1) Train. Train. Train. Train. Train. My training was only 10 weeks long...and although I completed both half marathons - I wonder if I had a little bit longer of a training schedule, would I have been more successful? Which brings me to:
2) 10 weeks doesn't seem like a long time to train for something...but boy was I wrong! Training for something like this isn't as easy as just getting out there and running. You start to pay attention to every thing you put into your mouth.. Think you want that glass of wine? Not if you know it will make you more dehydrated the next day for your run. Think you want a salad for dinner? Not if you know it will turn your insides out around mile 4/5 of your run the next day. Think you want to stay up late and watch that movie with your hubby? Not if you know you have to wake up at 4:30 the next morning to get a 5 mile run in. The last 10 weeks have been some of the longest of my life!
3) I miss wine. I feel like an alcoholic just saying that...but I really do. There were nights (even when I was running 2-3 days a week and NOT training for something) I would have a glass of wine with dinner and not think anything about it. Well...when you are only running 3ish miles the next day - a glass of wine here and there really doesn't matter. But when you are running 4 days a week...you don't have time to "make up" for sluggish runs because you are dehydrated. Anyway - one of the things I'm looking forward to tonight...and tomorrow night...and the night after that for that matter...is a nice big glass of wine!
4) Go poop before every long run. Trust me on this one.... And if you can't go poop before a long run for some reason...be sure that there is a public bathroom somewhere along your route...
5) STRETCH before EVERY single run!!! Trust me on this one too...
6) It would be beneficial if you stretched after each run...can't say I followed this advice...but I bet I wouldn't be as sore today if I had
7) Hydrate. Hydrate. Hydrate. Hydrate. Even if you aren't running the next day...still drink plenty of water. If you don't...you seriously can feel it.
8) I have heard from many long time runner friends, that there is a point you hit a "wall" when running, but if you keep going, you'll "break" through the wall and feel like you can go forever. Um... that wall for me goes up at about mile 0.02...and STAYS there the entire time. I literally feel like every single step is hard... I NEVER had a period of time that I felt like I "broke through" anything and felt like I could go forever....EVER. A 5 mile run for me is just as hard as a 2.5 mile run which is just as hard as a 1 mile run. This "wall" is a mental barrier that you just have to get past...that mental barrier for me never comes down. When I started running longer distances - the only reason I could go from 1.87 to 2.25 (back 2 1/2 years ago)...was me mentally pushing myself. Now...when I need to run 5 and my body/mind is yelling at me to stop at mile 2...I have to remind myself that I have done 5 before...so I know I can do it again... Essentially what I'm saying is this - running is probably 75 parts mental and only 25 parts physical. Seriously! I think that is what is so exhausting about running for me...is that I have an internal argument the entire time trying to convince myself to keep going.
9) If you have any runner friends that have done long races before, they will all tell you - if you can do 4 miles, you can do 13.1... Is it true? Yes... But I do believe there are some people whose bodies are made for running...and those of us (like myself) that our bodies are NOT made for running. Does this mean you shouldn't do a half marathon? Absolutely not! Do it! But after doing these two half marathons - I can tell you that I will most likely never do anything farther than this. Between knee issues, heel/bursitis issues, plantar's fasciitis issues, GI issues....going farther than 13.1 would kill me. Will I ever do a half again? Probably...but no time soon! I will happily sign up for about any 5k, 10k, and maybe even a 15k now. However...I have no plans of doing another half marathon in the near future.... I do plan on going back to running 2-3 days a week, between 4-5 miles each of those days. I will do that because running is how I've been able to (somewhat) maintain my weight... and I like feeling fit. But...NO MORE TRAINING for me for a while! haha
10) Once you have completed a half marathon - you feel like wearing that medal around for weeks. It is such a feeling of accomplishment that I can't even put it into words...
At the end of your first (or even second) half marathon...be prepared to be overwhelmed emotionally (not JUST physically). My first half marathon in February, I felt this to a degree. I was overwhelmed...but didn't have a good outlet for it (my hubby was out of town). The one I did yesterday...I did. After I came across the finish and my hubby and kids were there...it was almost more than I could take. After I hugged my kids I went to hug my hubby and just started crying. He thought I was crying because I was hurt (which I was - my bursitis made me walk/limp the last 3-4 miles)...but it was so much more than that. I was proud of myself for finishing the run (despite my injury), disappointed that I didn't do as well as I would have liked to, physically exhausted and in pain, mentally drained from pushing myself the whole time, thrilled that my best friend in the world was there to support and push me on towards my goal, and happy that my kids got to see that if you work hard enough and train hard enough that you can accomplish anything you set your mind to. So when Jeff went to hug me, I just clung to him and cried.
February 16, 2014 - Five Points of Life Half Marathon
Official time - 3 hours 2 minutes 47 seconds
March 14, 2014 - First Watch Sarasota Half Marathon
Official time - 3 hours 16 minutes 6 seconds
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