3M Half-Marathon Race Report

Well, I did it. I set a goal of 2:20, and I ended up running it in 2:15:40. I couldn't be any happier with my time, all things considered. In fact, for awhile I was thinking I could finish in 2:10, but the last 1.5 miles got the best of me. But that's ok. I ran 13.1 miles with no knee pain at all, and I'm so happy that I can say I did it.

The first 6 miles were solid, and I was running a sub 10 minute pace. The coarse was almost entirely downhill, and that made it much easier! My 10K time was slightly skewed due to a slower second half race. I did the Cap 10K in 55 minutes last year. Just makes me realize that I should be able to run it faster this year. 6 miles sounds like a cake walk after running a half.

Miles 7-10 weren't bad. More than anything, I was just bored with running. My partner dropped me right before mile 8, but then I saw Hunk and some friends at mile 9 and that certainly helped me keep going. Mile 10 I decided to put my headphones on to listen to some music in hopes of being distracted. It didn't last long though. After not listening to music during my training, I found that it was more annoying than anything. So miles 11 and 12 were really just thinking about things....Hunk, my family, my job...really just how lucky I am and how happy they all make me.

And then mile 13 happened. Ugh. My legs were hurting, and there were two really small hills that felt like mountains. I had to dig pretty deep because all I wanted to do at that point was sit down. But- I didn't run 12 miles to walk the last one, so I just kept moving my feet. My pace dropped significantly, but when I turned that last corner and saw the finish line, nothing else mattered. I was panning the audience for my parents and for Hunk. I didn't see them, but heard Hunk yell my name. I just remember smiling, and stopping just feet after the finish line. The video is pretty funny. Most of the people around me kept running just a little bit more, but I was DONE!

I walked up to happily grab my metal, pose for a quick picture, and then give Hunk a big hug. The rest was kind-of a blur. I was so tired, and my legs were beat. I wanted to find my parents so badly, but it turned out that mom wasn't able to make it, and my dad had gotten there just after I crossed the finish line.  Because I ran a little faster than predicted, he just missed it. Oh well! I got some water and an orange and happily sat down for a bit. And then the cramping started. I made the horrible rookie mistake of trying to stretch out some muscles that really weren't ready to be stretched. I'll certainly remember that next time. And yes, there will definitely be a next time. There is not a chance in hell that you will ever catch me running a marathon, but I am certainly ready to take on another half, and beat my time next year by at least 5-10 minutes. Barring any injuries, I know I can do it!

Overall, it was such a great experience. The weather, the crowds, and even my nutrition was all perfect. I drank water or Gatorade at every stop, ate a Gu at mile 6, and another one at mile 9, and not once did I feel hungry or thirsty during the race. I had a breakfast of toast with almost butter and banana, and just a little bit of water. I'll have to remember that for future races. So check one off my "to-do" list, and moving right along. I'm going to continue with running, and add some biking and weight training twice a week as I get ready to gear up for a fun triathlon season. Looking forward to dropping some winter weight and tackling a few more goals.

Week 4: Set goals, and do your best to stick to them

I have been back from Hawaii for exactly one week now, and I promise I will get a vacation recap up this weekend. Catching up from 5 days away from work has not been fun, but I'm almost there. Just a few more emails to respond to, and Monday should be back to business.

Now- on to week 4. People always ask "What are your resolutions for the New Year?", and I usually just shrug my shoulders. I don't know that setting resolutions are really the most realistic thing to do, unless you truly are dedicated to making serious life changes. My life is pretty cool, and there's not much I want to change, but there are still things that I would like to accomplish. More travel, continuing to challenge myself physically, finally creating a savings account (shame on me). Those are some of my goals, and there's no better way to hold yourself accountable than to get things on the calendar, set a date to achieve them, and check it off when you're done.

Back in November, I set a goal for myself to run a half-marathon. My place of work was offering a ridiculously reasonable rate to join the ever-popular Gilbert's Gazelles, so I knew I had no excuses not to. I signed up and eagerly showed up for the first early morning group run. For the first few weeks, training was fantastic. My nagging knee issue wasn't really bothering me, and I was consistently increasing my miles each week. I even lost a few pounds without really trying. And then the bottom fell out. My knee issue was back with a vengeance, and I literally had to stop running during a Thursday morning training session. I just couldn't do it, and I was so upset. I tried to continue, I honestly did. But I finally succumbed to that nagging voice in my head that said continuing on would only make it worse. So I took a few weeks off, and eventually went to see a sports therapist for some Active Release Therapy. Thankfully, his voodoo magic worked.

I had to start back slow, and find my motivation again, but I did it (sort-of). It's the motivation part that I'm really struggling with, and I've had to do a lot of thinking this week about why this goal is important to me. It's easy to make excuses when it feels a little like the cards are stacked against you- injury, holidays, vacation (yeah, I know- hard to feel sorry for me), but they all contributed to a lack of consistency that has hindered me reaching this goal. But my knee is feeling stronger, and I know that while it's going to be hard, there is nothing to physically prevent me from accomplishing this goal.

So on Sunday morning, I will wake up at 5 am, eat my breakfast of toast, peanut butter and banana, and run 13.1 miles with my friends from my training group. It's going to take me awhile (goal for time is 2:20), but more importantly, I want to "run with joy", and think about all the great things that I'm running for. My family, friends, and a wonderful, supportive boyfriend are things that I continue to be thankful for, and I know they will help me push through those last tough miles.

As for the rest of my goals- I'm working on getting them on my "calendar" and setting a date in order to hold myself accountable. They are all important to me, so I need to take the steps to make sure that they happen. What are your goals, and how are you going to accomplish them this year?

Knee Injury Update

My first half-marathon is only 3 short weeks away, and I'm still hoping for a tiny miracle that I will be in good shape to run it. I took a couple of weeks off, but the knee still wasn't getting much better. I knew I needed to take action.  The Friday before Christmas, I drove down to San Marcos to visit Core Running so that I could at least get a much needed new pair of shoes. Hunk is good friends with the owner, and swears that he is the best "fitter" in Austin. No doubt about that! He was very thorough in analyzing my feet, and set me up in a great new pair of Asics 2160. They are gorgeous, and so so comfortable. However, it was his advice to go visit the guys at Austin Sports Therapy that was probably the most helpful. He swears by their magic ART treatments, so I decided to give it a shot.

I have now been to see them 3 times, and my knee is already worlds better. It's not totally pain free yet, but I was able to churn out 3 easy runs this week without it hurting that much. The real test will be my first long run tomorrow in over 3 weeks. According to my training plan, I'm supposed to do 10-13 miles. However, I came to an agreement with the doc that I would only do 7 (dependent upon how my knee feels, of course). I have to say I'm a little bit nervous, but also really ready to get back out there with the group.

Fingers crossed that it holds up! I've been spending time on my bike to try and keep up with cardio, doing lots of hip strengthening exercises, and getting some serious quality time in with my foam roller. That will continue all the way up to the big day. Hopefully it pays off and makes tomorrow a success!