If I hadn't moved from NYC to downtown Stamford, I would have moved to SoNo--a charming little downtown for the city of Norwalk. The SoNo Half Marathon is the biggest half marathon in this area of Connecticut, and I didn't run it last year because of timing with marathon training. In 2018, I kept my (minimal) marathon training secret and signed up for whichever races I wanted to. SoNo was definitely on my list.
I'd participated in the Lightfoot Summer Series races in Norwalk, which culminated in a half marathon race in September, and I felt this October half marathon race would be a nice continuation. (I certainly wasn't alone, as I saw many familiar faces.) I completely treated this race as a fun challenge. I had no explicit goal, though it's always nice to beat your own personal best, and decided to stick with my new method of only checking pace for the first two miles. Once the pace was established, I would run ahead without looking back, and tell myself that I was getting faster and stronger...no matter what.
My husband picked up our gear at the race expo in advance, which he found to be pretty impressive, and we arrived a bit earlier than we typically do on race day since it wasn't our regular rinky-dink race. Per usual, we camped out by bathrooms that were a bit further from the start than the others...this is an easy way to avoid excessive lines! After a final whiz, we made our way into the corrals.
I got a kick out of the pre-race announcements, which included something to the effect of "be careful, drivers hate runners...that's the way it is!" Sad but true...I have actually been angrily beeped at during a race because a car had to move over a couple of feet. (Really people?!) But more amusing, a group of little girls whisper-sang the National Anthem to their eager moms, mouthing the words and videoing on cell phones. Us runners chimed in and started audibly singing the anthem since the girls were quieter than mice. It was a silly but warm moment. I'll say it again: races bring out the best in people.
The race kicked off, and tears welled up in my eyes. I was SO happy to be running! I can't explain it...this happens to me at the start of races sometimes. I'll blame the cute little girls this time.
The beginning of the course took us through downtown SoNo, and then we were off on the highway, with occasional neighborhoods, for roughly the first 5 miles. (I'll say it now, this course was not the most scenic, but there was such spirit!) We wound ourselves back into the main downtown area around mile 6, and soon after that point I passed my husband. (Girl power!) Miles 7 and 8 were super twisty through a park. I told myself--the middle part of the race is the hardest anyway...get through this maze and you will be golden! The swerves actually helped distract me, and I powered through what are usually the most difficult miles for me.
We broke out into a straightaway towards Calf Pasture Beach for miles 9-11, which basically entailed running on the side of the road past cars in traffic that might as well have been parked. The snarky side of me smirked for moving more quickly than a bunch of cars. I also took a moment to appreciate myself--all of this energy was coming from ME, not the race course.
There was a hill around mile 11, and I seriously thought, hallelujah! I needed a wake up call since I was starting to zone out and, like the freak I am, I love me some hills. We then ran through the Calf Pasture Beach park, then curved out and headed towards the finish at Veteran's Park. I played tag with one woman roughly my age for almost half of the race, but she ultimately finished ahead of me. (I later thanked her for the inspiration. :))
When I crossed that finish line, I was absolutely in shock. I actually almost asked the officials if the clock was incorrect. 1:35:53. WHAT!? That is a 7:19 minute/mile pace...that is 4 minutes faster than my previous best half marathon. EXCUSE ME?! I got third place in my age group (out of 91), was the 8th female finisher (out of 465), and was the 53rd overall finisher (out of 839).
I took celebratory photos, grabbed a beer and slice of pizza, and relished in the present. I know that these moments are special, as it's not everyday that you shock yourself with your own power and strength. My key takeaways from this experience: trust yourself; you are stronger than you realize; positive thinking lightens your load.
I'd participated in the Lightfoot Summer Series races in Norwalk, which culminated in a half marathon race in September, and I felt this October half marathon race would be a nice continuation. (I certainly wasn't alone, as I saw many familiar faces.) I completely treated this race as a fun challenge. I had no explicit goal, though it's always nice to beat your own personal best, and decided to stick with my new method of only checking pace for the first two miles. Once the pace was established, I would run ahead without looking back, and tell myself that I was getting faster and stronger...no matter what.
My husband picked up our gear at the race expo in advance, which he found to be pretty impressive, and we arrived a bit earlier than we typically do on race day since it wasn't our regular rinky-dink race. Per usual, we camped out by bathrooms that were a bit further from the start than the others...this is an easy way to avoid excessive lines! After a final whiz, we made our way into the corrals.
I got a kick out of the pre-race announcements, which included something to the effect of "be careful, drivers hate runners...that's the way it is!" Sad but true...I have actually been angrily beeped at during a race because a car had to move over a couple of feet. (Really people?!) But more amusing, a group of little girls whisper-sang the National Anthem to their eager moms, mouthing the words and videoing on cell phones. Us runners chimed in and started audibly singing the anthem since the girls were quieter than mice. It was a silly but warm moment. I'll say it again: races bring out the best in people.
The race kicked off, and tears welled up in my eyes. I was SO happy to be running! I can't explain it...this happens to me at the start of races sometimes. I'll blame the cute little girls this time.
The beginning of the course took us through downtown SoNo, and then we were off on the highway, with occasional neighborhoods, for roughly the first 5 miles. (I'll say it now, this course was not the most scenic, but there was such spirit!) We wound ourselves back into the main downtown area around mile 6, and soon after that point I passed my husband. (Girl power!) Miles 7 and 8 were super twisty through a park. I told myself--the middle part of the race is the hardest anyway...get through this maze and you will be golden! The swerves actually helped distract me, and I powered through what are usually the most difficult miles for me.
 |
| Powering through around mile 8; happy to be back on the road and out of the swervey park! |
We broke out into a straightaway towards Calf Pasture Beach for miles 9-11, which basically entailed running on the side of the road past cars in traffic that might as well have been parked. The snarky side of me smirked for moving more quickly than a bunch of cars. I also took a moment to appreciate myself--all of this energy was coming from ME, not the race course.
There was a hill around mile 11, and I seriously thought, hallelujah! I needed a wake up call since I was starting to zone out and, like the freak I am, I love me some hills. We then ran through the Calf Pasture Beach park, then curved out and headed towards the finish at Veteran's Park. I played tag with one woman roughly my age for almost half of the race, but she ultimately finished ahead of me. (I later thanked her for the inspiration. :))
When I crossed that finish line, I was absolutely in shock. I actually almost asked the officials if the clock was incorrect. 1:35:53. WHAT!? That is a 7:19 minute/mile pace...that is 4 minutes faster than my previous best half marathon. EXCUSE ME?! I got third place in my age group (out of 91), was the 8th female finisher (out of 465), and was the 53rd overall finisher (out of 839).
 |
| Ringing the PR bell in honor of my half marathon best by 4 minutes! |
I took celebratory photos, grabbed a beer and slice of pizza, and relished in the present. I know that these moments are special, as it's not everyday that you shock yourself with your own power and strength. My key takeaways from this experience: trust yourself; you are stronger than you realize; positive thinking lightens your load.
The Run Down
- Type: Race Course
- Distance: Half marathon
- Location: Norwalk, CT
- Terrain: Rolling hills
- Hydration/nutrition: Plentiful, with water and Gatorade equivalent
- Bathrooms: At start and three on course
- Other conditions to consider: Great communication, but it's worth reemphasizing that you should figure out your parking plans in advance. It's also better to *not* park right at the start/finish if you don't want to stay there all day.
- Recommended? Yes, definitely! The race was very fun and well organized.
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