This year marked the 5 year anniversary of the first run I had ever participated in. That run was this very same event and the same distance in 2010, a half marathon. Yes, I went from never running before (not even down the hallway) to training for and running a half marathon in 3 months. This year was different. I have been running (occasionally) for 5 years now and have several 5ks, a 10k, 3 half marathons, a few sprint triathlons and a half ironman under my belt. I still suck at running but I enjoy the running events. I was looking forward to this one as it allowed me to go back and compare the events and remind myself of how far I have come in my running. I can say I PR'd the course as my first run was a series of 1 min run/walk. I think I came in at over 3 hours on that first run. This year I finished in just over 2 hours and 40 min. My goal was 2.5 hours but that is ok. I was really happy about this run and how I felt. Although my training had not been up to par for what I should have done for this distance, I was confident that I would finish. I wasn't even nervous about the event. I looked at it like another running day but this time with a lot of other people running with me. This is the only time I usually have others around me when I am running. I think that is why I enjoy race events more than I enjoy training for them. Several days before the event I prepared all of my items for my race I had the largest pile of clothes, afraid I would be freezing when the race started. I recall the race in 2010 being so cold we stayed in cars with the heaters on so we wouldn't freeze. At the last minute I decided to be risky and just wear shorts and a my RACE Team short sleeve top with a light jacket. I am so glad I did because the morning proved to be much warmer than I remember 5 years earlier. I ended up removing my jacket only 2 miles into the run. Thinking back to the first time I ran this course and this year I would have to say they are far different from one another. This years event was much easier for me. The hills didn't hurt as much and I actually passed people. That was such an adrenaline rush in itself, who cares if they were walking. I was passing and I felt fast. I set my RunKeeper the night before to cue up a playlist that lasted 2.5 hours long. My targeted time. I also set it to give me run/walk alerts on a 4/30 timing. 4 min run, 30 sec walk. Thinking this would be good strategy since I had not been running for a few weeks. I thought this was going to help me get through it. Surprisingly I was able to run through most of them and only used the 30 sec slower sections to limit how long I walked, when I needed to. All in all I think I walked only about a total of 8 minutes of the entire run. The longest training run I had was a 10 mile run that incorporated uphills and downhills and while it had been a few weeks prior I knew I could at least get through that distance before it was going to be tiresome. I was delighted to feel as fresh as I did as I was passing the 9 mile marker. Then the 10 mile and then the 11th mile. It all seemed so easy this time. Ok...ok, the end was downhill but I remember it being more painful on my knees the previous time. I remember moments along the course feeling a bit of a twinge in my knees or the outside of my right foot and then I would realize I was running far on the side in the shoulder where the road slightly dips for drainage. Once I would move toward the middle of the road the twinge and ache would go away. This is definitely something to remember for future races. I wore compression socks for the race and I believe that there is something to it for me as I didn't have any nagging shin pain as I had in the past. Another change I made last minute was a bit out of my comfort zone. I opted to not carry a second bottle on my back, only carry my hand held bottle. I was going to rely on the water stations available. I recently learned the art of drinking from the cups at the aide stations without snorting it up my nose during a run clinic with Brain Grasky. It worked beautifully along the course. I mostly took in the electrolyte drink they had provided. I stopped once for them to fill my hand held bottle and that was all I needed through the race. They provided gel at the halfway point but reading ahead of time that the brand was other than GU, I decided to just pack my own and rely on it and passed up the offering of their gel. You never know what products don't sit well and I didn't want to find out that that gel was not for me halfway through a run. Thankfully my Fuel Belt race belt holds plenty of gel packs and I proudly carried my own stash. As I came into the finish I remember thinking how great I felt. My previous half marathons (although faster finishing times) didn't feel this good at the finish. I don't know if it was the beautiful weather, the beautiful scenery, knowing I had friends also running the course and along the way cheering me on as they rounded back to the finish, the little girls holding "go random stranger' signs and high five-ing or my friend Kristen with her cowbell cheering me at halfway point. What ever it was that made that race feel so good it was finished off by meeting my husband at the finish line as he ran in with me, waiting for me for over 20 minutes at the finish so he could mark his finish. Although he finished around 2:19, his time is forever marked at 2:40 and some change with me. Silly boy.
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Victoria "Torie" GrammarJust your average Mom and Friend who found a love for the swim, bike, and run. Archives
January 2023
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