1. Exercise: as of Saturday 5/13/17
Running: 300 miles: To date: 138.5 miles So, I finished the half
Biking: 500 miles: To date: 48.44 miles (been mostly running)
Swimming: 50 miles: To date: 10.08 miles (only 3 times in a month and a half).
Walking: 150 miles: To date: 68.56 miles
Weights/ yoga: 30 minutes a week (1560 this year): 403 minutes - way behind here
Biking: 500 miles: To date: 48.44 miles (been mostly running)
Swimming: 50 miles: To date: 10.08 miles (only 3 times in a month and a half).
Walking: 150 miles: To date: 68.56 miles
Weights/ yoga: 30 minutes a week (1560 this year): 403 minutes - way behind here
So, yesterday was the half marathon. I had four goals:
1. Finish
2. Under 3 hours
3. With a smile on my face
4. Not in pain
I managed the first 3! Here's a recap. First, I ran with my Moms in Motion training group. I am the slow one. But really, I like to think of it like this: I'm faster than everyone on the couch. It's very hard for me, as a type-A competitive person, to do these things.
- Most of my running friends are just fast. Some of them are tall. Some of them are slender. But most of them just have the build and ability to run - run faster without injury. It's VERY hard to accept your body's limitations. But I've learned that I have to. I know one woman who started training 4 weeks ago and finished in under 2 hours, coming in 2nd in her age group.
- The last time I ran this race was 7 years ago. I finished in 2:11:04. This time I finished in 2:52:20. (#155/189 in the 45-49 age group) I decided that I didn't want to be in pain. Last time I was injured with sciatica/ piriformis so badly that I couldn't run for a year. When I started up again, I ended up with achilles tendonitis. So, how to run without pain?
- I use a pretty strict run/walk Galloway method now (reduces injury and fatigue because walking and running use different muscles). I start off at a 4:1 run:walk (though this race I ran the first 9 mins). I maintain that as long as I can. But this method - in the book that I bought - basically says "walk before you need to". (I started running a year ago, with a 2:3 run:walk ratio.) My run pace is around 10:30 to 12:00, and my walk pace is 17:00 to 20:00.
- My hips tend to ache at mile 7. Especially going up hill. It's a bummer. This is why I am now remembering that I don't like half marathons. They are not my jam. I like 10Ks. My body likes 10Ks.
On the actual race -
- It's beautiful. Rolling hills of ranches and wineries. This is important. It comes into play later.
- The start was pretty good, if a bit slow. Cold and windy. I ran the first 9 minutes (with my friend Cheryl, who is in her 60s and was aiming for a sub 2:30. She did it!) When I took my walk break she looked back and I said "go!" Our group carpooled up to the start, and I was PRETTY sure that I told everyone my goal was sub 3-hours, and 2:50 would be awesome.
- The first half is up hill. At mile 6, there's this massive hill called "Corkscrew hill". I remember it well from last time. At the bottom of the hill is when I could *just* start to feel my hips. I walked up the whole hill. I also took a picture. It's the only "mid-run" picture that I took - but I took it because - this is supposed to be FUN. What difference does a couple of minutes make? I wasn't going to PR.
- For this reason, when I had to go to the bathroom at the transition point, I used the porta potty. I stopped my Garmin. So when someone asks me how long my race was? Chip time: 2:52, watch time: 2:49. Why suffer for another 6.5 miles if you have to go???
- I also started up my iPod at mile 4.5. Usually I'd make it until 7 miles.
- The second half is mostly downhill. I ended up running with another couple of ladies doing the run /walk, but we weren't quite on the same schedule. They were still doing 4:1, but after mile 7, I couldn't manage it. I switched to more of a 2:1. It's okay - the vast majority of people around my pace were doing a run:walk combo. I felt like I found my people! In my training group, I'm the only one.
- From miles 7 to 12, the hips were a definite issue. It's rolling hills course, and I found that there were times (gradual downhills) where my hips actually felt BETTER running than walking. So the last half of the race, I would run until things started to hurt, then I'd walk until it didn't hurt. 2:1, 2:2, 2:3, 1:2...it really varied. During all of my walk sections I made sure to enjoy the scenery. It's the whole point I signed up for this thing again anyway.
- Right at mile marker 11, there was a steep downhill. Even walking, it hurt. That's when my knees decided to join in with the hips. There's a steep 1/2 mile hill at 11.5 miles. At mile 11, I decided to take an ibuprofen. I never do that. I stopped and stretched.
- I remembered what the finish line was like. I was able to run a bit more near the end - 1 min run, 1 min walk. I set myself up for being able to run the last few blocks, so I could have a strong finish. Most my team was already having wine/beer (they thought they'd missed me? At 2:30? You must have mistaken me for someone else). But my hubby and kids were there to cheer me on, and Cheryl was at the finish.
- So then I gave my post-race treats to the kids. Drank water. Walked around a bit. Found my beer and wine drinking friends. I seriously don't want to drink after a half. Went to the toy store with my family and ran into an old friend. It was great. She told me that she's pretty sure a young woman died at the finish line. Not so great. Sat for awhile, limped off to the bathroom, and started the long drive home. (I don't feel particularly social after a long race, I guess.)
- I retrieved my car from my friend's house and did the grocery shopping. And then? Well, the rest of the day, and today - the only things that hurt are my right toes and a spot that got chafed from the bra. Which I didn't notice until I took a shower. So, was it the grocery shopping? Was it the ibuprofen? Despite the pain during the run, I'm pretty much unscathed. That's a abnormal for me for a long run.
2. Grocery bill: Keep it under $7000 ($134.62/wk): $2679.56. $141.03/ week. These last 2 weeks were really big, compared to the prior 3.
3. Weight: I have no idea.
4. Family:
Go on 12 family hikes: Um...run run run run. And it's allergy season.
Do game night once a week: Not much of this.
5. Crafts:
- Crochet a blanket - DONE, and little guy has claimed it. I decided that I felt way to beholden to the day's temperature to continue on this trend for the next blanket. So now I'm doing something else.
6. Sleep: ugh.
7. Food: eat vegan 2 days a week. I'm not sure when or if I'm going to jump back on this train.
8. Cookbooks: Try 1 recipe from every cookbook I own. Ditto. See #7. I'm making a lot of things over and over again.
9. Work:
a. Skills: Learn enough programming to automate the data pulls for problem lots (which requires pulling data from 2 different databases). Haven't worked on this yet. REALLY need to.
b. Personal: Don't engage. Really.
10. Home: Contact contractor/ architect on adding a second bathroom. Need to get moving on the fixing of the plumbing first.
11. Garden: need to plant stuff. And more stuff.
12. Spouse: I don't think we got a date in April.
13. Beverages:
- Drink less coffee and more tea (one cup coffee per day): doing okay here, but work is KILLING me because our ice maker is broken.
- Do not buy any wine aside from my two wine club memberships.
12. Spouse: I don't think we got a date in April.
13. Beverages:
- Drink less coffee and more tea (one cup coffee per day): doing okay here, but work is KILLING me because our ice maker is broken.
- Do not buy any wine aside from my two wine club memberships.
- Drink two 24-oz bottles of water a day, minimum. I managed this on my running days.
14. Mom's nights/ dad's night once a month: Jan, check. Feb, fail. March, fail. April: fail.
15. Host friends. Jan, check. Feb, fail. March, fail. April, success on day 1!! May - need to get on this.
