The Geneva Half Marathon was an awesome race and I’m so excited to do it again next year!

Due to the 8:30am start, Charlie and I were able to enjoy a good night’s sleep before waking up around 6:30. We got dressed, sorted through our race day essentials, ate peanut butter and banana sandwiches and sipped coffee before heading out the door.

We knew that the course conditions wouldn’t be ideal as the wind was howling and the temperatures were in the mid 40s when we left the house. Instead of second guessing our race day outfit choices we stuck with our plan and instead each added a throwaway layer on top which we could wear for the first few miles.

Getting to the starting area was easy for us as it is only 2 tram stops away from my flat. We arrived by 7:40 and within minutes were able to find the special area for corporate sponsor athletes. It was so nice to have warmth, bathrooms, water, bananas, and a dedicated bag check which we could use before the race versus sitting out in the cold. P&G did a great job supporting employees who ran in any of the races this weekend!

The P&G corporate team took a quick team photo before the start which was partial chaos and partial hilarity as the poor photographer tried to heard the runners into a single group photo.

With a few minutes left before the race, a group of us headed into the corrals trying as best as possible to move into the section on our bib. It was crowded but we eventually found ourselves near the 2:00 pacer. The music and energy was amazing as people got pumped to run either 13.1 or 26.2 miles.

Charlie, Laura, Charlie Brown, Emily and I started together as they thought it’d be fun to stick together at the start, doing their part to push me to a PR. The girls and their motivation was exactly what I needed while we stood in the crowd trying to warm up. I decided to give my throwaway top to Charlie Brown who was shivering due to the cold. Stripped down to just my tank and P&G technical shirt paired with compression socks and Lululemon shorts, I was ready to run. Laura and Charlie told me to start my Garmin as we crossed the start but immediately switch it to clock mode. Their sole goal was to pace me to a PR and the only way they wanted to do that was by starting smart.

The start was super crowded and congested but instead of weaving in and out of slower runners, we moved to the right side of the road and just tried to find a comfortable pace and move with the crowd. Instead of putting my headphones in I let the girls constant conversation entertain me. Laura promised to stick with me the entire time while Charlie said she’d go between our pace and the rest of the groups pace, depending on how her legs felt. Based on the elevation chart, I knew the first few miles would be rolling hills but nothing too extreme.

The first 5 miles were absolutely gorgeous and an area which I had never run. The paved road lead us through flower fields, horse farms and vineyards. None of us could stop smiling as it was so peaceful and relaxing. The girls kept their promise to entertain me as we enjoyed the rolling hills and tried to take our minds off the wind and cold. None of the girls shed their layers until mile 5 or 6, proof of just how cold and windy the course was. (All photos in this post are compliments of Charlie, Leah and Charlie Brown as I was too focused to take any race photos.)

Mile 1: 9:49 (congested start)

Mile 2: 8:57

Mile 3: 8:48

Mile 4: 9:06

Mile 5: 9:10

Mile 6: 9:04

I broke out the Margarita Shotblocks at mile 5, chewing 3 right before the water station. At this point my legs felt great and I was so excited to be running with the ladies. As we caught sight of the lake I realized that based on the way I was feeling, a stretch goal of sub 2 may be possible. I couldn’t contain my excitement and started chanting sub 2 with the girls as we meandered through a small town. We started a steep 3/4 mile down hill just as we caught sight of the lake. We took this mile a bit faster, stretching our legs out and trying to pick up some time before getting down to the lake. The girls told me to spend this mile focusing on loosening my arms and shoulders and finding my breath. I did just that and started looking forward to mile 7 when we’d see our cheering squad which included Bo, Katie, Sarah and Ugo who is now a year old.

As soon as we hit the lake we were also met with strong winds. I did my best to maintain my pace even though the energy level dropped as we were no longer in new territory. This path along the lake is my regular running path so there were no fun sights or surprises. There were a few people cheering along the lake but I slowly found my legs losing momentum and falling a few steps behind the group. I took my mind off my heavy legs by starting to look for Bo. They were so loud and cheered for everyone in our group while snapping some great photos!

As you can see, my lovely P&G technical shirt was more than a bit short on me, hence the reason I wore a tank under it for Sunday’s race. I don’t think I’ll be wearing this shirt again as I was more than a bit sub conscious of it during the race and found myself pulling it down every few steps.

Mile 7: 8:45 (downhill)

Mile 8: 9:11

Mile 9: 9:23 (water station)

Mile 10: 8:57

We eventually weaved into the shopping area of Geneva, running down the cobblestone path before crossing a small bridge over the river and looping back out towards the botanical gardens. As soon as my watched beeped, signaling the end of mile 10 my body started to hit a wall. I took a Vanilla Gu in hopes that this would give me some energy and quickly walked through the next water station. I told Charlie and Laura that I was going to give the next 5k every ounce of effort but that I was feeling empty. We saw Jason, Leah’s fiance who gave us a big cheer as we passed. The smile on my face is 100% fake in this picture.

The ladies said that it should hurt as I’d pushed my legs and pace for the first 10 miles and this is where I needed to dig deep. In retrospect, I probably should have put in my headphones at this point but instead I just kept listening to the sounds on the course and dreading the next 5k. These miles went on forever as the road looped us down to the botanical gardens and cut back and forth through the town versus taking the straight, shorter path I thought we were taking. We also had two hills in this portion which I am sure were nothing on an elevation map but at that point they felt a bit like Everest.

Charlie and Laura made sure that I didn’t stop to walk instead convincing me that jogging was better than walking at this point. These girls were my rocks. Without them I would have never kept moving on at a steady jog as my whole body ached. I wanted to cry as the wind made every mile feel longer than the last.

As soon as we finally exited the botanical gardens I knew we were on our way back. We passed the hotels and finally crossed back to the Mont Blanc bridge. None of us could see a finish line so we didn’t know whether we had to run back into the park, where the 5k had ended the previous day. Suddenly I heard Charlie scream SPRINT. I pushed forward with all my effort, possibly moving some people aside who were leisurely making their way to the finish line. I was so focused on finishing that I didn’t even notice Bo cheering on the sidelines, snapping the below pictures.

Mile 11: 10:00

Mile 12: 9:59

Mile 13: 9:40

Mile 13-13.2: 9:14 pace

At this point I hadn’t looked at my watch since the 10k split. I was worried that the slower final 5k had killed my hopes for a PR but as I clicked over to my stopped watch I saw the beautiful number 2:03:01 – a PR by more than 2 minutes!

I was tired and in pain but so thankful for the PR. Deep down I started the day hoping for a sub 2 hour half marathon. Part of me was disappointed for a minute until I realized that considering the wind and my strong effort, I should be nothing but happy. A PR is a PR and I know that sub 2 hour half marathon will come soon – hopefully this year!

Our group quickly reunited in the P&G tent to celebrate multiple PRs and a great half marathon. Huge congrats to Ranald who ran a sub 1:30 half – crazy impressive effort!

All I wanted after the race was water and a banana though the rest of the girls were more than excited to enjoy the post race cakes, cheese, espresso, and dried meats! After 30 minutes or so we headed out to the lake so I could follow through on my promise. During the 5k on Saturday the girls insisted they could pace me to a PR. I laughed and said that if they could pace me to a PR I’d return the favor by jumping in the lake.

The girls quickly realized that I am a girl of my word and my legs were very appreciative for the cold ice bath!

Thank you to everyone for your positive thoughts, congratulations, and support during this training cycle especially the Team Naturally girls and Emily who were by my side for every mile and for Bo who was the most incredible cheerleader and supporter all weekend!