ukraine: kyiv: a half marathon of misery

I've run a lot of half marathons. I have no idea what the total number of races is, but i'm guessing it's over 40 half marathons. Heck, I ran 10 of them in one year when I lived in Seoul, so I know my number is high enough. It's not as high as it could be, but I'm pretty happy with it.
During all of those races I've been quite lucky in terms of weather. I've had cold weather, and snow, plenty of sun, or clouds, but no rain. Not until this race.
The day before the race, I went to the expo to pick up my race packet. It was dry when I left my flat, but raining when I arrived at the expo center. (While I was there I ran into one of my students, it turned out her dad was signed up for his first half marathon!) It was also raining when I got home.
The next morning I saw the weather forecasting rain, but when I left my flat it was dry, windy, and very cloudy.
When I arrived at the area housing the start of the race, it was raining a little. Nothing major, but it was definitely wet. I waited until the last minute to strip off my warm clothes, and put my bag into bag check. I saw a lot more cold weather gear than I'm used to seeing at races. Plenty of cheap ponchos, heavy running jackets, etc...I was wearing my normal outfit for a race: shorts, a t-shirt, and a running hat.
It wasn't raining anymore when the race started, but it was still cold, and I remember thinking, what have I gotten myself into? Plus, the streets were still full of small puddles and running water from the rain that had already started. I tried to avoid wet feet for as long as possible, even though I knew it would do no good.
After a while, it started raining again. Very lightly at first, then it picked up. Throughout the rest of the race it rained, but with varying degrees of intensity. I was really glad I had my hat, as I never had vision problems even with the rain. That being said, my face was probably the only part of me that wasn't sopping wet and cold.
The wind also varied during the race, but never stopped. The worst part was while I ran over a bridge and back. The wind there was colder, stronger, and generally made me question my sanity.
This course was different from what I've run here in Kyiv for the last three or four years. It was a good course, taking us runners through different neighborhoods. We ran through the giant WW2 memorial, which I really liked.
The event was really well supported, with plenty of volunteers, and plenty of liquid and food at the places there was supposed to be food and liquid. Even though I'm a slow runner, everyone on the course was still in a good mood when I ran past them.

People in Kyiv are good people. I must've looked awful, as three different people offered me jackets during the race! Crazy as it sounds, I wasn't cold. Well, mostly not. My core, arms, and legs felt fine to me, but my hands were cold. Really really cold. If anyone had offered me mittens or gloves I would've said yes. My skin all over was red, and cold to the touch, but I didn't feel cold. Surprising, even to me, but I wasn't cold until after I finished. Except for my hands.
A couple meters after I crossed the finish line I received two items: my finisher's medal, and a space blanket. The blanket looks and feels more like a piece of aluminum foil, but it is surprisingly warm and solid enough. I also grabbed my goody bag, which had an apple, banana, and water bottle inside. (The finisher's goody bag is the one area in which the race organization could improve. I love the fruit, but I admit that I want more rewards for getting off my bum and running 21.1 kilometers on a weekend morning.)
When I got back to the place I'd dropped my bag, the chick working there had no idea where my bag was, and asked me if I was sure I'd put it in her area. Yes, I was sure. I found my own bag, under the table directly in front of her. And it wasn't dry. Argh. That was probably the most disappointing part of my day, that my warm clothes weren't completely dry. Complaining wouldn't have done any good, but I wish race organizers had planned more space for the items all the runners would be bringing. It isn't as if they didn't know how many runners would be there, and the forecast was steady all week in the rain prediction.
It took me a while to strip off my wet cold shorts afterward, as well as my shirt and sports bra. When your hands are that cold, they don't move the way you want. Plus, the ground in the changing tent was wet, so there was no dry place to set things down. I didn't do a good job of balancing on each leg, nor of stripping off wet clothes. I was happy I'd finished, but still questioning my sanity in running the race.
On my way home, I stopped at the grocery store. Eggs, bacon, hot dogs, pasta, a kit kat, and more, all went into my basket. I tend to overdo the splurging when I run a race :)
It wasn't my fastest run, but I finished, and that's what has always mattered most to me. To be honest, the biggest reason I ran and finished the race was becuase I'd ordered and paid for the rece shirt. If I hadn't run, or hadn't finished, I would never have allowed myself to wear the shirt. I love race shirts, and wear them with pride.
I look forward to the next race!!