Well, April is here and if you all remember, the day of the race is April 28th! Yikes, it's coming sooooo fast! 26 days left! I'm starting to get a little nervous. Not nervous, like I'm going to bobble and fall off the beam, miss my dismount on bars, or step out of bounds on floor and let my team down. Nervous like, can I do this?
Can I run the whole 13.1 miles?
Will I be the lame one that has to stop?
Will I be the one who slows the group down or is running alone because I'm the "slow" one?
I ran 8 miles on this past Saturday. That is the furthest distance I have ever run consecutively!!! The first 4 miles were great. I was running around 9 mins 30 secs per mile, then my hips started to get sore and really tired from miles 4-6. My speed slowed down quite a bit, but then picked back up a bit for the last two miles. There are A LOT of hills around where I live and I think that's what starts to get to me after awhile. It's tough going up another hill at mile 6. My hip flexors and hamstrings have never been so tight in my life! I have definitely been stretching more. My adductors are even tight!! It's funny because in the past running used to loosen me up, but not so much now. I guess that's what happens when you have been running lots of miles. I think I'm just hoping that all this adrenaline and hype that people talk about sets in. I need a little boost every now and again when I'm running. Some songs definitely help that, but I'm not sure what will help at Mile 11!
I'm definitely a slow and steady runner and I'm ok with that. I've decided that my goal is to just run for my first half marathon. I'm not worried about my time or my speed, I just want to run the whole time and complete the race. By looking at the race course, it looks like pretty flat considering most of it is along the river. Nike has not posted a map that shows the elevation, however I'm figuring it's got to be easier than what I have been running!!
Have you run a Half Marathon?
What was your goal for your first one?
Did you find the adrenaline helped you make it through?
Were you able to run the whole time?
Trust me, you will NOT be the slow one or the lame one. :p
ReplyDeleteThis month is going to be crazy with school, I have no idea how I'm going to train!! I've decided that I'll likely have to walk and I'm totally ok with it. Walk/running 13.1 miles is still an accomplishment! :) Then maybe I'll set bigger goals for my next half marathon haha. I bet you'll be just fine though, especially since you've been training on hills and the course looks pretty flat!
Seriously ~9 min/miles is not bad at all! My brother runs 4:55 min/miles and leaves me in the dust every time. He's 18 so to be expected but I kick his butt every time in distance running. I think you're right on track. I tend to walk really quick through water stations after mile 6 or so and by 11 you'll feel the end near you can't help but push yourself to the end. Some of friends are running that race too! Looks like it's gonna be a lot of fun... :-)
DeleteOh I am planning to use salt pills this time around. I've been cramping up around mile 12 which totally sucks when you're almost done. It happened on my last two races, so I'm determined not to let it happen again...
Best of luck...