I jumped into a 5K this past weekend! I would not have known about the race except for a little card my doctor's office sent me about a run to benefit Parkinson's research. I get treated for my focal dystonia at Barrow Neurological Institute, the same location as the Muhammad Ali Parkinson's Center. While I thankfully do not have Parkinson's at this time, there is some overlap between my condition and Parkinson's, and the medication I take to alleviate some of my worst symptoms is actually a medicine for Parkinson's, so needless to say, the Parkinson's cause is near and dear to my heart, and I wanted to run for it.
But, what to do about half-marathon training? I had 10 miles on deck the date of the 5K. Well, time to get creative! I realized that the 5K was about 7 miles from my house, so if Husband dropped me off and I fueled right, I could run home. So with that, I trialed a one day carb load [Thanks Meghann Featherstun (n.d.) for the how-to and calculator] and went to town, literally.
Race day conditions: Upper 40's and windy
Course: Flat, around a lake, and a little short (3.05 miles according to my Apple watch)
Goals:
A: 2 hour half-marathon pace of 9:09/minute
B: 27:00 (8:41/minute)
C: PR (8:11/mile or under)
(Yes, these are in reverse order of difficulty, because my main goal was to not exhaust myself so I could complete the miles on my training plan.)
Before the race:
Week nine of the First Half Marathon Training plan from Run to the Finish (2023)
Day 5 of Metcon from Nourish Move Love (2024) (a mistake!)
A one-day carb load with about 450 grams of carbohydrates
Race morning:
I got up at my normal hour of 5 am, did a little bit of moving around the house, and then completed Day 19 of Flow from Yoga with Adriene (2024). I drank 8 ounces of water and ate a peanut butter and honey energy ball. Then out the door!
It was a short walk from parking to the start line. We arrived about 50 minutes early. I felt warm enough, and then cold. About 7:20 am, I ate my banana. Then at 7:30 am, I jogged for five minutes. I took off my windbreaker and lined up for the race at 7:45 am, and off to the races at 8 am!
Mile 1:
I started off near the front (it was a small race), and we started off fast. I felt good, but when I looked down at my watch and it said 7:43/mile, I backed off my pace. I knew that was too fast! At about half a mile in, I got to chatting with some girls as I passed them, and realizing that I could pass the talk test, realized I could probably push a bit harder. I finished with an average pace of 8:24/mile.
Mile 2:
This mile seemed to pass by quickly. Not too much to say here, other than that I saw my time dipping and told myself I could work a little harder. I worked to pass a few people. This was my slowest mile at 8:33/mile.
Mile 3:
At about 2.5, I told myself to push. Then at 2.8, I told myself to really push. Thinking, "Push off the ground" seemed to help increase my pace. I also told myself to smile, because I like running! (In my vanity, I also did not want to look like a grouch puss when the fact that I like running is true.) I finished at 8:12/mile.
Finish:
I kicked it up to 6:57/mile to finish. My watch said 3.05 miles with a time of 25:34. The official results said 5K (3.1 miles) with a time of 25:28 and a pace of 8:11/mile. Whatever, I'll take it!
After the Race:
This was a small race, and I expected that I could place, but honestly, I was not sure I wanted to place, because I just wanted to run home! When I checked the results list, though, I saw that I had placed, first in my age group! So of course I wanted to stay to get the added bling for my medal. I chatted with some really nice master's runners, and they even stayed to see me go on the podium and take my picture. Runners really are the best people!
I departed after the medal ceremony and ran 7.42 miles home. I felt good, except for some mild hamstring soreness (which had been with me since that Nourish Move Love workout-which is why I said it was a bad idea). Thankfully 20 oz of water, some fuel, a podcast, some determination, and all that glycogen in my muscles got me home. I honestly felt okay, except for my hamstrings which were oh, so tight. I stretched and foam rolled immediately, but had to keep doing so throughout the weekend.
Concluding Thoughts:
I am learning more and more to trust the training process. I really did not want to do that carb load, and I believed I needed to try it. I kept telling myself not to quit, to get through it, and then if it did not work or I did not like it, I could quit the next time. I felt some anxiety race day morning (a newer thing for me), but just told myself this race was for a cause, and it was okay not to PR. I had peace while running, for which I thank the Lord and my husband. Running home afterward brought me such pride! While I did not want to refuel again when I got home, I told myself not to be stupid and to do it. (My husband thought I was telling him not to be stupid for a second, because I said it out loud. Oops! No, those were words for me!). I am oh so thankful to God for this experience and pray for wisdom and good health to continue training and running for as long as the good Lord allows.
References:
Brooks, A. (2023, March 9). Half marathon training schedule: Transition from the 10K to half. Run to the Finish. https://www.runtothefinish.com/half-marathon-training-schedule/
Featherstun, M. (n.d.). Carb loading: What, why, and how-to. Featherstone Nutrition. https://www.featherstonenutrition.com/carb-loading/
Nourish Move Love. (2024, January 5). New year challenge day 5: 30-minute full body Metcon (Kettlebell swings). [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xp14nPaJfkU
Yoga with Adriene. (2024, January 20). Flow - Day 19 - Ride. [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Od_S1P0c40
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