5B, Wine and a half marathon....A June 2013 race review

What happens to peer pressure when you grow up?  It definitely still exists in my opinion but it becomes more about being healthy than doing stupid things, well and drinking wine obviously.  My college girlfriends who I will refer to all the time as 5B decided it would be great fun to get together and do a half marathon.  Lauren is the only one who did not participate as she was going to give birth a few short weeks later and Robyn of course was in Paris.

It was HOT and HUMID for this race in the lovely winery region of Virginia.  To set the scene, a lot had happened in the two weeks between this race and the Brooklyn half.  I had traveled to London for work making a stop in Paris to visit Robyn and come home with quite a cough.   I wasn't going to let it stop me from running.  We had quite a group, 5B, Jamie and her sister in law, Lulu.  Debbie and Lulu were running their first ever half marathons!

I started off with Jamie and Lulu and things were going well until mile 3 and my first coughing fit.  Lulu and I sent Jamie ahead but shortly after I sent Lulu ahead of me.  I coughed up a lung and decided hmm perhaps this wasn't just a cold.  By mile 6 I was in some major pain breathing wise but I wasn't going to stop.  I got some gauze at the aid station at mile 6 because they had no tissues.  After hearing my cough the one paramedic said you should probably stop by the other one knew I wouldn't and said go finish!  I ran/walked/coughed the rest of the race eventually finding a girl who was doing her first ever half marathon.  I encouraged her and she kept me from dying and we ran across that finish line.  It was my worst finish ever but I was still under three hours.  After a short time at the finish festival and a few sips of wine we went to lunch.  At that point I was still in a ton of pain breathing wise so after changing I went to the urgent care near Siobhan's house where I discovered I had pneumonia.  Yep, one lung half filled with fluid, one a quarter filled...perfect way to run a half marathon. 

The group before hand with our sparkle skirts.

5B with the lovely Owen, best spectator ever

After, you can't even tell that I can't breath

Yay ladies!!