Half Marathon

Over 6 months ago, I was talked into doing a half marathon with a longtime and very close friend, Kylie.  Kylie gave birth to her second child, Baylor, on 4/24/12.  Thus, the IMT Des Moines Marathon served as her motivation to get back in shape......and I somehow got roped in to this endeavor??

I have always had the utmost respect for runners, because I am not, nor have ever been one, myself.  Runner's high?  Does that actually exist?  

Well, the time passed far too quickly.  Just over 12 weeks ago, Kylie informed me that she (and two other friends that live in the Amanas with her) had started a training plan.  Chose to wait on the training front myself.

With 8 weeks to go, we start season....and fitness classes.  Find myself active, and on my feet / on court, 3-5 hours a day.  Cannot justify a training run / additional abuse to my body.  This mindset persists for all 7 weeks of season; further justified by the onset of tendonitis in one of my knees.

Manage to sneak in a periodic 3-4 mile run and/or a 12 minute warm-up jog to start fitness class.  That counts, right?

Season wraps.  Recruiting takes over.  

The Friday before.....3 miles on the indoor track at a half-sprint speed.  Hoping the pace set on Sunday seems easy in comparison to.

Sunday, October 21st arrives.  8 AM start.  Inform Kylie (and the other two running with us) that I am confident in being able to keep pace with them for 5 miles, and will push through 8.  Personal goal is to not walk, with distant (literally) hopes of coming in under the 2 hour mark.  

Miles 0-3:  Weather is awesome.  A tad chilly to start, but makes the first 2 miles breeze by since under the guise of warming up.  Find ourselves ahead of the 2 hour pacesetter (gentleman that carried a sign throughout the race).

Mile 4:  Calf cramp.  That could be a problem.  Spectator holding a sign....."Don't stop; people are watching."  True, and incentive.

Mile 5:  Sign in the ground....."Bet this seemed like a good idea.....4 months ago."  Insert 6 for 4.  Also true.

Half-Way Point:  Just over an hour.  9:22 pace.  Kylie, with enthusiasm, informs me we're over half done.  Contrary to my personality, quickly come to conclusion that we're ONLY half done.

Mile 8:  Kylie and I each insert headphones.  Had the MP3 player stashed in my sports bra (as a tribute to Hannah Jensen).  Kylie pulls slightly ahead.  

Miles 8-10:  Believe self to be moving incredibly slow and quite sure that the 2 hour pacesetter passed me at some point during this oblivion.  Side cramp.  That IS a problem.

Mile 11:  Crap, was hoping had missed that sign and was ahead of where was.  Not too long after, the 2 hour pacesetter sneaks up on me.....really?  Didn't see that coming.  Confidence boost, and second wind because of it.  Stick with him for a couple minutes, before kicking it in and moving ahead.  The Coach in me surfaces.....consider rallying those around me to surge forward.....decide against this since not sure can last.

Mile 12:  Surge doesn't last.  One intelligent decision tallied for the day.  Pacesetter catches up to me again.

Mile 13:  Tell self can do anything for 10 minutes.  A thank you to my fitness class for consistently telling me they can do anything for (insert time span I tell them) minutes.  Stick with the 2 hour guy.  Make assumption that I will be able to sprint to finish line once I see it.  Wrong again.  Finish without walking and just ahead of my newfound friend.  

1:59.47 in total.  9:13 per mile pace.  Did not walk.  In a daze.  Kylie finished just ahead of me, and met her goal of being under the 2 hour mark.  She was ecstatic for me, but also said, would have been upset had I beaten her (without training!).  Assured her that I had in fact trained.  Am always training to be better. The Kohawk Tennis way.  My training was simply not specific to the sport of running.

Spent 10 minutes at the hotel taking a COLD shower (for recovery).  Stomach unrest most of the day.  Made the drive back from Des Moines to Iowa City to spend a relaxed afternoon with family.  Or not....was assigned 90 minutes of strenuous yardwork.  My parents, not being sports enthusiasts themselves, were a tad ignorant of my morning expenditure.  "Figure if you can run 13 miles, you can jog down the hill to retrieve that shovel and dig this plant out of the ground."  (not spoken, but certainly thought...yes Dad, but maybe not on the same day?)  In the end, good for me, right?  No complaints.  Walked with my Mom for an hour also.

Fitness class on Monday.....that 12 minute warm-up jog previously referenced....difficult!  IT bands on both sides in pain.  Still struggling with the knees....will go see Shaun!

Any tips on how to drink water without having to walk?  Pretty sure I looked something like this.....

Moving forward......no half marathons in the near future, but re-motivated on the triathlon front?