Nationwide Children's Columbus Half-Marathon

How I Decided on the Race

I registered for this half-marathon long before I ran the Bay Bridge. Fresh off my first marathon and fastest 10K, I was hungry for more. I had also started entertaining the idea of running out of state. Knowing that this half-marathon supported the hospital that served my best friend's baby (now a preschooler) made me want to run it more. The only problem I saw was that the race was around on my bestie's anniversary, ironically the last time I was in Ohio. When I approached my friend about the race, she was enthusiastically supportive. "No problem," she said, and so February 22nd, I registered for the Nationwide Children's Hospital Columbus half marathon.

The Training

At the time of registering, I thought I wanted to go for a sub 1:50 half, given that my last finish was 1:52:52. I downloaded Run to the Finish's 1:45 plan and thought I would go with it. Well, I got my 1:45 at Bay Bridge, but still decided on this plan. It was more miles a week and more speed work than I had done before, so I thought it would be a good fit.

Spoiler alert: An October race meant training through the summer. Thankfully I did all right, at least in terms of surviving the heat. I sweated A LOT, but with enough hydration, salt, and showers, it was bearable. What I did not do was hit the paces prescribed in my plan, ever, that is until I pulled out my racing shoes on week 10/12. I finally got close, which was encouraging, but also humbling.

The Days Before the Race

I stuck with my three day carb load plan. As seems to be my pattern, the first day I was super hungry and enjoying all the carbs; day two, not so much. Day three, I was ready to be done! I ran one mile and walked and did yogalates Wednesday. I did a total of four miles Thursday (three with four strides). Saturday, I ran 3.1 miles and flew to Ohio.

My time table was tight on Saturday. I flew out at 9:55 AM, arrived at 4:35 PM, and had to get to the expo to get my bib by 6 pm. I pre-booked an Uber and everything worked out, but phew, it was stressful! Between the airport, the huge convention center, and a walk to the start line, I probably did a little bit too much, but que sera, sera. I laid out all my clothes, pinned my bib, took my flat runner photos, and tried to chill. I had a beautiful room in which to do so, and eventually got myself calmer. I was in bed around 9:05 and shut my phone off at 9:15 PM to hopefully allow for seven hours of sleep.

Race Morning:

I set my alarm for 4:30 am. By 4:45 AM or so, race corral opening was already delayed to 6:45 AM. That did not seem to bode well, so I delayed getting ready a bit. I went and refilled my water bottles. I read my Bible and some of Let Your Mind Run by Deena Kastor. I did my arm and leg PT. By 5:50 AM, I ate a bagel and drank coffee with RNWY. I left my room about 6:30 and arrived at the race start around 7 AM. It was already sprinkling, but I had tied grocery sacks over my shoes and wore a rain poncho. Immediately after finding my corral, I went to the porta-pottie line, did an 0.21 mile warm-up and lined up. I took my gel at 7:15 AM, only to have them delay the race start until 7:45 AM. Sigh on that nutrition timing. I took off the rain poncho and grocery sack shoe covers 5 minutes before the start.

Race Day Conditions:

The night before the race and when I got up, it looked like rain would start at 7 am. Sweet, I thought. At least I could walk to the start (0.5-1 mile away from my hotel) without getting wet. Then things got delayed. Sigh. I bagged my shoes, put on my poncho, and went for it. The rain was steady, but light, and at least the temperatures were warm. That helped a lot.

Goals:

As usual, I made my goals in reverse order-

A-Run the race.

B-Finish the race.

C-PR of 1:43

With all leading up to the race, and then how tight my flight was to even get into Ohio, I knew that getting to race day would be a huge blessing. With the rain and possible delays or cancellations, I just wanted to finish. I was not just running for me, but running for my friend and her daughter. That mattered a lot to me. If I could squeak in a PR, great! (Or at least that's what I told myself.) If I wanted to PR, I figured my splits would need to be

Miles 1-2 8:01/mile

Miles 3-4 7:51/mile

Miles 5-10 7:51/mile

Miles 11-12 Speed up if possible

Mile 13-13.1 Fast!

Course:

Miles 1-2 This truly is such a great course! The day started with the national anthem and fireworks. The streets were packed with people cheering, from the start to the finish. (The road was also packed with runners-more on that later.) There were ample porta-potties on course (which thankfully I did not need to use), plus plentiful water stations. Really well done, Columbus.

With such a packed course, I had to do a lot of bobbing and weaving (which you're not supposed to do, as it takes energy and adds distance). I also could never figure out which side of the road the water stations were on, which meant weaving through people to get there. I had not brought a hydration pack, so I needed the water. Mile 1 came in at 8:01/mile, and mile 2, at 7:57. Sweet.

Miles 3-4 I waited until mile 4 for a gel. That seemed to work well. It was raining, but not too bad. I hit 7:49/mile, dropping to 7:55/mile for mile (probably due to a hill).

Miles 5-10 Things started to fall apart a little here. I was not exactly out of energy or flat, but just feeling how long the race was and not wanting to push. My hat flew off once. I was on pace for miles 5 and 6 at 7:50/mile and 7:46/ mile, but then mile seven was 8:07/mile (maybe the second slow hill). Mile eight was good-7:50/mile, but even after another gel, mile 9 was 7:57/mile, and then my watch turned off. I got it back on, but am not sure of exact splits from there. What I do know is that I just had to somewhat race by feel.

Miles 11-12 It was not exactly miserable, but I started wanting to finish in here. I was able to drop the pace some. I caught up to and passed the 1:45 pacer, but not my much. I heard him from behind me for quite a while and if he was on pace, I knew that did not bode well for my 1:43 goal. I started coming into the finish area and tried to give it a little more gas even at the half mile to go mark. 

Mile 13-13.1 I told myself to open up, and I did, but then I started feeling light headed and nauseous, so I think I slowed down a bit. I saw the clock at 1:44:51 as I was coming through and hoped my chip time was faster. I was panting as I came over the line. I did not even see my friend watching.

After the race:

Again, this is a well set-up race. They moved finishers quite a bit down the line to get medals, gave out heat blankets (which I didn't think I did, but spoiler alert, I did!) and then moved us to food alley. I took a bag from the beginning, and man was I thankful for it! I got a bottle of water, a bottle of Propel, pizza, a bagel, a cookie, Oreos, two bags of chips, Boba oats, an apple, a banana, cheese sticks, and chocolate milk. Seriously, I just took one of everything. 

With the help of texting, I found my friend. I checked my time and was shocked to see a PR of 14 seconds in my 1:43:33 time. I was shocked! My friend asked if I wanted to go ring the PR gong, and that was so thoughtful, because yes, I did! I got us a bit turned around, but we got there. I rang the bell while she filmed, and then we convinced her daughter to ring it with me. That was really sweet, as I ran the race for that little girl. I stopped by the merchandise tent to get a 13.1 magnet, and then we went to get my gear check bag. I really could have skipped this. It was so far away from the starting chute, that gear check did not really help me. All I left was a protein bar and some extra garbage bags, but waste not, want not, so I grabbed it on our way out.

The plan was for my friend to drive me back to the hotel, but by the time we got to the parking garage, we figured it was better for me just to walk back to the hotel. I did that, but then I kind of stagnated. I turned on the heat for warmth and managed to get in more water and a protein bar, but I probably dawdled for about an hour before finally peeling off my wet clothes and getting into the shower. There I saw how really wet I was. My clothes were completely drenched, and even with wearing socks in my shoes, my feet with dirty. Yuck. That shower felt amazing, though!

I managed to get downstairs and checked out of my hotel. Finding my friend was another issue, as she could not get out of the garage, and then could not get to the hotel. I tried to walk towards her, but walked the wrong way. Eventually we caught up, but I was a little wet again. I always forget the work I put my friends and family through. My work is done at the end of a race, but that is where theirs begins!

Final thoughts:

I am sore after this race! I am not sure if it is how I sat in the car after the race, the race itself, or both. I felt some tightness in my hip flexors while running, but it was my quads and knee that felt it after the race. I went up and down stairs at my friends and was like, wow, I guess I worked harder than I thought? I also slept nine hours that night!

Overall, this race was what it set out to be: a fundraiser for the hospital, a race out of state, and a good reason chance to visit my best friend and her family. Yes, I missed my  goal by 33 seconds, but I still got a PR, and now maybe I have room to hit 1:43 in another race. Overall, I am just thankful: thankful for the opportunity, thankful the race happened, thankful to be with my friend, thankful for a body that lets me run. Columbus half-marathon dusted and done. Hallelujah!

Eats and Empties (Week 42)

The Eats:

Cinnamon roll granola (Salted Plains)

Instant Pot barley and vegetable risotto (Hot Rod's Recipes)

Jalapeno-cilantro stem marinade (Food 52)

Lentil sweet potato curry (Work Week Lunch)

Moroccan lentil soup (Tastes Better from Scratch)

Sesame noodles with wilted greens (Budget Bytes)

Sourdough discard protein bagels (This Jess Cooks)

Vegan potato "cheese" sauce (Forks Over Knives)

The Empties:

Barley
Frozen beef broth brown gravy (Creme de la Crumb)
Two pound bag of frozen broccoli
One pound bag of baby carrots
Celery
Old chia seeds
Frozen chickpeas
Cilantro
Family size box of chicken broth
Frozen chicken broth
Frozen chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
Two cans of coconut milk
Bag of coleslaw mix
Ginger root
Frozen instant Pot mac and cheese (Pinch of Yum)
Four jalapenos
Box of macaroni
Half gallon of milk
Box of fresh mushrooms
Frozen mushrooms
Old bag of onions
Frozen pesto cottage cheese pasta (Hummusapien)
Can of pumpkin
Head of romaine lettuce
Dry pinto beans
Red onion
Red pepper
Bottle of soy sauce
Bag of baby spinach
Sweet potatoes
Two cans of diced tomatoes
Can of fire roasted diced tomatoes
Box of tostada shells
A whole watermelon (it took us a few weeks, but we did it!)
Two zucchini

What went to waste:   

Some garlic cloves that rotted

My Experience with 75 Soft

This is the first time I have done a lifestyle challenge/diet like this one. I have fasted for Lent. I have taken breaks from sugar. I have tried to eat clean, consume whole foods, etc. With this challenge, though, I did a lot of these things at once.

First of all, what even is 75 Soft? Well, it is a lighter version of Andy Frisella's (n.d.). 75 Hard. Frisella says 75 Hard is a mental toughness challenge, but really, it is is a diet (especially given the fact that all the pictures on his website are of people with body changes) (Page, 2022). As conceived by Frisella, the original challenge involves 75 days of drinking one gallon of water a day, following a diet, reading 10 pages of a nonfiction book, engaging in two 45-minute workouts (at least one outside), and taking daily progress photos (Peters & Duncan, 2025). One day of messing up means starting over. Frisella supposedly did this challenge to win a bet about losing body fat (Page). People now do it for all kinds of reason, and some are pretty die-hard about it.

I exercise a lot, but 45 minutes twice a day seemed unreasonable. A gallon of water felt like far too much for my size. Going into half-marathon training, I was not about ready to start a diet to lose weight (and also because I had no weight I wanted to lose). Enter 75 Soft.

The 75 Soft program is  an alternative to 75 Hard. With 75 Soft, there is a little more grace: only three liters of water, "permission" to engage in social meals, only one 45 minute workout a day (with the option of an active recovery or rest day), and "permission" to read any book (Cleveland Clinic, 2023). (I put "permission" in quotes because no one needs permission to do anything. Every person can make his or her own choices.) An off day does not require starting over. It just means bouncing back and continuing.

Why I did it. I came up with the idea to do 75 Soft after reading Jonathan Haidt's book The Righteous Mind. Getting through it was a challenge, but I felt so accomplished each day I got through more of my reading! How could I do more of this? I wondered. My husband had set a quarter goal of starting an exercise program. I thought maybe doing 75 Soft together would motivate both of us. When I proposed the, my husband asked why not 75 Hard. After listening to my reasons, he agreed to the softer version and really, by the end, we each had our own individual versions of the challenge.

My version of 75 Soft: For my 75 days, I decided to stick with the three liters of water, as even that meant adding about 40 ounces to my typical consumption. As stated earlier, I was not about to go on a restrictive diet, so instead, I upped my minimum carbs and protein intake and decided to try to get that increase from non-processed sources/whole food sources (i.e. without sugar). (I also worked to eat closer to the 30-90 minute after running instead of getting distracted and postponing my recovery meal.) I decided to go cold turkey and not take off days from the challenge, but that is really more about me and my personality than anything else. I am an "all-in" or "all-out" kind of person. I took progress photos just for kicks (more on that later). My experience was different than I expected.

The Surprises: Having not gone on a "crash" diet before, I was surprised to experience the "Last Supper" mentality. The "Last Supper" mentality is the urge to overeat before starting a restrictive diet (Cohen, 2021). For me, that looked like eating the rest of a bag of mini marshmallows the day before we started the challenge. I had been putting some in my hot chocolate every night, but on night zero when I realized I would not be eating sugar for a long time, I just decided to eat the rest of them. Waste not, want not, I reasoned. 

I had calculated out how much more water I needed to drink, and thought it would be easy given my increased hydration needs with running. What I did not realize was that 75 Hard rules say there can be nothing in that water (KakaoQueen, 2021). That meant that my hydration mixes, protein drinks, tea, etc. did not count towards my three liters (about 104 ounces). I figured out that if I drank a 40 ounce Thermoflask in addition to the 16 ounces of water I drink with every meal and snack, I could get there, though. To adequately fuel running, however, I had to find a way to get electrolytes, and without sugar or fake sugar. That last part proved to be a challenge, as most powdered mixes contain one or the other. Most salt tabs also have a sweetener in them. I thought I found an alternative salt tab only to realize about 75% through the challenge that it had artificial sweetener in it. Bummer!

We do not eat out much, or so I thought, but I guess we do so more than I think. Not having restaurants as an option (due to my no sugar and limit processed foods rules-things that are hard to control at restaurants) made date days and events with friends more challenging. We still did them, but I ended up taking my own food. I also hosted my husband's birthday dinner instead of meeting friends out for it, which is what I would have normally done.

The Benefits: Although I really do agree that 75 Hard is a diet, I can see why it is called a mental challenge, as I saw some mental benefits. As a go getter, I had wait to check off all of my goals until end of day, since the water and eating goals required a full day of work. That strengthened my ability to delay gratification. (It did feel empowering when I checked off my tasks, however.). Although I found myself in the bathroom at lot more with drinking so much water, I did find that my bowel habits were more regular (maybe TMI, but true), and my stomach felt better overall. When we experienced a heat wave due to broken air conditioning, my hydration and eating goals kept me on track for self care when all I wanted was to lay flat on the floor and cry. Seeing the stack of paper books I finished boosted my ego. By the end of the challenge, I was thinking less about tracking most of my tasks, as they had become habits (all except that three liters of water, which was the bane of my existence!). 

As as result of 75 Soft, I got more creative with dates and gifts for my husband. My husband and I started exercising together more, engaging in partner yoga and even a running event! I felt so proud of my husband as I watched him complete every step of the challenge. In these ways, 75 Soft grew our relationship. I would say the challenge was successful for these reasons

Takeaways: The 75 Soft challenge grew me. Eating extra protein was not as hard as I thought. I was reminded that whole food is good food. Although my body did not change (not the point, but I hoped maybe I could put on a little muscle, especially for those pull-up goals!), "progress" photos did show me some posture issues I can correct (like anterior pelvic tilt, which might be the source of some of my back pain). I read the most paper books I have read in a long time, maybe since middle school? Being creative with dates was good for our relationship.

Though more holistic than some diets, in and of itself, this challenge is definitely lacking in relational and spiritual components. I got the relational component by doing it with my husband, but I would argue that a true lifestyle challenge should include a relational part, especially given the loneliness epidemic. As a Christian, I think a spiritual discipline could be added. I do not think I will do this challenge again, but I could add those components if I wanted to do so.

I say I do not think I will do this challenge again because I learned what I think I needed. I got the benefits, and now I think I want to carry on in a less restricted, less regimented fashion. I also see the drawbacks. Restricting anything for me makes me want to swing to the other extreme, neither of which are good for me. As such, we went to eat ASAP after our 75 days finished. Now I am going into a carb-load for my half-marathon. Talk about extremes. I will be eating sugar and eating out again during planned upcoming travel. I think reading nonfiction books is beneficial, but I don't have room to keep buying and storing paper ones, so I plan to go back to e-books. And that water? Yeah, that is going to go. Half my body weight in ounces in sufficient for my intake. (Self-disclosure: I don't weight 208 pounds.) Three liters is just overkill. It is far more convenient to put my electrolytes in my water for running. I also enjoy drinking other beverages that got crowded out by the water. Oh, and not going to the bathroom so much might be nice!

Soft or not, this 75 day challenge was hard. I am glad we did it, but I am glad we are done. The end.

References:

Cleveland Clinic. (2023, November 13). The 75 soft challenge: When 75 hard is too much. https://health.clevelandclinic.org/75-soft-challenge

Cohen, G. (2021, July 8). The last supper syndrome. KaraLydon.com. https://karalydon.com/health-wellness/last-supper-syndrome/

Frisella, A. (n.d.). 75 hard. AndyFrisella.com. https://andyfrisella.com/pages/75hard-info?srsltid=AfmBOoob8Io2QNZ5X6_n-9BWRpW45yr8L1Tc9LxClZWqNesAsdkJuQdk

KakaoKween. (2021). Can coffee and tea count as part of the 1 Gallon of “water” goal? Thinking of starting soon and the [Online forum post]. Reddit. https://www.reddit.com/r/75HARD/comments/njie6x/can_coffee_and_tea_count_as_part_of_the_1_gallon/

Page, M. (2022, December 14). 75 hard - Is it worth it? (No. 35) [Audio podcast episode]. In Seems like diet culture. https://liveunrestricted.mykajabi.com/podcasts/seems-like-diet-culture-2/episodes/2147834412

Peters, T. & Duncan, T.A. (2025, September 25). What Is 75 hard? The ‘mental toughness’ program is delivering drastic results — but is it safe? Today. https://www.today.com/health/diet-fitness/75-hard-challenge-rcna153979

Eats and Empties (Week 41)

The Eats:

Beef broth brown gravy (Creme de la Crumb)

The best sourdough protein pumpkin bread (Unexpected Gardener)

Pumpkin bagels (Healthy and Delicious)

Sourdough discard oatmeal breakfast cookies (The Farm Style by Kayla Zenner)

Sourdough pumpkin muffins (Mel's Kitchen Cafe)

Sweet potato lentil soup (From My Bowl)

Tostadas (Budget Bytes)

The Empties:

Avocado
Container of beef broth
Five pound bag of carrots
Family size box of chicken broth
Frozen chicken broth
Container of cottage cheese
Twenty five pound bag of flour
Container of Greek yogurt
Jalapeno
Two bags of frozen green beans
Half gallon of milk
Can of pumpkin
Old bag of onions
Radishes
Snack box of raisins
Bag of baby spinach
Frozen vegetarian chili (Meal Prep in an Instant)

What went to waste:   

A little bit of sweet potato went bad, but I cut it off and carried on

Real Life Marriage: More is More

During premarital counseling, our pastor provided us with this chart. To do hard things, he said, your marriage has to be in a good place. I took a picture of that chart, and to this day, have kept it on my phone.

I think there is sometimes a misconception in the church that we should be able to do everything in the power of God. It's hard? Push through? Limited resources? Push through? Marriage in a rough place? Just trust in God and He'll get you through. True, and not, at the same time.

As we have faced struggles in our lives, things that take the life out of us, I have found that we need more and more investment into our relationship. The same goes with service to others. The more we serve others, the more time we need to invest into us to keep our marriage solvent. It is counterintuitive in a way, that more is more, but it also makes sense. If we invest more, we can give more.

I will be honest and say that I tend towards stinginess, even in my marriage. I want more of my husband and struggle to share. At the same time, when the Holy Spirit convicts me, I am trying to choose to let myself, and us, be stretched for God's glory and the good of others. I find it easier to stretch, though, when our marriage is in a happy and full place.

So here's to more investment, more energy, my time, more love, so that we can give God's love away to others. We will never be able to fill ourselves on our own. Even that requires the power of God, but by God's grace, may we do it.

Eats and Empties (Week 40)

The Eats:

5-minute refrigerator dill pickles (Tastes Lovely)

Garbage plates (Adventures of a Nurse)

Macaroni salad with Greek yogurt dressing (Menu Maid)

Oil free home fries (Mama Sezz)

Spaghetti squash lasagna boats (Meal Prep in an Instant)

Tuscan chicken pasta (Meal Prep in an Instant)

The Empties:

Jar of applesauce
Bag of baby spinach
Fresh basil
Five pound bag of carrots
Head of cauliflower
Two pound bag of cheddar cheese
Frozen cottage cheese
Frozen cozy white beans and greens soup (How Sweet Eats)
Container of dill
Carton of 18 eggs
Carton of grape tomatoes
Frozen gravy (Mayo Clinic)

Green pepper
Container of Greek yogurt
Three pounds of ground beef
Two pound bag of Italian cheese
Frozen lentil soup
Box of macaroni pasta
Half gallon of milk
Two pound bag of mozzarella cheese
Box of penne pasta
Package of pepperoni
Five pound bag of potatoes
Two cans of pumpkin
Head of romaine lettuce
Brown n' serve sausage
Frozen sourdough pizza crusts (The Perfect Loaf)
Spaghetti squash
Strawberry chia jam (My PCOS Kitchen)
Frozen Thin and crispy pizza (Budget Bytes)
Can of tomato paste
Frozen tomato paste

What went to waste:   

A little bit of a sweet potato, but I saved the rest!