Day 362 (I think)...hypo 1/2

Temp -25C, windchill -38C
Truly a hypothermic half!
I finished it in 1:59:5X, I think (I'm not sure where the finish line was)...It was kind of funny.
Total run/jogged: 16.31 miles.
I would like to write a report but I'm totally useless now so I'm not quite sure what will emerge.

It was so cold that I waited in the car (my husband dropped me off) until I saw people running, and I wasn't the only one who started their race in the parking lot. 

First 5K loop: cold, had to warm up. I didn't quit and get on the bus (the route went right by the Tunney's Pasture bus stop). Didn't take water at the end of the loop, too cold. I'm not sure what went on, except that I didn't want to pass people, but I did because I needed to warm up. I was in a bubble.

Second 5K loop: warmer but harder. Limbs warmed up and got sluggish. I didn't quit and get on the bus (but it was very tempting!). Mentally rough. To pick up my spirits, I decided to take water and a gel at the end of the loop but it took a while to get to the gel and it was frozen. I spilled the water on myself but it froze quickly so that was fine. Unfortunately, during the minute or so that I had my balaclava pulled under my chin, it froze in that shape. It felt uncomfortable when I pulled it back over my face. But otherwise I felt much better. I reentered the bubble, the protective bubble. The sun was shining, I was going to thank each and every volunteer and enjoy the experience and not think about how much further I had to go, or whatever. So I took a bit of a vacation.

Third 5K loop: Surprisingly pleasant. I decided to enjoy it. It was easier to pass the bus station this time. Despite my lassitude, nobody passed me except for a couple of guys who lapped me. LOL. My balaclava thawed enough to get soft, which was downright luxurious. I took more water but I couldn't throw the cup in the bin! I tried twice but I had too much ice on my eyelashes or something, plus my arms weren't in the equation somehow. finally a nearby volunteer said she'd take care of it. Thank goodness because I didn't want to bend down and pick it up again. I finally figured out where the race clock was--I wasn't wearing a watch or Garmin, but I'd assumed that there would be a race clock but I was too much in my bubble to see it before. At 15ishK, it said 1:26. I was still too much in a bubble to process it: it was a curiously abstract number. Pace? whatever

Fourth 5K loop: I somehow found more energy. It went by quickly although by this point I knew where the really cold stretches were, right in that brutal wind. I came out of the bubble a bit and it finally felt like a race (the rest of it didn't exactly). I passed a few people and one guy passed me.

Last 1.1K: seemed so long going out and then I went around the turn-around and it ended pretty quickly. The clock said 1:59:XX, and I think I managed to get through before 2:00...but, whatever! Someone handed me a medal and I thanked her, put it on, and started to jog home.

I tried to put on my windbreaker (I wore another for the race with mesh gaps), but the zipper was frozen open, couldn't zip it up until I warmed it up with with my hands.

The biggest test of the morning (apart from failing to get the empty cup into the bin) was trying to get into my house! I had to unzip my windbreakers to get to my key, but they were frozen shut by that point. My hands were warm though my mittens were frozen into fist-like shapes, but once I took the wool liners off, they got cold. But I got my key.

Success! But I had to let my clothing thaw out a bit before I could take it off. There was ice inside my windbreaker sleeves too. LOL

Warm bath, pajamas, snacks...my brain is fried and I feel really really tired, but it doesn't feel like I actually ran. It was kind of like an out of body experience.

I think I'll sign up for the Winterman 1/2 and hope that the temperature will be a little bit warmer.