I did it. I rain my first half-marathon Saturday. (Okay, Runkeeper officially said 13.02, but I'm counting it.) I've trained for months for this. (I started in August.) I prayed to stay well. By God's grace, I ran. Praise Him!
The Details:
My time: I hoped to finish under 2 hours, but I ended with 2:03:37. I got to a 9:30 mile pace, though, and I was happy with that.
How it felt: Good until about mile 10 when my knees starting hurting (Ten miles is the longest I ran on my training plan). I pushed through and my knees hurt afterward until I stretched. Then just the left knee hurt.
My Conclusions:
Will I run a half marathon again? Maybe. It depends on how this knee soreness goes, to be honest. Otherwise, I'd definitely say yes. Training is hard, but it gives rhythm and routine and structure to my life. And accomplishing this run today proved to me that I can do hard things, and that my entire life is not going to pot (as it has felt at times). God is good. Running is good. I hope God allows me to keep doing it.
I've been trying to run more and run longer. Trying to stay healthy. Trying to get ready for maybe something bigger. But it's been a fight. This race was a last minute addition to my schedule. "Maybe you should run another 10K before you commit to more," Mom said. So I signed up. But then my husband was sick. I had days on end of late nights due to getting called out for work. I struggled to sleep and eat enough. Friday, multiple parts of my body were sick. I thought about not running. But I knew I'd probably feel better if I did.
I tried to go to bed early Friday night, but I also knew I needed to eat. So I choked down this cinnamon raisin bread bowl:
And then I got hungry, like insanely hungry. So I drank peanut butter hot chocolate and ate some granola and peanuts. That kind of backfired, though, as my stomach got upset in the night and I didn't feel like eating my planned pre-race banana in the morning. Instead, I stuck with sipping on some electrolyte water.
Mom and I met at a shopping center and car pooled to the race. (Read: I am terrible with directions and would have struggled to make it there myself.) The men folk were busy, so it was just Mom and I. Groom Creek is up in the mountains of Prescott, and this race benefit the local firefighter's association, a cause I wholeheartedly support.
After arriving, we took a few photos and watched the half-marathon launch. I started to get hungry and sucked on a gel. (My supervisor at work gave these to me. The verdict is out on efficacy, BUT it didn't make me sick and assuaged my hunger, which was a plus.)
My race started at 9 am. A previous runner told me this race was easier than Whiskey Row. I disagree. This race was anything but easy. I mean, look at these ups and downs:
The race also started at a significantly higher altitude. I started off slow, which seems to be the name of my game. But I got faster as I went.
I was really trying to 1) beat my previous pace, 2) keep up with a runner near me, and 3) catch speed on the downhills. [The splits show where those were.]
The result: 55:09 and 3rd place in my division. Praise the Lord.
But here's where social media is a highlight reel. (I said this when I posted on Instagram.) I was out of breath when I finished. I felt like I was getting, but dodged, a bloody nose. I didn't feel like eating afterward and had to force down food again. I had to run like five errands after the race. I didn't see my husband basically all day because he was preparing to be in a wedding. My mom was sick the night before the race, which she told me after we arrived.
Did I enjoy running? Yes. Should I have run? Maybe, maybe not. In the end, I'm glad I did. I'm thankful for the opportunity and the health to do so. But...I don't want to glamorize my life or make it look like things come easily. Life (and running) is work. Sometimes you get out what you put in. Sometimes you don't. Sometimes you need to press through the wall and sometimes you need to rest. Wisdom is rightly assessing all the information and making the best decision for yourself, and for others. That's hard to do. And social media can in no way fully represent that struggle.
Ten kilometers two is a wrap. We'll see what happens from here. Check social media for highlights, but always know there is more to the story.
I've been trying to train for a longer race. If I get there, I'll let you know. But on the training schedule, I was supposed to run a 5K. This one fell at just about the right time. I've run the Patriot Run before, but each time I run it, it feels special.
Since I am trying to train for a longer race and also live close to the race location, I walked to the start line this time. That made a for a good warm-up and greeting to the day. (Bonus: I did not have to fight potential crowds to find a parking spot.)
I sipped some water, since I've been trying to proactively hydrate, and took some photos with Mom and Dad. (My husband was at a church conference.)
The 10K started at 7 am, and 15 minutes later, we were off running the 5K. People started fast. I was running with my phone and tried to pace myself and tell myself I could catch them later. The first mile or so felt hard, though, and I wondered how I would ever finish in the time I wanted, let alone catch the people in front of me. And let's be honest, I was feeling competitive because this race is small, and I thought I had a chance of placing. Slowly, but surely, I found a stride, and my splits got faster.
I didn't catch all of the people. (The top guy finished in 21:00 flat. Craziness!) I did manage to catch the other ladies, though, and finished with a time of 26:07. That isn't my fastest, but it's my fastest at this elevation, and I was very thankful!
I ended up placing ninth overall and first for my age division. And they actually pronounced my last name correctly when I went on stage, which is a first for me. (It's also the first time I've run under my married name.) Happy girl!
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In foodie news, my parents and I tried out a new bakery for breakfast. Mom and I split the early bird breakfast of a basted egg, sausage, and sourdough toast.
That left me ravenous, so I went for splitting a honey pecan roll with Mom for breakfast: round two.
Ooey, gooey, delicious! (And way better than Dad's cinnamon roll. Sorry, Dad!)
I had a bottle of water with electrolytes when I got home, and a health(ier) salad for lunch, but then pizza for dinner, and a big nighttime snack.
I might should have eaten a greater quality of food after running so hard, as my stomach feels a bit off today, but live and learn. At least I had a good quantity of food for refueling.
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On to the week, and, Lord willing, more training, but praise the Lord for a fun weekend!
