Half Marathon Recap

I cannot believe that we are half way through this week already!!  I have no idea where the first two days of the week went, but I know they FLEW by!

WELL, I officially survived my half marathon and really, I more than survived - I think it did a great job!

Last week started with me staying home sick and let me tell you, when you are trying to hydrate, a stomach bug is the LAST thing you want.  After a lot of sleeping on Tuesday, I felt much better on Wednesday and worked hard to get hydrated.  I ended up only done 1 training run before the half, but it was a good one and I finished that on Wednesday feeling ready to go!  I decided on that day that my ultimate goal was to PR, but I was going to approach the run with the plan to try and run a 2:10:00 race, which is a 9:55 min/mile pace.

On Friday, we went and picked up my packet and talked to one of the pace group leaders and I got this really handy temporary tattoo.

We went out for an awesome dinner with my parents and a couple of aunts and uncles (my uncles were also running in the race) and had a nice evening with everyone!

We woke up early (I hate mornings) and I ate some breakfast and we headed downtown.  It was amazing how much smaller the races were than what I ran the first time.  I knew it would be, but it was still a shock to me when it was so comfortable and not crowded in the corrals before the race.  The race started at 8:00 am and as soon as the cannon sounded, we were OFF!

J and my parents had planned a walking route where they were able to see me 3 times in the race - around mile 3, 5 and 9 and then we planned where to meet after the race.  The first four miles were down the same street - one long straight shot, and it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be.  Mile 1 really sneaked up on me, and before I knew it, I saw J and my parents!  I was actually feeling pretty good at 5K

I saw them again at 5 miles, and was still feeling really good.  When I saw them at 9, I felt like I was starting to fade and get tired.  Miles 9-13 were tough - there were some challenging hills and when I got to 9 and started to feel tired, I decided that I wanted to have a strong finish, but I was not going to try to kill myself to get to 2:10:00.

I finished in 2:13:55 - my first half was 2:18:18.  Cutting those (approx) four and a half minutes from my time equates to running each mile about 21 second faster than I did the first time!  I was really happy with the way I ran the race.  I finished, I didn't walk or stop, I felt strong and I met my goal.

My (rounded) splits for the miles were:

Mile 1 = 10:31

Mile 2 = 10:03

Mile 3 = 9:57

Mile 4 = 9:55

Mile 5 = 9:46

Mile 6 = 9:55

Mile 7 = 10:00

Mile 8 = 10:06

Mile 9 = 10:15

Mile 10 = 10:37

Mile 11 = 10:40

Mile 12 = 10:53

Mile 13 = 10:11

13.1 = 2:13:55 = 10:13 minutes/mile

One of my uncles ran the 10K and the other ran the half, and they stuck around and waited for me when they were done.  It was awesome to hear them cheer for me when I came into the baseball stadium (where the finish line was) and it kept me going for that last 0.1 mile!  Here we are after the race...

I've been sore for the past couple days, but mostly just when I'm going down stairs/a hill and when I stand up after sitting for a long period of time.  I'm pretty sure I'm not going to lose any toenails this time around (hooray) and the worst thing I encountered on this race were the blisters on my toes...

When I got done with my first half, I didn't feel like continuing to running - I was tired of it.  This time, I don't really feel like that... I think I'll still want to get out and run.  Not this week (I'm taking the week off), but maybe a couple times next week  :)  I'm also feeling good about being able to reach my 2:10:00 goal next time!

Goals for Race Week

The week is finally here - less than 5 days until my second Half Marathon.  There are a few things that I'm going to REALLY focus on this week with the hopes that it will make me as prepared as possible for Saturday.

Running Schedule

I have to get 2 runs in this week - a 4 mile and a 3 mile and I HAVE to get them done today and Wednesday.  I want two days off between my 3 mile run and the race.

Eating

Time to carbo load!!!  This is never a problem for me... I love pasta.  I'm also planning to have a night of sweet potato hash, and probably beans and rice YUMMMMMM!

I also need to make sure I'm getting in some good protein, which means I'm probably going to get up and have an egg each morning - not something I'd normally do, but hopefully it will do my muscles good.

Hydrating

I can't go without my one morning cup of coffee - I just can't, but I'm going to get to work each day and start my morning with this...

The bottle and tall cup are 24 ounces each.  The small cup is 16 ounces.  In case you can't do the math, that's 8 cups of water... aka the recommended amount of water someone should drink EVERY DAY.  For me, this is something I have to focus on - this is something that I will only accomplish if the water is sitting on my desk staring at me, and I'll probably set some alarms for myself on my phone and/or calender that remind me to drink water.  My goal is to drink this much water EVERY DAY.

Stretching

I really have to commit to stretching, icing and rolling (on my foam roller) every night this week.  I also need to make sure I'm getting away from my desk while I'm at work so I don't get stuff from sitting.  I'm guessing the 64 ounces of water will help - I have to get up to go to the bathroom.

Sleep

Early to Rise, Early to Bed???  I know - that's backward, but that's how I have to do it.  It takes me forever to get sleepy at night.  It is not uncommon for me to be more awake at midnight than I am at 3 pm, but I have to get up early on Saturday morning and get going, so I'm going to have to practice!  It's going to be hard - my cousin has a game tonight (Go LA Sparks!!) and it doesn't start until 10 pm.  We have game night with friends tomorrow, so I'll be out later than normal on a weeknight.  BUT I am going to force myself to get up by 6:30 am every day this week and hopefully by Wednesday or Thursday night, I'll be ready for bed early.  I know to a lot of people 6:30 am probably seems like sleeping in, but I am rarely up before 7:30 am and it's usually 8 am so that's a big change for me!!

Pack

I am probably going to pack on Wednesday night and make sure I have everything on Thursday.  I'm heading out a little early on Friday afternoon so I want to be able to just pick J up and head to Fort Wayne so I can get my race packet and go have a delicious dinner with family on Friday night.  I'm going to have to give myself options.  I know what sports bra, shorts, socks and shoes I'm wearing.  I'm going to have to give myself some top options that will let me layer and probably find a long sleeved shirt that I don't mind dumping on the side of the road along the way.

I think if I can focus on my prep throughout the week, it will help to keep me from getting nervous about Saturday - I guess we will have to wait and see!

Ready to Run

It's finally Friday and it has been a SUPER busy week for me! Luckily it was a good busy, one where a glass of wine on Friday evening is a perk instead of a necessity. 

Tomorrow is my last long run before my half marathon and lucky for me, my new running accessory came just in time for me to give it a try before the big day. 

My calves and ankles have really bothered me during training this time around, and compression socks have seemed the help. These are made for running and don't feel as tight as the ones I have been using so we will see how I feel tomorrow. 

On another note, I was excited to wake up this morning and put on jeans and a sweatshirt - it was in the 90s earlier this week and now we have a lovely 60 degree day!!! Hopefully this means that Fall is finally here!!!

Have a great weekend!

Half Marathon - Quickly Approaching!!!

I have one month until I run my second half marathon.  I can't believe that it's coming up so quickly and when I look at my calendar, I am going to be so busy with the start of school that it's probably going to really sneak up on me!

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I'm running the Fort for Fitness Half Marathon in Fort Wayne.  I chose this race for a few reasons...

• My parents live there and I have a free place to stay!!
• The course is fairly flat
• You finish in the minor league baseball stadium downtown - I love sport facilities!!!

It's been a little over 2 years since my first half and I have 2 main goals for my second

Improve my race time - a little over a year ago (May 2012), I ran the Indy Mini Marathon, and I ran it in 2:18:18 (that's 10:34 pace) and I'm really hoping to do better this time around.  I am not setting a specific goal for myself beyond that, but I'm thinking about running with the 9:55 pace group, which would mean I'd finish in 2:10:00 and that would be a pretty awesome improvement!!

Keep running when I'm done - after my last half, I told myself I was going to take a couple of weeks off.  WELLLL, that turned in to about 11 months off and it took me signing up for this race and having J create a training plan for me that got me started again.  I don't know if it's going to take me running more races or just having a "training plan" that includes running and lifting days to keep me organized and on top of things, but I really hope I can take a couple weeks off after the half and then keep running/training.

I only have 12 training runs left before the half... I only run 3 times a week for the sake of my joints and muscles, and here's what I have left...

I got myself some new shoes a few weeks ago and I'm loving them...

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And because my calves and ankles have been my problem areas lately, I'm planning to order these before the race - hopefully it's cool enough out on September 28 to wear them without being miserable..

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I just can't decide which color I like better... suggestions welcomed!!!

30 more days & 12 more runs before (hopefully) my most recent goal is achieved.  I found this and it pretty much sums up...

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So we meet again - Half Marathon Training

Last May, I ran a half marathon - my goal was to finish, and I did... feeling better than I thought I would and in a fast time, too!  I ran my half marathon in 2:18:18 - that's at 10:34 pace... and as I struggled through a hip injury and dealt with an upswing in temperature the week of the race, I was very pleased with my first half and who can beat a finishers medal?

I never liked running - as a volleyball and basketball player, running was punishment and I don't think I ever ran more than 3 miles at one time - EVER.  J ran in college - he ran cross country and track and was a good runner in college.  Although I can't say I now LOVE to run, but he taught me how to run, progress and be successful - people who aren't runners try to run too hard, feel like crap, and give up... I'm getting better at not doing that.

SO, today starts my training for my NEXT half marathon.  It's on September 28th so I basically have 6 months to get ready... 2 month less than my last training - but as long as I can keep my hip healthy, I should be ready to go!  J has created a training schedule for me - I'm running 3 times a week and never on consecutive days.  In between, I'll do some other things - Pilates, eliptical, walking, swimming - or just take the day off when I want.

More to come... let's get this party started!!!

Mini Gear

I am definitely not a runner.  I've run a few 5Ks, and I'm definitely getting better at those, but now I'm jumping up to a half marathon.  The longest I've ever run in my life is 11.6 miles and that was this past weekend, and now, in 2 more weeks, I will run my first half marathon ever... the Indy Mini Marathon, which is also the LARGEST in the entire country... something like 45,000 people are registered for the run.

My goal is to finish under the "average pace", which was around 2 hours and 29 minutes.  I ran 11.6 miles in 2 hours and 3 minutes, which means that I would have 26 minutes to complete that last mile and a half, which means I could walk... right now I feel like I should be able to achieve my goal if I have a pretty good day!

SO, after we finished our run on Saturday, my coach a.k.a. my husband, decided it was time for me to get some new clothes.  We walked in to Dick's and there they were... the most amazing running pants ever.  After trying on a whole bunch of stuff, I decided that yes, I can pull off the bright colors, and so here is my race outfit...

I'm going to wear this sometime this week to make sure it's going to be good for the half.  This is the first time I've ever felt like I can actually complete the race and achieve my goals...

1. Finish the race

2. Run the whole time

3. Come in under the average time

I will say that these goals have been progressive... I started out just wanting to finish.  Somewhere along the way, I decided that I didn't want to just finish, but that I was training to RUN the race and that's what I wanted to do the whole time.

After I decided I wanted to run the whole time, and my 5K times started getting better and better, I decided I wanted to set a pace goal for myself.  It started off being 10 minute pace... then I got hurt and my training got interrupted with physical therapy and I'm not sure when I realized that 10 minute pace was not something I wanted to shoot for anymore, but I think that's too ambitious for my first half because 10 minute pace would mean an overall time of 2 hours 11 minutes.  Don't get me wrong, I don't think it's impossible for me to do, but I don't want to be disappointed at the end of my first race, either.

So, average pace last year was 2:29:25 and my final goal is to be under that time.

It's almost time... more to come!!

Where for Art Thou Summer?

We have survived Little 500 weekend... for those of you who don't know what that is, you can Google "Greatest College Weekend" and learn all about it.  There were apparently a record number of arrests/citations this weekend, but for those of us who did not join in to the festivities, it really just meant a quiet weekend at the mall and a quiet weekend on the trails here in Bloomington.

I'm officially 2 weeks from my half marathon, and completed my last long run on Saturday (11.6 miles).  I have a couple more six mile runs and then a couple of short runs the week before the race, and then it will be here.  The end of my run proved to be VERY painful for my joints, but I'm hoping water and Gatorade stations along the way will keep my knees and hips from feeling like they are giving up.

2 weeks from now also marks another joyous occasion for me... SUMMER!!  There are so many anniversaries coming up in the next few months, and although last summer seems like FOREVER ago, the last few months have COMPLETELY flown by.

Although I've heard that there will be record summer enrollment this summer, I'm still looking forward to a break from the students.  I am really looking forward to some vacation time, some time at the lake and a chance to explore Bloomington.

Between now and then I have the week from hell, followed by the students' week from hell.  If I can make it through this week and get some sleep next weekend, I should be ready to feel empathetic for them as they take their finals.

I can also assure you that once summer comes along, I'm going to have more time and energy to blog.  I have so much to talk about and show, and so much coming up this summer... I just need to make myself a list, take some pictures and get on here and get going!

The Next Step

I got an email from my Sister-in-Law the other day and she said "you didn't update your blog yet... what's going on with your hip"?  She may be the only one wondering, but here's an update.

The X-Ray didn't show any fractures, but did show some possible impingement.

I had my MRI last week and then my doctor called and said that the MRI didn't show much... some inflammation and some extra fluid in my hip joint bursa sack.  What does this mean?  That there is nothing that can be done "now" to fix my hip... which I'm pretty ok with because "now" would likely mean that I would either have to get an injection in my hip, have surgery or just stop running... none of those are options I wanted.

So, I start Physical Therapy next week.  I am always nervous to start PT because I'm always worried about how the view of the therapist and I will differ.  I am by no means a competitive athlete anymore, but that doesn't mean that I want to be treated like I've never been an athlete.  I would still consider myself "athletic", especially since I think that's something you're born with... or maybe I would compare it to being more like "riding a bike".  Either way, I know how to push myself and I like to.  I also don't want to be that difficult patient that the PT hates.

The only joint related surgery I've ever had was on my knee... I chose my Orthopedic Surgeon because he was the surgeon worked on UT Athletes and the Arena Football team that I was interning with... I chose my doctor in Austin because it was Sports and Family medicine... also the reason I chose my doctor here.  My doctor here sent me to this specific PT clinic because they have an underwater treadmill and she knows I'm trying to train for a Half Marathon... this is why I already love her.

I'm not stressing about it... I just don't know how to ensure I get what I want out of PT and that the therapist understands my goals and my mindset.  I guess I'll know more next week... more to come.

MRI

I got a call from the doctor yesterday and they said that my x-ray did not show any stress fractures, but did show possible signs of impingement which basically means that the hip is not hinging correctly because of wear on the ball and socket joint.

SO, they order went in today for me to have an MRI.  The doctor wanted it done STAT, so I went in this evening to do the MRI.  Hopefully this means that by the end of this week or early next week, I'll have some answers on what the next step should be in my treatment.

I am just not sure what type of therapy can be done to change this feeling... possibly some hip strengthening exercises, but I've been running somewhere between 4-6 miles for over a month now, so it's hard for me to believe my hips are weak.

Maybe this is from all of my years as a catcher on my softball team and the fact that the only other two sports I played (volleyball and basketball) both require prolonged hip flexion.

They sent me home with the CD with my MRI images on it, so maybe that also means that I can schedule a follow up with my doctor fairly soon... more to come!!

Doctor's Office

I'm sitting in the X-ray waiting room, waiting for them to x-ray my hip/leg.

I've been training for a half marathon since (technically) September and about 2 months ago my hip started hurting.

We have tried ice, heat, stretching, rest... Nothing is getting the nagging pain I go away.

I am back up a 6 miles for each run and J doesn't want to up my mileage until we can figure out what's wrong so I don't hurt myself worse.

So now I wait for my x-ray and hope that my new awesome doctor, I just met her but absolutely love her already, can figure out what's wrong with me.

Well, here goes nothing...