3:12:52
I finished my first half-marathon yesterday! It's something I have been trying (correction: HALF-ASS trying) to do for three years.
I started training in October, & got to where I could run three miles easily. Just like every year. : ) I got injured eight weeks ago & couldn't run even one mile without my shin hurting, so I stayed off it. In the last eight weeks, I have run six miles - on three separate occasions. I wasn't letting it keep me from the marathon this time.
So Saturday, after partying Friday night for Jerem's birthday & seeing Avatar in the morning, I ran around getting my race number, goody bag, & checking things out at the fitness expo. Had a deliiicious pasta dinner with Kelly & Freddy, my marathon partners in crime. Stuffed myself silly after eating sensibly all week! I decided I needed a "waistband" with zippers (a.k.a. a FANNY PACK!!) to carry my phone, keys, snack bar, & ID. Searched three sporting good stores after deciding not to pay $20 for one at the expo. Paid $20 for one at Roadrunner. Ha. I grabbed whole wheat English muffins & peanut butter on my way home, drank two liters of water before bed, & hit the sheets ready to take on the world!
5:30 a.m. Sunday morning came quickly! I put on my BRIGHT YELLOW(!!) Team UPX shirt, grabbed my maps, toasted my English muffin, & left the condo. It was still dark out! I picked my training partner & pal, Freddy up on my way. I had been worried that I wouldn't be able to pull into his apartment complex beacause McDowell was closing for the half marathon, but all was well. He was all dressed up & ready to go!
We waited in traffic for about 30 minutes & finally parked at ASU around 7:00. Everyone had warm clothes on over their marathon stuff, & I let Freddy know that I was NOT willing to wait in a line for the "gear check" to stay warm for 15 minutes before the marathon. Kelly met up with us in line for the shuttle. We stretched & chatted with runners, & boarded the bus at about 8:00. Too late - I will be there earlier next year.
The bus had a bathroom on it! AWESOME! We had used a Port-O-Shitter earlier, & I knew that was all they'd have on the course, so I used it. Freddy & Kelly didn't. We arrived at the start line/corrals, & I was surprised that I wasn't nervous at all! It was packed! We found what we thought was our corral number (they had changed theirs to #18 since mine was between theirs), & moved along with our group. We realized later that we were starting with corral #20. Oops. Late start. We stretched a little more, chatted a little more, complained about John McCain being at the start line, & took a few pictures with my camera phone.
Finally, our corral was at the start line! They counted us off & we took off jogging. There were people throwing articles of clothing off into the cheering crowd. That is what I will be doing next year! Homeless people hung out to collect the warm stuff people wore over their clothes. Keep warm &&& make a charitable donation - done! : )
We hadn't made it to mile one yet when Freddy & Kelly spotted a Port-O-Shitter behind a fence. I waited while they waited to use it. Texted a couple pals & (one of) my biggest supporter(s), fellow runner, & best friend, my sister. Six or seven minutes later, we were back on track, jogging along. I started feeling my left shin threaten to start hurting. This was where my injury had happened eight weeks ago. I was worried this would happen, but not in mile one! I slowed my pace, and the almost-pain went away completely. By mile two, we were rockin'. We would jog five blocks and walk one. Mile three took us through a neighborhood, and when I saw the 5K sign, I was SHOCKED at how fast the time had flown!
Mile four, mile five, mile six. At mile 6.5, I had goosebumps and all the energy in the world. My endurance was holding up INCREDIBLY, I was running pain-free, and my iPod was in tune with my pace. Kelly had slowed down back in mile three, so it was just Freddy & me together now.
Mile seven. Uh-oh. I felt my energy level start to taper. I slowed down to a walk for a few blocks and ate my nut bar, hoping it would kick in quickly and give me some fuel. Wondered where the Gu energy gel stations advertised were - I needed more calories to burn! Mile eight came and went, then mile nine. I noticed a hole in my sock, but I was doing GREAT! SO MUCH BETTER than expected after not training passed three miles!
With mile ten came some uphill course. Freddy had to use the Port-O-Shitter, & I waited outside for three minutes. I could feel my right calf trying to cramp up while jogging, and my right knee was hurting while walking. That lasted for about a mile, and mile eleven was more up and down. I literally only jogged a quarter of mile eleven.
Twelve. Almost there! Final mile! I had gotten two Gu packets in mile nine, and they were kicking in! I got a burst of energy around the final corner and jogged the home stretch. Passed mile marker thirteen... searched the crowd for Jeremy & the rest of Freddy's & my cheer squad. Couldn't find 'em. Didn't care. Watched the clock as I came up on the finish line... got goosebumps! Almost cried as my first foot hit the ground on the other side of that line.
I DID IT!! What a RUSH! & I had inspired two of my friends to do it! Freddy told me I had pushed him and he wouldn't have done it as quickly if he hadn't been with me. We stood around waiting for Kelly & some of our co-workers, got some free water and Cytomax... protein bars... orange slices (like soccer!), bananas... had our pictures taken... met up with Jeremy & Co. We got medals!
Three hours, twelve minutes, fifty-two seconds. My goal had been to finish in under three hours. If I hadn't waited for my friends in the Port-O-Shitters, I'd have been at 3:04. But I am still damn impressed with myself after not training for eight weeks, & being injured, & never making it passed a three mile easy run.
And I still cannot believe I did it virtually PAIN-FREE. Truly a miracle.
And what a BEAUTIFUL DAY we had for a half-marathon! Partly cloudy, 65 degrees... absolutely gorgeous. I can only hope to be so lucky next year!
And next year... I will be under 2:45:00. Mark my words. : )
P.S. Thank GOODNESS for MLK, Jr. day - I needed it to recover. : ) : ) Slept in till 10 a.m. after going to bed at 11 last night! My body is sore in the best possible way. I am officially addicted, and cannot wait to do the San Diego half in June with my sister! Thanks to her & Jerem for their amaaaaaazing support!
I started training in October, & got to where I could run three miles easily. Just like every year. : ) I got injured eight weeks ago & couldn't run even one mile without my shin hurting, so I stayed off it. In the last eight weeks, I have run six miles - on three separate occasions. I wasn't letting it keep me from the marathon this time.
So Saturday, after partying Friday night for Jerem's birthday & seeing Avatar in the morning, I ran around getting my race number, goody bag, & checking things out at the fitness expo. Had a deliiicious pasta dinner with Kelly & Freddy, my marathon partners in crime. Stuffed myself silly after eating sensibly all week! I decided I needed a "waistband" with zippers (a.k.a. a FANNY PACK!!) to carry my phone, keys, snack bar, & ID. Searched three sporting good stores after deciding not to pay $20 for one at the expo. Paid $20 for one at Roadrunner. Ha. I grabbed whole wheat English muffins & peanut butter on my way home, drank two liters of water before bed, & hit the sheets ready to take on the world!
5:30 a.m. Sunday morning came quickly! I put on my BRIGHT YELLOW(!!) Team UPX shirt, grabbed my maps, toasted my English muffin, & left the condo. It was still dark out! I picked my training partner & pal, Freddy up on my way. I had been worried that I wouldn't be able to pull into his apartment complex beacause McDowell was closing for the half marathon, but all was well. He was all dressed up & ready to go!
We waited in traffic for about 30 minutes & finally parked at ASU around 7:00. Everyone had warm clothes on over their marathon stuff, & I let Freddy know that I was NOT willing to wait in a line for the "gear check" to stay warm for 15 minutes before the marathon. Kelly met up with us in line for the shuttle. We stretched & chatted with runners, & boarded the bus at about 8:00. Too late - I will be there earlier next year.
The bus had a bathroom on it! AWESOME! We had used a Port-O-Shitter earlier, & I knew that was all they'd have on the course, so I used it. Freddy & Kelly didn't. We arrived at the start line/corrals, & I was surprised that I wasn't nervous at all! It was packed! We found what we thought was our corral number (they had changed theirs to #18 since mine was between theirs), & moved along with our group. We realized later that we were starting with corral #20. Oops. Late start. We stretched a little more, chatted a little more, complained about John McCain being at the start line, & took a few pictures with my camera phone.
Finally, our corral was at the start line! They counted us off & we took off jogging. There were people throwing articles of clothing off into the cheering crowd. That is what I will be doing next year! Homeless people hung out to collect the warm stuff people wore over their clothes. Keep warm &&& make a charitable donation - done! : )
We hadn't made it to mile one yet when Freddy & Kelly spotted a Port-O-Shitter behind a fence. I waited while they waited to use it. Texted a couple pals & (one of) my biggest supporter(s), fellow runner, & best friend, my sister. Six or seven minutes later, we were back on track, jogging along. I started feeling my left shin threaten to start hurting. This was where my injury had happened eight weeks ago. I was worried this would happen, but not in mile one! I slowed my pace, and the almost-pain went away completely. By mile two, we were rockin'. We would jog five blocks and walk one. Mile three took us through a neighborhood, and when I saw the 5K sign, I was SHOCKED at how fast the time had flown!
Mile four, mile five, mile six. At mile 6.5, I had goosebumps and all the energy in the world. My endurance was holding up INCREDIBLY, I was running pain-free, and my iPod was in tune with my pace. Kelly had slowed down back in mile three, so it was just Freddy & me together now.
Mile seven. Uh-oh. I felt my energy level start to taper. I slowed down to a walk for a few blocks and ate my nut bar, hoping it would kick in quickly and give me some fuel. Wondered where the Gu energy gel stations advertised were - I needed more calories to burn! Mile eight came and went, then mile nine. I noticed a hole in my sock, but I was doing GREAT! SO MUCH BETTER than expected after not training passed three miles!
With mile ten came some uphill course. Freddy had to use the Port-O-Shitter, & I waited outside for three minutes. I could feel my right calf trying to cramp up while jogging, and my right knee was hurting while walking. That lasted for about a mile, and mile eleven was more up and down. I literally only jogged a quarter of mile eleven.
Twelve. Almost there! Final mile! I had gotten two Gu packets in mile nine, and they were kicking in! I got a burst of energy around the final corner and jogged the home stretch. Passed mile marker thirteen... searched the crowd for Jeremy & the rest of Freddy's & my cheer squad. Couldn't find 'em. Didn't care. Watched the clock as I came up on the finish line... got goosebumps! Almost cried as my first foot hit the ground on the other side of that line.
I DID IT!! What a RUSH! & I had inspired two of my friends to do it! Freddy told me I had pushed him and he wouldn't have done it as quickly if he hadn't been with me. We stood around waiting for Kelly & some of our co-workers, got some free water and Cytomax... protein bars... orange slices (like soccer!), bananas... had our pictures taken... met up with Jeremy & Co. We got medals!
Three hours, twelve minutes, fifty-two seconds. My goal had been to finish in under three hours. If I hadn't waited for my friends in the Port-O-Shitters, I'd have been at 3:04. But I am still damn impressed with myself after not training for eight weeks, & being injured, & never making it passed a three mile easy run.
And I still cannot believe I did it virtually PAIN-FREE. Truly a miracle.
And what a BEAUTIFUL DAY we had for a half-marathon! Partly cloudy, 65 degrees... absolutely gorgeous. I can only hope to be so lucky next year!
And next year... I will be under 2:45:00. Mark my words. : )
P.S. Thank GOODNESS for MLK, Jr. day - I needed it to recover. : ) : ) Slept in till 10 a.m. after going to bed at 11 last night! My body is sore in the best possible way. I am officially addicted, and cannot wait to do the San Diego half in June with my sister! Thanks to her & Jerem for their amaaaaaazing support!