The sky glowed a warm amber as the sun peeked over the rolling hills of the nearby sleeping farms. Smoke rose from a chimney and horses wandered over the grounds fenced in on either side of the road. Some of the houses sat far off in the distance, surrounded by bucolic property, while others stood just off the street. For these residents, it was a normal Saturday morning of sleeping in, pancake breakfasts with bacon and the promise of yard work later in the day.
For the nearly 600 runners who were powering their way over the rolling hills through the very same farm country of Kennett Square with me, however, it was a test of strength and endurance culminating after weeks and months of hard training.
This past August, I signed up for the first-ever Victory KSQ Mushroom Cap Half Marathon. While I would have considered myself regular runner, a half marathon was not really on my bucket list. The distance intimidated me, and I was worried training would be too time consuming. Yet I found myself agreeing to train for my first half marathon on behalf of my fellow Town Dishers.
What had I just signed up for?!
Following the training plan set out by Hal Higdon, I spent August, September and the beginning of October training for the Mushroom Cap half. If I am honest, there were times when I would have welcomed an injury just for the excuse to bail. I spent time looking over the course map and made sure to adjust my training runs to the type of elevation and terrain the course dictated. I found myself most nervous about the terrifyingly steep and long hill at the end of the course before entering the stadium for the finish line.
Weeks before the race, I hit my 10-mile, 11-mile and, finally, 12-mile training runs. I hydrated. And even though I didn’t want to admit it to myself, I felt pretty ready to take on the main course (pun intended).
Race morning arrived crisp and clear. With the race starting at 7 a.m., runners were at the stadium well before, warming up their muscles and taking the obligatory 50 trips to the bathroom. Just as the sky began to lighten with the dawn, runners were called over to the starting line. The national anthem was sung and we saw off the group running for The Weekly Fight, who would run the entire course together carrying an American flag to promote their mission of helping veterans deal with post-traumatic stress through exercise and camaraderie. Race director David Berger gave us a pep talk, and just as my nerves were about to undo me, the clock began and we were off.
The following two hours were some of the most victorious and most challenging moments of my life. Our course was not easy, yet the amazing scenery and encouraging water stations at every mile marker kept us motivated forward. We were treated to everything from water and Gatorade to grilled cheese and zombies! We hit pavement and gravel, mountains and valleys, including the final hill heading back into the stadium. I am proud to say I made it up without walking, and crossing the finish line put the “victory” into my Victory KSQ Mushroom Cap Half Marathon experience!
To celebrate our achievements, runners were treated to delicious food and beer from Victory Brewing Company at the Celebration Square post party. Helles Lager was on tap (for recovery purposes, of course), and walking tacos, black bean burgers and traditional Indian street food, Bhel Puri, were served up to refuel depleted marathoners.
Full of Victory (both literally and figuratively), I ended my morning with a post-race nap.
I cannot express what an amazing experience my first half marathon was and how glad I am that I chose the Victory KSQ Mushroom Cap Half Marathon to be my first. I look forward to my next half marathon (yes I said it—who have I become?) and what next year’s Mushroom Cap Half has to offer.
To learn more about the Victory KSQ Mushroom Cap Half Marathon and who the race supports, visit the race website.
- Photos: Stephanie Anderson
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