part-time athlete

my official half marathon time - 1:55:08

the photographer didn’t get any pictures of me but my dad snapped this one.

today is off to a great start.

post-half marathon blues

it’s hard for me to believe that my half marathon was only a week ago.  i feel like i ran an awesome race and all my training really paid off.  but now that it’s all over, i’m feeling lost!  i don’t have another event coming up and it’s weird not having some big goal looming in the future.  on one hand, it’s liberating because i can be more flexible with my workout schedule.  however, having a goal to work towards is definitely a huge motivator!

i think i need to work on outlining some goals for myself.  even if i don’t find another race to run anytime soon, i at least want to have something to work towards.  right now, i’m thinking about toning down the distance and working on speed and strength.

as a side note, i’m doomed for the summer because i just went 6 miles in 62 degrees wearing my lightest running clothes and i was way too hot for my comfort level.  also, my legs kind of felt like lead.. not cool, legs.

yup, this is where i run when i’m home :)

Every time I go to stand up…

my legs are like “hey, remember us? the ones you ran on for 13 miles this morning? yeah, well we would prefer it if you would stop that.”

touché, legs.

half marathon was awesome.

still waiting for official time (and photos!) to go online because i didn’t feel like hanging around the results tent, but i’m pretty sure i finished right around 1:55:05.  which i’m totally stoked about because i just wanted to make it under 2 hours.

i started with the 9 min/mile pacing group, which i was worried would feel too fast initially.  however it was just the opposite, i felt great and pushed ahead of them and kept my pace below 9 min/mile for almost the entire race.  for the last 5k i picked it up a little more and tried to keep it below 8:30.  and for my final kick, i just let loose and gave it everything i had.  the final straightaway was deceptively long and i was worried i had started my kick too early.  then i saw my dad cheering for me and my roommate and two other friends (who i didn’t even know were going to come!) and that gave me what i needed to push it out until the finish… at which point i was ready to collapse.

as a side note, water stations are great.  can i get those on every one of my runs?

summary: i feel like a champ!

officially ready for tomorrow.

also, my taste in running music is all over the place.

The Distance - Cake

GETTING STOKED FOR TOMORROW.

TO GO THE DISTANCE.

tomorrow is my first half marathon!

i’m mostly excited because all my nerves are busy worrying about the insane amount of schoolwork i have to do.  i’m sure that will change as start time approaches…

my half marathon is in 5 days!

if this weather forecast holds up, i will be a happy camper.  this recent heat has been making me antsy because i don’t hold up well when it’s too hot.  but 50 degrees sounds good, and i really don’t mind the rain.

so long, second toe nail.

you were a trooper.

you hung in there as long as you could.

i’ll miss ya, bud.

Q & A

yes! here is my best advice in its most basic form: just keep running.

try to push yourself a little farther every time you go out, whether it be to run faster or further.  it may help to think about what your goals are as a running and personalize your workouts from there.

i would recommend you get your mileage where you want it to be and then focus on speed.  as you train more and your muscles get stronger, you will get faster naturally.  if you want to incorporate special speed workouts - like fartleks - those are also a good way to help you get faster.

overall, set realistic goals for yourself and then work to get there.  try not to compare yourself to others and focus on your own improvement. you will be impressed with yourself in no time!

i need to learn to stop spitting into the wind.

made it 10 miles no problem.

AND THEN DISASTER STRUCK.

finished the last 2 with spit on my shoulder.

i would like to go on a long run when the wind isn’t blowing at 20mph.

unfortunately, that hasn’t really been an option for me the past few weeks.  and it’s gonna be SO WINDY down by the beach i’m getting chilly just thinking about it.

12 miles today, half marathon is in two weeks and a day!