15
September
2008
Well the good news was it wasn’t raining the day of my long anticipated half marathon (it was pouring the entire day before), the bad news was it was muggy– like the worst bad hair day you can imagine kind of muggy. When I walked outside at 6:00am the day of the race it was already 75 degrees and humid. Maybe the rain would have been better.
I had kind of a race strategy in mind- run to mile 6, stop for water, stretch for a minute then run the rest of the race. Well, the first half worked out pretty well- I was maintaining my usual 10 minute/mile pace. But the second half of the race I fell apart so to speak. The humidity really got to me and I needed to walk much more than I thought I would. Miles 7-11 felt just plain miserable. 11 to 13 were OK only because I just wanted to be done with the thing.
There were two race highlights for me: one was at mile 10 when I was taking a walking break and this older gentlemen came running up beside me and encouraged me to get running again. He told me that I could do it and just had to get my head back into the game. He ran with me for awhile. That kept me going. The other huge high point came at mile 6 when I saw my husband and 3 daughters. The look on my girls faces was just beautiful. It was a mixture of awe, admiration and sheer happiness to see my face among a sea of others. A women was running beside me and said something like “Way to go mom, you are giving your daughters such a positive message right now on what they can accomplish”. As I crossed the finish line my legs were aching and the sweat was pouring off of me. I got handed a medal, a bottle of water and someone cut off my chip. I thought at first that they actually expected me to bend down and do it myself. Were they crazy? I walked around in a daze for a few minutes trying to find my way out of the orange gated prison. I finally did, found my family, and smiled.
So the end of the tale is: I trained hard, ran maybe not the best race I could have, but accomplished something I never thought I could ever do. To see the look on my girls faces, I would do it all over again even if the humidity was worse, the sun was blaring or the rain was pouring down. I am now officially a runner. Bring on the next race………………
Workout:
- Type: Run
- Date: 09/15/2008
- Time: 20:05:36
- Total Time: 2:25:00.00
- Distance: 13.1 miles
- Average Pace: 11:04.21/mile
Posted under Run
by momof3girls
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1
September
2008
Yesterday was my last long run before my half marathon in two weeks. If anybody would have told me a few months ago that I was capable of eleven miles– I would have asked them if they meant riding on a bike, not on foot! But I did it, with some energy left to spare– which is good, since I still will have another couple of miles on top of that to finish my half. I have found that if I look at these long runs in 2 segments it seems much less intimidating. Run a 10K, stop for a quick drink and then another 10K. I don’t know why but it seems less daunting than to say that, instead of “I am going to start running and then not stop for 2 hours.” Next weekend is just a short 6 mile run (I can’t believe I am saying that!) before the big event the following weekend. I am going to try to keep the energy and motivation going in these last few weeks, this has been a wonderful and rewarding journey this far.
Workout:
- Type: Run
- Date: 09/01/2008
- Time: 20:24:31
- Total Time: 1:48:00.00
- Distance: 11 miles
- Average Pace: 9:49.2/mile
Posted under Run
by momof3girls
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23
August
2008
My first double digit run ever! The half marathon is in three weeks so this was an important run for me to see how my endurance is coming along. Last week’s mistake was not stopping for water. This week I planned my run to go by a gas station at about the midway point. The timing was perfect, the 3 minute stop was long enough for me to stretch my calves, rehydrate and take a mini break. The remainder of the run felt great. I was actually smiling the last mile. I think about my “long” runs a few months ago and how hard they seemed. I am happy and proud that I was able to stick to my training and make this long run feel not that much harder than the 5 and 6 milers I was logging in the beginning of the summer. I think this run gave me the confidence to believe that I can actually do this race!
Workout:
- Type: Run
- Date: 08/23/2008
- Time: 15:45:51
- Total Time: 1:37:00.00
- Distance: 10 miles
- Average Pace: 9:41.58/mile
Posted under Run
by momof3girls
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17
August
2008
I ran my 9 mile run yesterday. The weather was perfect, cool and no wind. I felt fantastic at the midway turnaround point. Miles 5 and 6 weren’t so bad either. The tough part came the last 2 miles. I was struggling. I wanted to walk so badly but I just wouldn’t let myself. I kept telling myself to push through. Which I actually managed to do without walking, and I ended up finishing with not too bad a time. But, I felt completely spent afterward. I did not have water on the run, which did not feel bad during my run since it was cool, but I am sure I was dehydrated after. I felt nauseous and shaky. I went home, drank about a gallon of water, popped a few extra strength advil and went back to bed!! Is this how the rest of my long runs are going to feel? I hope not. Well, I know I better bring water next time and maybe try some gu to give me a boost at the end. Any other suggestions?
Workout:
- Type: Run
- Date: 08/17/2008
- Time: 16:01:08
- Total Time: 1:30:00.00
- Distance: 9 miles
- Average Pace: 10:00/mile
Posted under Run
by momof3girls
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9
August
2008
OK well that’s not entirely true. But- it was easier than I thought it would be and most importantly– I did it!!!! This was my longest run ever. I had a running buddy this time, which really helped. We talked the whole time and I didn’t even look at my watch until an hour into the run. The last mile was a little hard because my ankles started to hurt. (I think I might need new sneakers). Onward we train!!!
Workout:
- Type: Run
- Date: 08/09/2008
- Time: 17:13:47
- Total Time: 1:28:00.00
- Distance: 8 miles
- Average Pace: 11:00.55/mile
Posted under Run
by momof3girls
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2
August
2008
so my training calendar had me running a 5k today. i thought it would breeze since my training so far has been running a lot more miles. but when i got to the race i realized i might be in trouble, most of the runners were high school cross country kids and an elite running group. these people were here to run. i was actually fearful i might come in last. i haven’t had that feeling in a long time. i took off too fast with the rest of the group and did not have a very good run. it was not fun, i just felt like i was trying to keep up. i glanced behind me every once in awhile, i was not last…. but pretty close. oh well.
Workout:
- Type: Run
- Date: 08/02/2008
- Total Time: 00:26:40.00
- Distance: 3 miles
- Average Pace: 8:53.33/mile
Posted under Run
by momof3girls
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30
July
2008
We are on vacation this week at the beach and I have been doing really good with my training. I am on the road early since it gets hot and muggy pretty quick. I just think about all the calories I can eat later with each mile I go. I think the 7 mile long run I did over the weekend helped me over the hump in my training. The midweek runs seem much easier now! Next weekend I have signed up for a 5K, I am eager to see how my distance training is going to help me in the short race.
Workout:
- Type: Run
- Date: 07/30/2008
- Time: 08:25:03
- Total Time: 00:37:40.00
- Distance: 4 miles
- Average Pace: 9:25.15/mile
Posted under Run
by momof3girls
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26
July
2008
So last week, I was not happy with my long run. This week was a whole different story. It went great. My ipod conked out after 3.5 miles, so I was songless for the second part of the run. I thought that it would make the run feel like forever, but it was just the opposite. I finished the run and actually felt like I had a little more left in me. Yipee!!
Workout:
- Type: Run
- Date: 07/26/2008
- Time: 07:00:00
- Total Time: 1:10:00.00
- Distance: 7 miles
- Average Pace: 10:00/mile
Posted under Run
by momof3girls
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23
July
2008
I keep waiting for the short runs to become a piece of cake, but it hasn’t happened yet. Maybe its because my second half of the run is a slow uphill, maybe its because my body still needs more time to get used to this– or maybe as my husband suggests I am just thinking about it too much. Well the thing is, I never ran 5 times a week before and what else is there to think of but the running?. Sure, in the beginning my body is warming up and it feels good, I listen to my ipod, admire the scenery but that uphill home just plain stinks. OK I am done with the venting, tomorrow I will try honestly try to think of something else on the way home, any suggestions??
Workout:
- Type: Run
- Date: 07/23/2008
- Time: 07:00:00
- Distance: 4 miles
Posted under Run
by momof3girls
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20
July
2008
This is the first time when I finished my run I thought I might be in over my head training for a half marathon. My weekly mileage and long runs so far have been OK for me. I am a little tired at the end, but not so bad. Today, my long run was 6 miles- this is a push for me. I did it, without walking which was great, but the last mile and a half was tough. My legs were killing me. I wanted to walk so badly but I wouldn’t let myself. This is less than 1/2 the distance I need to run for the race! I know that I am only at week 4 of my 12 week training program, but I hope that these 6 mile runs will get easier. Any advice from more experienced runners??
Workout:
- Type: Run
- Date: 07/20/2008
- Time: 07:00:00
- Total Time: 1:01:00.00
- Distance: 6 miles
- Average Pace: 10:10.17/mile
Posted under Run
by momof3girls
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