This past week was my favorite sister-in-law's 30th birthday!!! We decided months ago to run the Rock'n'roll Savannah Half Marathon for the first time together to celebrate. (What better way to celebrate another year of life than sweating through 13.1 miles...)
We went back and forth between the RnR and runDisney's Wine and Dine Half Marathon as they were on the same weekend. We ultimately decided on running Savannah. Fortunately, or unfortunately, neither race turned out to be a stellar choice.
We went back and forth between the RnR and runDisney's Wine and Dine Half Marathon as they were on the same weekend. We ultimately decided on running Savannah. Fortunately, or unfortunately, neither race turned out to be a stellar choice.
Flashback to my first Rock'n'roll race during the summer of 2014 in beautiful Seattle, Washington. It was my second half marathon ever, and my first time visiting the west coast. I had a great experience at this race, so I was excited to run another rock'n'roll event.
Flashforward to 2015. We arrived in Savannah Friday night, picked up our packets, checked into our grossly overpriced hotel, had a delicious dinner at 17hundred90, and prepared to rock half marathon #2 for Justin, #7 for Whitney, and #10 for me!!!
The weather was forecasting warm temperatures all week, so I knew it wouldn't be a "Fall" weather race; however, it was unexpectedly more hot and humid than anyone could have predicted. When I last checked the weather before settling into our corral, the humidity was 99%.
I was slated for corral 15, with Justin and Whitney in Corral 9. While walking to our corrals, we realized RnR was not strictly enforcing corral placement. In fact, I don't remember seeing any volunteers in or around the corrals except the one holding the corral number sign. We decided to hop into corral 8 and start together. Looking back, I'm so thankful we made this decision.
15 minutes past the 7:00 start time of the race, the first corrals were finally released. From my calculations, there was about 1 minute to 30 seconds between the start of one corral and another. The back of corral 7 had barely gotten past the timing mats when corral 8 got the 30 second start warning.
I was slated for corral 15, with Justin and Whitney in Corral 9. While walking to our corrals, we realized RnR was not strictly enforcing corral placement. In fact, I don't remember seeing any volunteers in or around the corrals except the one holding the corral number sign. We decided to hop into corral 8 and start together. Looking back, I'm so thankful we made this decision.
15 minutes past the 7:00 start time of the race, the first corrals were finally released. From my calculations, there was about 1 minute to 30 seconds between the start of one corral and another. The back of corral 7 had barely gotten past the timing mats when corral 8 got the 30 second start warning.
Knowing that Savannah is notoriously a "flat and fast" course, I think we all had our minds set on a PR. It didn't take long for me to realize this would not be the race for that.
Some girls say "I don't sweat, I sparkle." Well, I SWEAT. Buckets. At any given time, regardless of my physical exertion or lack there of. For races like this in humidity this thick, I sweat an extreme amount. I was sweating before I started running, and my clothes were dripping sweat by mile 2. Literally, dripping.
About halfway through the second mile, I was desperate for a water stop, and wondering where one would be. Typically water stations can be found every mile and a half or so. Sometimes sooner. It seemed like forever before the first water stop, and when I got there, the first tables were lacking water cups. There was a little "pile up" as runners clustered down the table. There was Gatorade at the end as usual, so I got a cup less than half full of water and a cup less than half full of Gatorade.
This was the most well-stocked water station I encountered on the course. As the race dragged on, water stations were less and less stocked, with lines for water as volunteers scrambled to pull empty cups out of boxes and fill them from pitchers and the lined trash cans filled with water. There was one more Gatorade stop on the course, and I missed it because there were 2 tables of Gatorade on the left side, and 2 tables of water down and to the right. By the time I realized there was no Gatorade on the right, it was too late to turn around and double back to the Gatorade side.
At another station, some of the tables were pulled off of the road because they had run out of cups. I stood in line for water, took ice in place of water at one station, and ate it after rubbing it over my body in an attempt to cool down. (My germaphobe, OCDish self would NEVER do such a gross thing under ANY other circumstance!!) In one neighborhood, instead of an official RnR water stop, spectators were using their water hoses to fill jugs and solo cups of water for the runners. Some even had their ice cube trays from their freezers to help cool down runners. The citizens of Savannah were quick to come to the aid of us runners, and for that we are eternally grateful! (A special thanks to the homeowner who put out tissues!!)
Another first I experienced was the extreme amount of runners I saw needing emergency medical attention. I have seen an ambulance or two at a race, but I have never seen so many runners down, so many emergency personnel picking up runners, or run by multiple police officers and hearing their radios calling for help for runners. At some point, I started checking to make sure none of these emergencies were my runners who were running speedily in front of me. After the race, I learned that Whitney had actually seen a runner receiving CPR.
Some girls say "I don't sweat, I sparkle." Well, I SWEAT. Buckets. At any given time, regardless of my physical exertion or lack there of. For races like this in humidity this thick, I sweat an extreme amount. I was sweating before I started running, and my clothes were dripping sweat by mile 2. Literally, dripping.
About halfway through the second mile, I was desperate for a water stop, and wondering where one would be. Typically water stations can be found every mile and a half or so. Sometimes sooner. It seemed like forever before the first water stop, and when I got there, the first tables were lacking water cups. There was a little "pile up" as runners clustered down the table. There was Gatorade at the end as usual, so I got a cup less than half full of water and a cup less than half full of Gatorade.
This was the most well-stocked water station I encountered on the course. As the race dragged on, water stations were less and less stocked, with lines for water as volunteers scrambled to pull empty cups out of boxes and fill them from pitchers and the lined trash cans filled with water. There was one more Gatorade stop on the course, and I missed it because there were 2 tables of Gatorade on the left side, and 2 tables of water down and to the right. By the time I realized there was no Gatorade on the right, it was too late to turn around and double back to the Gatorade side.
At another station, some of the tables were pulled off of the road because they had run out of cups. I stood in line for water, took ice in place of water at one station, and ate it after rubbing it over my body in an attempt to cool down. (My germaphobe, OCDish self would NEVER do such a gross thing under ANY other circumstance!!) In one neighborhood, instead of an official RnR water stop, spectators were using their water hoses to fill jugs and solo cups of water for the runners. Some even had their ice cube trays from their freezers to help cool down runners. The citizens of Savannah were quick to come to the aid of us runners, and for that we are eternally grateful! (A special thanks to the homeowner who put out tissues!!)
Another first I experienced was the extreme amount of runners I saw needing emergency medical attention. I have seen an ambulance or two at a race, but I have never seen so many runners down, so many emergency personnel picking up runners, or run by multiple police officers and hearing their radios calling for help for runners. At some point, I started checking to make sure none of these emergencies were my runners who were running speedily in front of me. After the race, I learned that Whitney had actually seen a runner receiving CPR.
I decided that while a PR would have been wonderful, finishing in an upright position on my own accord would be even better. I stopped pushing, and started listening to my body. Thankfully Justin, Whitney, and I all had a safe, strong finish!
After drinking my chocolate milk (my FAVORITE after!! *hint, hint, runDisney and Atlanta Track Club*), we headed to the finish festival to hear Rascal Flats "headline." I won't say too much on that except, I thought this was ROCK AND ROLL..... I digress.
After the finish festival, we headed to Vinnie Van Go Go's and ate a giant pizza. Carbs don't count after a half marathon, right....
Overall, I was very disappointed in RnR's organization (or lack of organization) for this event. There is NO excuse for a race (especially a high priced, well established race) to run out of water for runners. That is unacceptable in any conditions, but even more so when temperatures are unseasonably hot and humid. I keep hearing how there were "misters, ice towels, water sponges, salt, and air conditioned buses" along the course. None of these things were along the 13.1 mile course I ran, except I did see the remnants of salt packages at one point.
As a solid "middle of the pack" runner, I am so thankful I started in corral 8. I can't imagine what water was available (or unavailable) to the "back of the pack" runners.
I found out after I had finished that RnR made the decision to divert the runners off the course and stop the race due to the heat and for everyone's safety. The marathon runners were most affected by this decision, and many ran a mile or two short of the 26.2 they had been working so hard to achieve. I also learned that a runner had died on the course, and later found out that a second runner had died a couple hours after returning home from the race.
My heart goes out to the runners who passed away and their families who lost their loved ones. What should have been a celebratory, fun event turned tragic far too quickly.
Life is short. Enjoy the life you live. Do what you love, and love the ones you're with.
Overall, I was very disappointed in RnR's organization (or lack of organization) for this event. There is NO excuse for a race (especially a high priced, well established race) to run out of water for runners. That is unacceptable in any conditions, but even more so when temperatures are unseasonably hot and humid. I keep hearing how there were "misters, ice towels, water sponges, salt, and air conditioned buses" along the course. None of these things were along the 13.1 mile course I ran, except I did see the remnants of salt packages at one point.
As a solid "middle of the pack" runner, I am so thankful I started in corral 8. I can't imagine what water was available (or unavailable) to the "back of the pack" runners.
I found out after I had finished that RnR made the decision to divert the runners off the course and stop the race due to the heat and for everyone's safety. The marathon runners were most affected by this decision, and many ran a mile or two short of the 26.2 they had been working so hard to achieve. I also learned that a runner had died on the course, and later found out that a second runner had died a couple hours after returning home from the race.
My heart goes out to the runners who passed away and their families who lost their loved ones. What should have been a celebratory, fun event turned tragic far too quickly.
Life is short. Enjoy the life you live. Do what you love, and love the ones you're with.