Yesterday I ran 23 miles. Actually, it was 23.15 miles but
hey, who’s counting?
I AM!
A few months ago I convinced hubby to request a Saturday off
(yes, it really sucks that he works all.weekend.long) so I could run a half marathon
and tack some miles on to make an even (or possibly odd) 23 miles for the day.
I hadn’t run a race in 2013 yet due to the severe bout of flu I had last winter
and had to bail on the 15k in January and then this wretched move to NOLA shot
any dreams that I had of running the ATL Half for the third year in a row. When
I discovered a half in December, I knew I had to take it. My plan for the day
was to get down there early, run a two mile warm up, run the half and then tack
on 8 miles and be done.
When I picked up my bib at the running store (yes the race
was so small the “packet pick up” was at a store) I asked how big the race was.
The woman tried to tell me it was a big race. I figured that since the quantity
of bibs for the 5k AND the Half was smaller than the letter “B” at the ATL
half, she didn’t know what big was. I was right. I had hubby and boys drop me
off at the entrance to City Park so I could put in my two miles. I ran past the
start line so I could get the lay of the scene and discovered I had tons of
time. I had enough time to get three miles in and stretch before the National
Anthem.
The Ole Man River Half started promptly at 8 am. The temperature was a cool 66, feels like 66. The
wretched humidity was up to 94%. I could feel the cool, thick air as I hopped
out of the car and I knew it was going to be a hard 23 miles. I’m not sure how
or why, but the first 7 miles (remember 3 before the half, so 4 into the half)
were well under the 12 minute pace. Once again, I blew my wad by going out way
too fast for the distance and humidity that day. I guess it was race day
jitters? I should know better by now. I even went into the day knowing
that it was a possibility. Once my watched beeped 7 miles (4 into the half), I
knew I was done. Crap. 9 miles left of the race and 16 miles left to run. I
struggled. My pace slowed down and then the headwinds at the lake started
working against me. The overpasses felt like mountains. It sprinkled a bit. I
think that some people would call it rain, but I knew the “rain” could be much
worse. Thankfully, it didn’t outright rain or I would have been screwed. Then
the clouds burned off and the darned sun came out. I could feel the road
starting to melt in the sun. The second half of the race was all a blur.
Finally, I entered back into the park and the beautiful oak trees created some
shade. As I entered the finish chute, I saw hubby and the boys holding the most
amazing signs cheering me on. I literally cried when I saw them. The boys
hopped in and brought me across the finish line!
I told hubby that was the hardest half I have ever run and
he quickly reminded me that I have never put in 3 miles before a race. I did a quick
stretch and walked with them back to the car. They went to play mini golf in
the park and I pushed on through for the last 7 miles. Mid race I had planned
to just bail. Jump in the car and go home with them. But then I saw those beautiful
signs and I knew I couldn’t give up. I’m not a quitter. I adjusted my run-walk
ratio to 2:2 and pushed on. I did it. I finished 23 miles and I felt like
wonder woman! My IT band didn’t hurt like it did on my 20 miler. I think I
could have pushed on for another 3.1 miles and completed the marathon distance.
Don’t get me wrong, I hurt, but I was uncomfortable vs. the severe pain I felt
last time.
What worked for this race:
Aspaeris pivot compression shorts really helped my IT band
Body glide on my feet and under the front of my bra line
Gels every 4 miles
Clif bar to munch on throughout the run (no real hunger
pains mid run)
Hydration: 2-10 oz flasks of nuun + 2-8 oz flaks of nuun on
my fuel belt+ 24 oz hand held of nuun in the front pocket of my race vest
(hydration pack) + race vest full of water.
Lessons Learned:
Body glide on my shoulder straps and at the back of my bra-
hello chafing!
Hydrate with electrolytes in the 24 hours before the race.
When I finished the half, my hands were the equivalent of Fred Flintstone feet.
I asked a friend who is almost done with nursing school and is an endurance
athlete and she told me that I was dehydrated and I need to hydrate the day
before with a combination of nuun and coconut water. I’m going to try that next
time. I’ll keep y’all posted.
I didn’t PR on this race or even this run. I was incredibly
proud of myself for keeping my pace below 12 minutes for the first 7 miles,
even if it means that I struggled the last part of my run. The reason being is
that when I finish this marathon and train for my next half, I will have a
MAJOR half marathon PR. My endurance-athlete nurse friend told me that running doesn’t
get easier, you just get faster. I have been sad that my pace has actually
slowed down by a full minute this training round. I try to remind myself that
my distance is doubling and unless you’re Kenyan, a marathon is not a sprint.
Yesterday’s paces proved to me that with the proper training and focus, I will
kick some major asphalt on my next half marathon.
Two weeks of light running then the big 26.0, then the long waited
taper. I feel like I’ve been training for a year now.
It’s a great day for running y’all!
