Since I got so much accomplished this am, I decided to hit the ole treadmill and rack up some major miles. I have a half in a couple of weeks, and my training has been majorly derailed due to illness, weather, and driving bans. I wanted to run 12 miles but I finished with 8 and a half. Maybe 12 this week instead? But, in honor of it being about 13.1 weeks since I ran my first half, I would like to share with you the 13.1 things you need to know when running your very own half marathon.
1.
2. Keep your eyes open for potties prerace. I have the bladder of a camel. No, really, it's a scientific fact, and maybe someday when it's snow stormed for 3 days in a row and I have nothing new to talk to you about, I'll share the gripping story of why my bladder is larger than yours. I know, you can hardly wait, right? For now the basics will suffice, and those are I use the facilities about twice a day. In the morning and before bed. But prerace, you get the jitters, and you (or at least I), felt like I needed to pee. Badly. It was raining, so I was stuck with a bunch of other racers trying to keep dry in a tiny two room building. There seemed to be no potties in sight. But wait, the potties were there, but carefully camouflaged by banners. I guess they didn't want 500 people using them prerace. But that kind of thinking just can't stop me (and therefore you) from getting our potty on. Of course in most races there are port a potties, but I use those only under the most dire of circumstances. Shudder!
3. Starting in a slow corral is okay. When I signed up for my half, I had never run a half, so I had NO idea what my time would be. I estimated on the high, high end. I didn't want to start running and get passed by everyone in the first few minutes. Better to start slow and build a nice pace, and then YOU can do the passing. (*for exceptions for the you do the passing rule, please see #10). Also helpful in the following situation.
4. Make sure your pants are on right. I know, this one seems ridiculous, but trust me, it’s important. My half dawned on a cold and rainy day and I wore my fabulous new running tights. I HAD run in them before, come on, I’m not a total nube, but I hadn't run in them very much before. As the half started,they staggered the pace groups starting time and I started with my pace group but somehow got off to a faster pace than expected. Thank goodness for this. As I was running, I felt my pants begin to slide down. Mind you, this is about 2 minutes into the race, and I had over 2 hours left to go. I pulled them up, they slid down. Pull up, slide down. Up, down. You get the picture? As I turned a corner so my group couldn't see me, and I was still far enough from the group in front of me, I reached in my pants, grabbed the drawstrings, and pulled for all I was worth. I tied those puppies up tight. Luckily this was all it took, but this embarrassment could have been witnessed by hundreds of people. (Luckily only about 3 people read my blog, so we’re good here. Hi Sister!!)
5. Carefully select your playlist. You may be one of those special runners that can run with nothing but the sounds of nature all around, and good for you! But for the rest of us that want a little beat to push us and pump us up, music is key. Have a few songs on your playlist that really don't do it for you anymore? Delete them. For all that is holy delete them. I had 4 songs I don't care for anymore on my list. I meant to delete them, but didn't, and since I put my music on random and there's a LOT on there, I figured they might not even come up. I was wrong. And oh how I paid for my foolishness, with three, yes, three of the songs "randomly" playing one after the other. I don't have a fancy song skip on my headphone cord, so I just had to run with them. But let my bleeding ears be a lesson to you, lest you fall down the same trap.
6. Watch where you're running! I had run in pretty much all conditions, but for some reason I had mainly been able to avoid rain. Sleet, I knew what to do, rain, not so much. As I was running and getting into my grove I saw the course take a jog to the side. The runners in front of me ran on the outside of the loop, but determined to run smarter not harder, I ran on the inside. And in my laser focus on "good running" I didn't notice the giant hole filled with water from the rain until my left foot was already in it. My feet had already taken a bit of a soaking, but this sealed the deal. Note to all runners, if the people ahead of you are avoiding the seemingly "easier" route, pay attention as to why. Mine was water, but yours could be something even worse. Dog parks anyone?
7. Practice drinking water while running, or slow down when you do it. Okay, this again probably seems pretty common sense. You run with your water bottle at home, so why would it be any different getting water from the tables? Well folks, when you drink the water in your bottles you suck it in, and it comes in at a slow rate of speed. When you grab that cup of water or Gatorade as you pass the table, and try to drink it while tossing the cup towards a trash receptacle, the liquid comes in FAST. As in wrong pipe, choking, generally looking ridiculous for all your fellow runners fast. I slow down at the tables and drink my drink, but you could also cheek the water and then swallow at your leisure.
8. Don't give in to that voice and walk. Well, if you trained using Jeff Gallaway, and you are doing your walk/run intervals, or you're a race walker, then get down with your bad self. But if you plan to run the entire race, remember at some point you will feel tired, and you will want to walk. If you give in once it's easier to do it again. My moment came on a "gentle" hill near mile 12. The runners around me were grumbling to each other and encouraging each other to walk. I soooo wanted to walk, but I knew I needed to keep running for me, to say I RAN an entire half marathon. On that hill I was going so slowly. I probably looked like a cartoon portrayal of someone trying to run up a hill when they are out of steam. Could I have gone the same pace walking? Maybe. But I was running, darn it, and I could tell myself at the end I gave it my all. Especially as this was the moment I came to number 9:
9. The hardest part of the run will be when you run past your longest distance. I trained for my half, but due to circumstances outside of my control, I only got up to a 12 mile training run. Once I hit 12.1, the doubt set it. Can I make it? Do I still have feeling in my left wet foot? Does it count as running if people can walk faster than I am currently moving? Is that an old lady passing me? Don't let the doubt stop you. Push through, if your body can run 12 miles, what's 1 more?
10. As you come up on your last mile, you will get passed by old ladies. Those ladies are bad to the bone. Move out of their way and pray that you move that quickly when you're 70+ Oh, and to the "helpful" volunteer telling everyone to push and pass one person on the way to the finish line, thanks. I was the one who got passed by about 54 people. But at least they felt good about themselves!
11. Make sure you make a plan for your post race meetup. You know, in case your phone dies on your mega miles run and you can't find your family in the sea of racers and supporters? And you're crying hysterically and don't know why, while juggling a bottle of water, a dead phone in it's arm band, a protein bar, your race medal, headphones, and silver foil from NASA.
12.Take the silver foil from NASA. You might not think you need it when you finish, all hot and sweaty and riding that endorphin high. But what comes up, must go down. When your body temperature drops you're going to be clutching that silver wrapper like it's made of cashmere.
13. If the first half marathon you complete advertises bratwurst and hamburgers for the post race party, take 3 steps back from the party tent and eat your granola bar. Unless of course you've run 13+ miles and know how your body will react to said bratwurst. It's a long drive from Indy to Granger when you have to stop every 30 minutes. I'm just saying....
.1- Take someone supportive with you. Someone who doesn't mind listening to you rehash the race in minute detail. Someone to drive home while you "rest your eyes" for a bit. Someone to cheer for you and allow you to enjoy a little time in the spotlight. This should be true not just for half marathons, but for every major life event. BE a cheerleader to someone else, and allow someone to cheer for you. You deserve it, you really do!
6. Watch where you're running! I had run in pretty much all conditions, but for some reason I had mainly been able to avoid rain. Sleet, I knew what to do, rain, not so much. As I was running and getting into my grove I saw the course take a jog to the side. The runners in front of me ran on the outside of the loop, but determined to run smarter not harder, I ran on the inside. And in my laser focus on "good running" I didn't notice the giant hole filled with water from the rain until my left foot was already in it. My feet had already taken a bit of a soaking, but this sealed the deal. Note to all runners, if the people ahead of you are avoiding the seemingly "easier" route, pay attention as to why. Mine was water, but yours could be something even worse. Dog parks anyone?
7. Practice drinking water while running, or slow down when you do it. Okay, this again probably seems pretty common sense. You run with your water bottle at home, so why would it be any different getting water from the tables? Well folks, when you drink the water in your bottles you suck it in, and it comes in at a slow rate of speed. When you grab that cup of water or Gatorade as you pass the table, and try to drink it while tossing the cup towards a trash receptacle, the liquid comes in FAST. As in wrong pipe, choking, generally looking ridiculous for all your fellow runners fast. I slow down at the tables and drink my drink, but you could also cheek the water and then swallow at your leisure.
8. Don't give in to that voice and walk. Well, if you trained using Jeff Gallaway, and you are doing your walk/run intervals, or you're a race walker, then get down with your bad self. But if you plan to run the entire race, remember at some point you will feel tired, and you will want to walk. If you give in once it's easier to do it again. My moment came on a "gentle" hill near mile 12. The runners around me were grumbling to each other and encouraging each other to walk. I soooo wanted to walk, but I knew I needed to keep running for me, to say I RAN an entire half marathon. On that hill I was going so slowly. I probably looked like a cartoon portrayal of someone trying to run up a hill when they are out of steam. Could I have gone the same pace walking? Maybe. But I was running, darn it, and I could tell myself at the end I gave it my all. Especially as this was the moment I came to number 9:
9. The hardest part of the run will be when you run past your longest distance. I trained for my half, but due to circumstances outside of my control, I only got up to a 12 mile training run. Once I hit 12.1, the doubt set it. Can I make it? Do I still have feeling in my left wet foot? Does it count as running if people can walk faster than I am currently moving? Is that an old lady passing me? Don't let the doubt stop you. Push through, if your body can run 12 miles, what's 1 more?
10. As you come up on your last mile, you will get passed by old ladies. Those ladies are bad to the bone. Move out of their way and pray that you move that quickly when you're 70+ Oh, and to the "helpful" volunteer telling everyone to push and pass one person on the way to the finish line, thanks. I was the one who got passed by about 54 people. But at least they felt good about themselves!
11. Make sure you make a plan for your post race meetup. You know, in case your phone dies on your mega miles run and you can't find your family in the sea of racers and supporters? And you're crying hysterically and don't know why, while juggling a bottle of water, a dead phone in it's arm band, a protein bar, your race medal, headphones, and silver foil from NASA.
12.Take the silver foil from NASA. You might not think you need it when you finish, all hot and sweaty and riding that endorphin high. But what comes up, must go down. When your body temperature drops you're going to be clutching that silver wrapper like it's made of cashmere.
13. If the first half marathon you complete advertises bratwurst and hamburgers for the post race party, take 3 steps back from the party tent and eat your granola bar. Unless of course you've run 13+ miles and know how your body will react to said bratwurst. It's a long drive from Indy to Granger when you have to stop every 30 minutes. I'm just saying....
.1- Take someone supportive with you. Someone who doesn't mind listening to you rehash the race in minute detail. Someone to drive home while you "rest your eyes" for a bit. Someone to cheer for you and allow you to enjoy a little time in the spotlight. This should be true not just for half marathons, but for every major life event. BE a cheerleader to someone else, and allow someone to cheer for you. You deserve it, you really do!
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