I ran my first official Half Marathon on Oct. 28th 2012. However, it was not an easy path. About two month before race day I was feeling major shin splints. So bad that before I hit mile two of my run, I slowed down to a major walk. It was the first time I actually fully stopped and had to walk my way back home from a run. It was a major eye opening scare and concern for me. I knew I had to take time off and I felt bad knowing how close my goal (race day) was from that point. So I took a week off and tried again. I knew almost right away, about a block and a half that I was not recovered yet. So I stopped and walked back home again. When I hit bumps in my training, whether it be missing a work out because family outings, or not hitting a time mark, I get angry with my self. And I was feeling pretty angry by this set back. However, the lazy relaxing days did feel nice and I hoped it would all be for the best. So I rested. Then it was one month before race day and I was getting worried I would not even be physically fit to even finish the race, so I toughed it out and just started running again. Here is my final 2 weeks of training days by miles. 4,4,4,4,6,4,4,10,3,5 rest,4,4,rest, half marathon!
When I first signed up for the race months and months ago I had set a goal of 1hr 40ish mins. However I knew with my injury set back I aimed for at least breaking 2 hrs. So i set my self in the 1:50-2hr group. Race started and it was a fun course. I looked at my watch and it was a super slow and conservative 8:12 min first mile. Wow. I had not run a slow mile like that in what felt like years. Of course this was in the mix of tying to get by the huge crowd of runners so I just convinced my self it's no big deal. I told my self I will just pick it up a bit once the crowd clears up a bit. And wow...did I pick it up. I ran a 7:46 2nd mile. I was just all over the place. I was mad at my lack of pacing discipline but also glad that I still had at least some speed in me. Then the 4 mile marker came by. Before race started I had planned out that I wanted to break the half marathon into 3 sections of 4 miles each and then a finishing 1.1 mile stretch. I calculated that each 4 mile section should be run at around 35 or 36 mins. Well this 4 mile mark came around and I ran 31~ mins. I was very happy with that. Then the next one came by and it was 30~, and then 30~ and a finishing 8:03 1.1 mile. A total finishing 1/2 marathon time of 1:39:30.
I was very very pleased with this time after only having three weeks before race day to get back into it. I really surprised myself. I looked at next year already and set my self of having a goal of getting into the 1:20's finishing time range. and I would plan my training again.
Fast forward months. I was about 6 weeks into my training for my 2nd 1/2 marathon and then I had a call that let me know I would be working a camp for two months of the summer. Yikes. This realllyyyy messed up my training. once I came back from that I started training again but guess what....respiratory infection. wow...really?? andddd to top it off again..it was 5 weeks before race day...that really sucked. I tried toughing it out this time..but my lungs where just not taking it. So I stuck to doing a stair master workout for 30 mins every other day and core workout in between those days. race day came...welp, here goes nothing...
First mile.. I knew I had to manouver around the crowd this time but I still told my self to hold back because I had no running for three weeks. The mile marker comes by and I look at my watch.. 6:29!!!! What!? What is going on!? I could not believe it. I knew I was going to be in trouble if I wasted that energy in the beginning so I told myself I need to hold it back right now. 2nd mile marker 6:44! This is still not the range I wanted to hold it back to! But I felt great! I had no idea what was going on. I told myself okay, just hold it back even more but keep it comfortable also. I've done this course before so I know what is ahead of me. 3rd mile rolls by 6:51. wow. I felt comfortable with that pace and i had no idea how I was doing it. I just kept on rolling! the mile markers kept coming by and I glance at my watch and was still pretty good. 6:50 7:02, 7:03, 7:02, and then 6:46!!! I was over half way done and still pulled out a sub 7 mile! at this point I just threw my race plan away and just rolled with what I was feeling. Still pushing my self no matter what. I knew what pace was at my limit and I was determined to hold it there. I usually run on my toes engaging my calves but because I had not been running my calves were the first to go at around the 6 mile mark so i started landing on my heels now just to save the calves for later if I could manage that.Then mile 9 and 10 came. This was the first up hill section and a bridge. My time def came down here. 7:14 and then a reality check, 8:03 10 mile mark. This is when my lack of strength training was going to show. That up hill bridge really took a lot out of me. However the down hill u-turn was going to be a good recovering zone. mile 11 then came at 7:34. I felt good about that. But suddenly my body started cramping up. My calves were getting really tense and my quads were just not getting the left I wanted from them. I was in a constant fight with my body not to keep pushing. mile 12 marker hit and it was 8:02. oh no. Not now. I am sooo close to the finish. Please dont fail me now legs. Every step was becoming harder and harder. My body felt so heavy, I was cramping up trying to use my calves to give me some more muscle help but they were no good. Toeing off was hard with every step. I could see the finish line coming up. People were passing me this year where last year I came running by fast. I looked at the clock as I crossed the finish line... 1:35:15 I ran a new personal record and yet again I had an injury setback. That 1:20's mark was a not met but I am glad I got closer this year.
I did plan on running the half marathon again next year (2014), but I had just not been training. However, I have my eye on a larger goal now. My first full Marathon will be in March. And this past week is my first week at restarting my training for that. It will be tough and mind draining, but it is something I HAVE to do. I have been pushing it back far too long. But this coming March I WILL cross the finish line of the Los Angeles Marathon. My training blog will start next.
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