Run in the Sun

Best race swag ever - doesn't everyone want an ugly sweatband-cum-clock?

Running in Mongolia was hard.  Running in Trinidad is even harder.  This could be why the Caribbean produces so many great sprinters, but has no one above the 400:  you feel ready to drop dead of heatstroke after about a half mile.  I think I have adapted about as much as I am able to after 4 months here, but my family just doesn't run well in the heat, and I am a prime example.    Our running has been pretty minimal since we got here - it's a banner week when I manage to do 4 runs.    All of this is to say that we found ourselves on the start line of a half marathon last weekend rather by accident, and certainly the least prepared that we've ever been before a race.  I blame my boss.

What happened was this:  On a rather slow Friday 3 weeks before the race, my boss came charging into our office and said, "Let's go sign up for a half marathon!  What else do we have to do?"  My colleague and I could not muster up an objection to this, so.... we signed up.  Like a good wife, I roped Andy in as well without his knowledge. 

3 weeks later, we were standing on the starting line at the University of the West Indies at 6 a.m., feeling rather anxious.  At least I was.  Already at 6 here the sun is full up, and we had heard that the course had not a scrap of shade on it.  As an out-and-back, the first 6 miles weren't bad, but we all started to cook as we turned around and headed back under the brutal sun.  Thankfully, the race was well run and had lots of water stops.  Everyone was dousing themselves with bottles of water at each stop.   I was so tired it was tempting to stop and walk, but the longer you remained on the course the more time you spent in the sun, so I kept going.  There were a fair amount of men out racing, but much fewer women.  I ended up 9th among all women with my slowest half marathon time ever, so that tells you something.     As generally awful as the race felt for all of us, by the next day we were already planning for more races.  No one ever said that runners were rational people....