Grimbsy Half Marathon aka Okay That's a New Ouchie Half Marathon

What a great weekend for a marathon - snowmaggedon had hit, snow blowing everywhere, piling up higher and higher in my front yard. 2 days until the Grimbsy Half Marathon & being from the Niagara Region I knew that it never lasted long down in the sunny south. It would be a clear race day.

So Tracy "Macleaniac" and I headed to Mt Hope to meet up with Samantha Furlong and run the Half Marathon in Grimbsy. Woot Woot. Temps were going to be high of +3 and not a stitch of snow in the forecast. Rain maybe, snow not so much.
As we drove down it became apparent that the roads would be very clear, unless a horrid twist of environment fate were to happen. We scoped out the route TO the race. Easy peasy lemon squeezy. Back to Mt Hope and the Super 8 hotel. ( which was about a stones throw from the Hamilton Airport) Dinner and strategy for the race. According to Sam who got this from the Race Director, it was a new course and flat.
Now the 3 biggest lies I've ever heard are:
1) The cheque is in the mail
2) I'll still respect you in the morning
3) It's a flat race course

However; I was willing to hold off making that call until I had run the race.
And I only forgot my running mits, my headband & of course my Garmin. I did have a sports watch so it was better than a poke in the eye with a sharp stick.

No Expos until the morning of the race when we were able to pick up the kits. Okay no problemo. Set the alarms for a decent time and we'll be all over it. Kit pick up instructions were to be obeyed, it was a BYOB - bring your own bag. And the expo had all of 1 table okay 2. LOL. Oh well.

We gathered in Grimbsy Secondary School - which was fantastic. The weather was great, no snow just a small chill in the air but you could tell that it was going to be a great day for a run. The roads were clear for the most part.
We lined up and off we went.
Our race strategy was we each would do our own thing. So guilt free I left Sam & Tracy to their own devices. Apparently there was a conversation behind my back that went something like this:
Tracy: Look at Blazing Saddles go- that's the last we'll see of her until the finish.
Sam: Blazing Saddles? You mean Saddle Bags?
Ahhhh friends like that make you feel all warm & fuzzy. LMAO
(I didn't think they were that noticeable... drat. Now I have to really work at shaving off more time & apparently some width.)

I checked my watch and I had done the first 1K in 5:12 - HOLY SMOKES... just a tad bit too fast. Crap. Goal pace according to Kevin was to be 5-10 seconds slower than race pace so 5:50/km ack. Slow down Joan.
3K - 16:20 - Nice slowing down chicolita.
10K 59:10 - Yep.. okay
11K 1:04 woo hoo.. on my way to a PB!! AWESOME...

And that includes the trapsing through orchards on broken up tracker paths. Slushy, mucky puddle filled paths that took us through the front yards of several families. Oh and did I mention the rolling hills. More like a Golf Course path than a FLAT RACE COURSE in some parts. There was not a heck of a lot of down hill after the uphill.
I was beginning to wonder if Kevin O'Neill had anything to do with picking out the new race course. My suspicions were starting to mount. So much for a flat course. Yeah. Flat my backside.
Then suddenly around 12K I started getting this unfamiliar pain in my butt. Usually I'm somebody elses' pain in the butt.
It was sudden and sharp, but I ignored it. Took an extra walk break for about 20 seconds here and there. Then by 15K - it became apparent that this was a not something that was good. As I walked to the 16K mark I thought to myself how the heck am I going to handle this.
I could run 500 meters before the pain would shoot from my butt down my hamstring. I was pushing the dreaded spot hoping to ease the sharp knifing sensation, when a woman RAN by me and noticed my dilemma and said " ahhhhhh the paraformis..." The whatie what? Who knew I had a paraformis?! What is a paraformis other than a pain in my @$$?
By that point I looked at my watch and my dreams of a 2:08 were squashed. 3K left and I was not a happy camper.
I would run as fast and as far as I could before the pain became unbearable and then walk until it subsided. It started hurting just walking.. ACK...
19K - more of the same.
Then at 20K I thought oh man... I have to run this in. HAVE TO... I have Kevin's voice in my head telling me to have a strong finish. Last 2 K should be strong. A long heavy sigh escaped my lips - Turtles never say die!!
So I picked my prey - and gunned it. I weaved around 3 or 4 runners and flew toward the finish. aaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhh... 2:20... not bad considering. I added 12 minutes on to what I had hoped would be my PB.
So now how do you heal a paraformis? Anyone? Bueller? Bueller?
Expect my call Trish.