I’m still trying to get over the fact that I actually ran a half marathon. I didn’t have any confidence in myself that I could do this, or that I could finish. But I got out there and tried my hardest and I’m so proud of the result. Did I break any records? Not a chance. But I learned so much about myself (and about racing, who knew?!)
Official results: I came in 238 out of 431 runners with a chip time of 2:19:17 (the equivalent to a 10:38 pace). At just past the the halfway point (6.7 miles) I clocked in at 1:04:23 or a 9:35 pace.
I’m super excited to have just finished and I’m already looking toward my next run.
What I’ll do differently next time:
- I need to find a new training program, hands down. I don’t think the training program I used prepared me well enough for the distances past the 10 mile mark.
- Buy a water belt and use it. I stopped at the water stations at mile markers 9, 10 and 11. I couldn’t run and drink from the big cups so I had to stop and slug it back, and I was choking and it was bad.
- Eat a ton of carbs the day before the race. Oh my goodness, by mile 11 I was gassed. I literally had nothing left. My mind could have run 10 more miles, my body, no so much.
- Make a better playlist for running distance. Surprisingly I skipped over anything with a heavy or fast beat. I ran to Counting Crows, Train, Dave Matthews and Genesis and I loved the songs when I was able to finally skip to them!
I’m hoping to run the Covered Bridges half marathon next. It’s a ways away, so in the meantime I’m going to find something else to train for, but that’s so hard to do up here in the winter.
