Last weekend I ran my first half marathon in almost three years! I ran the 2019 Urban Cow Half Marathon in Sacramento and tried my best to keep my competitive side at bay.
The last year has been a whirlwind for me; I got engaged, married, and moved. I had plans to run a marathon in June but decided against it since it would have been one week after the wedding. Because of all of this I haven’t run a race since the St. George Marathon in 2018, exactly one year ago!
My motto lately for running has been to “enjoy more, stress less”. My last half marathon I ran led to me not enjoying racing anymore. I ran so hard and pushed myself the entire race to the point that when I finished the race, I got my PR (personal record), and I realized I didn’t enjoy one minute of it.
Cut to NOW where I am trying to calm my competitive side down, still race, but enjoy my races! With that in mind, I went into my half marathon with a positive outlook. Enjoy more, stress less!
Where We Stayed
The only hotel I could find listed on the race website was the Sacramento Westin. My husband is a Marriot gold member, so we stay at Marriot properties whenever we can. The price per night was very reasonable for such a nice hotel. It was right on the river path that the race was on, only three miles from the start/finish line!
Our time at the hotel was brief. We checked in around 7:30 pm the night before the race and had to be up and heading to the start line by 6 am. We did walk around outside to see the premises and it was beautiful. There was a wedding happening at the hotel which was an inconvenience for runners. The parking situation was limited, and the hotel was noisy later in the evening due to partying wedding guests.
Another thing to note is that the hotel is SO close to the start/finish line that it was a challenge to get back to the hotel post-race. Most of the roads were closed right in front of the hotel and we had to find a back way to get in. Overall, the Westin is a gorgeous property, though it might not be the best option for Urban Cow runners!
Pre-Race
I usually get my bib the day before a race. For this race, I couldn’t make the trek to Sacramento in time for packet pick-up. Luckily, they offered race day pick up starting at 6:15 am. My husband dropped me off bright and early near the race festivities (I was one of the first non-volunteers there) and I easily got my shirt and bib.
I brought a small drawstring bag to hold extra clothing. It was a bit cold out, in the high 40’s F, so I wore a long sleeve top and pants until the last minute. The race offered bag check and bike parking to race participants. The process was very quick for bag check and I was able to get everything checked with no issues. There were plenty of port-a-potties, though the lines did get longer the closer we got to the start time of 7:30 am.
I did a short shakeout run (mostly to warm me up because I was freezing) and then headed to the “corrals”. The race didn’t have a strictly enforced corral system. You either started at 7:30 am if you were going to finish the race in under 2 hours. Or you started at 7:40 if you thought you would finish after that. They also had a 2 Person relay option, which started at 7:30 as well. The 5k run/walk started at 7:55. I loved that there were so many options to run!
Race Time!
As we started running, I was seriously wondering if I should have kept wearing my long sleeve top. Though later once I was warmed up, I was ABSOLUTELY thankful to be in shorts and a tank top! This is something I need to remind myself every time I race, it’s better to wear less clothing than you think you need!
The race started in William Land Park and then went through some cute nearby neighborhoods. The houses were gorgeous, and the area was one I never knew existed in Sacramento! I was feeling good and enjoying the surroundings for the first third of the race.
After the neighborhoods, we headed towards downtown. Apparently, you can see the capital building around mile 5, but I didn’t look the right direction and missed it! We ran through downtown Sacramento and had a great view of the iconic Tower Bridge.
So far, the race was FLAT, like pancake flat. For me, this isn’t a great thing. I tend to do better with some up and downhills. After running through downtown, we ran through an outdoor mall (kind of random) and then up a slight hill to Old Town Sacramento.
Old Town was deserted, which gave it that old western movie vibe, I think a tumbleweed would have fit right in! We continued past the Tower Bridge again and onto the Sacramento River Trail. This was a long stint, though they did break it up by having an out and back at the marina. The marina was neat since they had some drummers there to add a pep in the exhausted runner’s stride!
I ended up with a side stitch around mile 6, which slowed me down. This is a common problem with me, and I know it is related to nutrition. I believe once I get hungry, I feel it in the form of a stitch. Luckily, once I had a gel it went away a few miles later.
The race continued down the river path for what felt like FOREVER. There were signs every quarter mile or so with race encouragement sayings. I clearly recall the one that said, “remember you PAID to be here!”, in which I laughed and rolled my eyes. We choose to do this to ourselves! Try and embrace the suck! 😉
Eventually, we ran and made a sharp turn by the Westin hotel. At this point, I was exhausted and ready to be DONE. We continued running back to William Land Park to finish out the race. I ALWAYS start races thinking I will close out the last half of the race (run faster than what I started). Then as the race progresses, I shift to thinking I will close out the last few miles… then it turns into me trying to run slightly faster for the last mile. Yea, I still haven’t mastered that whole negative split thing… Thus, I pushed as hard as I could for the last half mile. I closed it out in just about 1:49, which was fine with me! My only real goal was to finish in under 2 hours, so I was proud of my time.
Post-Race
Immediately when I crossed the finish line there were volunteers offering chicken tortilla wraps. I don’t know about you, but the last thing I want after finishing a race is chicken! Luckily, they also had cookies, fruit, and water just a few steps away.
I got my medal, which was a cowbell (!) and met up with my husband. I was pleasantly surprised by how well organized the finish party was with many booths filled with vendors and other upcoming races. This was the 15th Anniversary of the Urban Cow race, so I was stoked to also receive a special medal for that! Yes, I am a total sucker for medals, they are so pretty! =)
They had an area set up to check your finishing time and stats. We took a quick peek and headed into the main post-race festivities. I could have gotten a free beer for finishing the race, but I’m not a big beer drinker within the hours following a race! Give me ALL the Gatorade and water please!
Next, we got some free samples of hot cocoa and ice cream, grabbed my checked bag and headed back to the hotel. My husband had to park on a side street by William Land park, but the walk wasn’t too long. Plus I was all jacked up on that runners high, gotta love it!
Swag
Since I checked in and got my bib the morning of the race, I cannot speak to the expo or anything they passed out there. I did get a nice technical shirt along with my bib upon check-in that morning. After the race, I received my cowbell race medal (so awesome) and the 15th-anniversary medal (offered at a nearby booth). We also bought an Under Armor top with the Urban Cow logo on it after the race. It was awesome that they had the race gear available for those of us who didn’t make the expo the day before!
Overall Conclusion
The Urban Cow Half Marathon was a well-organized event on a scenic Sacramento route. I ran the California International Marathon (CIM) a few years ago, and you get more “Sacramento” touring in this race. It brings you by many of the highlights of the capital city, plus it is pancake flat. If you like a flat race, this race will make you happy. Since I prefer some elevation variation, it wasn’t my favorite (or fastest) course.
The water and Gatorade stops were well placed with enthusiastic volunteers. The crowd support was just enough to keep me motivated, though not overwhelming. The toughest spot was the river trail which had no support, though the fun signs helped to keep me motivated. Overall the Urban Cow Half was a fun, organized and interesting race! If you’ve ever wanted a cowbell medal, (let’s be honest, who doesn’t want one?) get a mooooove on and check it out! 😉
Don’t forget to read my time tested gear superior distance running and my absolute favorite cookbooks for runners if you are planning on running a race!
Looks like an amazing marathon with lots of great views! I’m always amazed by runners. I don’t think I have that in me. I always tell my kids if you see me running you better run too cause something’s chasing me. Haha. Great job. You should be so proud of this accomplishment.
When I first saw the title of your blog, I thought the marathon was in Ft. Worth TX!!!! lol I’m from Arlington and strive to always run in the ‘Turkey Trot’ each year in Dallas. You have inspired me to begin training to participate this year again! Thanks for sharing.
I enjoyed reading about your experiences, even though I wouldn’t run unless being chased by bears. Thank you for sharing.