuff. I politely decline as I begin running again, away from the aid station. A man on a bicycle rides alongside me, holding a box of donut holes in his hand. "Want one??? They're delicious! You could take one now, or I could hold it just out of you're reach and tempt you into running faster?" I grab the donut from his hand, stop again and for a moment, consider going for another beer just to wash it down.  These guys totally made my day.

Mile 12: 8:19

I finally take off almost two minutes later and realize there's finally a bit of a pep in my step. I begin looking for Matt as I dash to the finish line. He pulls up next to me, unsure what to say. He's always a little bummed for me when he is waiting at the finish line and sees my goal time tick by with me nowhere in sight. In between little beer burps, I tell him about my last stop. He smiles and sounds a little relieved to hear that I'm still having a good time. He drops to a walk as I sprint for the finish line.

Mile 13: 7:48
Mile 13 to Finish: 7:32 pace

1:41:24
7:44/mi.

After cheering on a few of our local friends who made the trip to this race, we packed up and headed out. It was time for a birthday Blizzard. This race was the perfect balance between running hard and challenging myself and enjoying the day, so all in all, it was a nice birthday run. :)

Matt was a bit off of his goal time today too, but still ran very well. He finished in 1:19:58 and took 8th place.