Snow Day Half Marathon

We got our last snow day today... even though there was not an actual snow flake anywhere to be found.  Actually that's not true, I had about 16 flakes on my car and maybe enough to make a golf ball sized snow ball on the deck... but the predictions were dire the night before and I guess that's all it took.  I'm not complaining... I don't mind one more day off.  I've had a To Do list that's been being ignored for days and days and I got a majority of it all taken care of.

I also went to the gym and Erged and freaking Half Marathon!!! Yes I did!!  21, 097 meters!!

One of my friends put on FaceBook that he'd rowed a half and I decided to meet his challenge and see if I could do it too and I did!  It's funny though is was just like the 2 Half's I ran.  I was good until about the mile 10 point and then the last 5K was pretty wretched.  I started out pretty strong, had some rocking tunes going, actually rowed 90% of it with my eyes closed just listening to the music and trying to feel my body and technique.  It went well, I was keeping it right where I wanted to be and feeling pretty good, but then the last 5K, my back started to cramp up, I had to slow down a couple of times, go to arms and back for a little bit.  But, then by the last 1500meters I was able to pick back up and finish strong.   So, now I've run 2 race Half's,  1 treadmill half, I've rowed an on the water Half and now erged a half.  I think I've pretty much covered all my bases.  

It's official... NEVER F**King Again....NEVER....

It's over, it's done.. Thank the Sweet Baby Jesus.  Today, I finished my 2nd and LAST Half Marathon!  It was absolutely miserable!!  I had that fabulous 10mile run, but then every single run after that was just crap, so my confidence was not at it's highest.  But, I still felt like I could do it.  My goal was to keep my time under 11:00min mile.  Goal - 2:23.   Jullie and I met up and headed to the Metro at 5:00am.  It was freezing cold and raining, but we weren't going to let that stop us.    Lots of people, but I was able to get to the port potties with very little drama and that's always my biggest stressor.  Got to pee right before we start.  But, I didn't need to worry, there were so many people, we actually crossed the start line about 30 minutes after the initial start gun.  In the cold, freezing rain... did I mention it was cold and rainy!

 We were still pretty happy and optimistic... the race hadn't started yet....  Jullie and I ran together, she was going to run with another friend, but her friend backed out at the last minute.  I don't usually like running with anyone, too much pressure.  Am I going too slow and holding them back?  Are they going to be faster than me?  But, we actually ran really well together.  Once or twice either she or I would need to stop, but then we always caught up to each other.  Honestly the first 10 miles were pretty good, despite the non-stop rain. Kept to the less than 11min mile, even with walking 2 water stations and 1 potty break for me.  There was also an HELLACIOUS hill at mile 6.5.  I made it about 3/4 of the way up the hill, but then I had to walk.  I was still okay with that.  The shit got real at mile 10!!!  My back started to really hurt and Jullie's hamstrings and calves were like knotted ropes.  We ended up walk/running the next 1.5 miles, but that was it.  Neither of us could run any more and we ended up walking about the last 1.2 miles.  It was a little discouraging, but honestly, my back hurt so bad I really didn't care.  We just wanted to finish it.  We ran the last .2 miles and crossed the finish so we could at least attempt to look strong. :o)  Finished in 2:35, which is not great, but still better than the first Half I ran, even with all the walking.  Which just tells me, if I was ever able to actually run the whole thing I might do okay, but that's not going to happen.EVER.  The after race sucked even worse.  The snacks were lame... bananas, baked chip samples and some sort of new mint chocolate power bar.  YUCK.  Since I never feel like eating afterwards, it wasn't the end of the world.  But at the AF Half, they had bagels and pizza.  I'm just saying.  Then, we had to wait for 40 MINUTES outside the Metro, in the...you got it... FREEZING WIND AND RAIN...before we could even get down into the Metro to go home.  I was so cold and tired and my back was still hurting.  I began to get really nauseous!  It truly was horrible.

We look happy here, but its a LIE!  We were finally on the metro, but still so cold we could hardly stay in our seat.  I was more sore from all the shaking and shivering than from the running!

 The napping was really good when I got home, that's the best part of racing!!

Plus the "after eating" was pretty good as well or actually the "after eating" plan was good, I didn't really feel much like eating until almost dinnertime.  Basically I didn't finish the race strong and I didn't finish my eating plan strong either!  

I'm glad I did it... sorta... it just confirmed in my mind that I am not a long distance runner!  10 miles is my max. If I had stopped at 10 miles, I would have been perfectly satisfied with my race.  When I look at the calendar and have a 4, 5 or 6 mile run planned... I'm okay with that.  Not a big deal.  But if I look at the calendar and it's 8, 9 or 10 - all of a sudden I "hate" running and I begin to dread the whole thing! So, WHY do it???!!  I'm going to happily stick with my 5K's, 10K's and occasionally a 10 miler when I want a challenge.  Done, Done and Done!

Reston 10 miler

My Half Marathon is 2 weeks away.  This weekend I was scheduled for a 10 mile long run.  I decided it was more likely I would actually do it if I did a race, so I decided to run the Reston 10 miler.  My first 10 mile race ever.  I was a little nervous and I gotta be honest, did NOT want to get up and go run this morning.  It was cold and then rain and sleet were supposed to move in around 10am.    My last 2 long runs, 9.4 and 8 were the same way.  I didn't want to run them, but I forced myself and they turned out to be some of the best runs I've had...so with that in mind, I saddled up and headed out.

Who knows what I'm going to want at the end of the race?  Better take one of everything!

I look a little shell-shocked, like I can't believe I'm actually going to do this.

Feeling a little better about getting started.

Very happy that I did it.

It actually turned out to be a really good race for me. That seems to be a theme lately.  My pace wasn't quite as fast as I hoped.  I'd wanted to stay right around 10:00 min/mile, but it ended up being closer to 11:00min/mile.  There were a lot of hills, but I'm not going to make excuses.  I'm  actually happy with my run, because for the first time ever I didn't STOP at all, not even once!!!  I didn't walk at the water stations, I didn't stop and fake tie my shoe, I didn't stop and pretend stretch a cramp and I didn't walk at all!  I'm so happy with that!  I could have done another 3 - so I'm feeling pretty good about the half in 2 weeks.   I think all the Erging I've been doing is obviously helping out, and the running on the treadmill doesn't seem to be hurting me either.  For the most part, I'm feeling pretty strong and ready to go.  Now, I just need to stay healthy until it's done!

You did what???!!

      Yesterday we had yet another 2 hour delay!  Don't get me wrong, I certainly don't mind them - although they really seem to be going overboard after their first bad call!  Today it was for fog? freezing rain prediction? cold?  I'm really not sure what, but whatever it might have been - safety first!  It didn't really do me any good, I was already up and getting ready to go to the gym.  I'm loving my early morning, get it over with, new exercise plan.  I don't love the getting up at 430am... but NOTHING beats the feeling of walking into school at 645am and knowing that I am DONE with my exercise and anything else I do all day is just icing on the cake!  I think that must be the "runners high" everyone talks about.  It's not during the run, that part just sucks, it's the after run, that's the great part!!  Yesterday was Thursday and I was scheduled to hit the treadmill, I was planning on doing 4 miles, that's what was on the schedule for Run this Year.
      Well, I got on the treadmill, and I started out a little slower pace (5.8mph) and after about 3 miles, I was feeling like I could do it all day - so I thought to myself, "Self, let's see if we can knock out 6 miles. You'll still be able to get to school by 8am and that's an hour before everyone else." I kicked it up to 6.0 and kept on going.  Got to about the 5 mile mark and was still feeling pretty strong, music was jamming and I thought - "well if you can do 6 miles, why don't you just aim for 10.  Then you can really feel smug and if you push it, you really don't have to be at school until 9, plenty of time. You can probably even sneak a shower in."  The treadmill shuts off at an hour, I hopped off took a quick 30 sec walk around the floor and got ready to go again when it occurred to me, if I just hit the repeat button and did another 6 miles that would be amazing.  So off I went.  As I'm running, upped the pace just a little bit to 6.4, I had another thought... how cool would it be if I could put on Facebook "What did you do with your 2 hour delay?  I ran a half-marathon!"  Because we all know it all about what you can put on Facebook!  The more I ran, the more I thought - I really want to be able to say I ran a half-marathon!  Don't get me wrong the 2nd 6 miles were not near as "easy" as the first 6.  I stopped briefly (5-10sec) a couple of time to stretch out my back and shoulders that were twingy.  Miles 10-12 were pretty yucky.  When the treadmill shut off for the 2nd time at that 12 mile point - Yipee! I was pumped.  1.1 miles left to go and I will have just run a fucking half-marathon!  Took my quick stretch walk around the floor, set that baby for 11min and hit it for the last bit.  I turned it up to 7.0 the last half mile and finished it and didn't die!  I didn't even feel that horrible.  I'm pretty amazed with myself.

I promise I only laid down for a minute to "stretch", but it sure felt good!

 I'm not going to make excuses that I did it on the treadmill instead of outside or that I didn't increase the incline.    

That is some serious sweat action going on!

 In keeping with my Resolution - I am proud of myself, 13.1 miles is 13.1 miles.