We Did It!

I finished my first half marathon!  And I'm already trying to plan my next.  Although I was about a minute short from my goal I still really enjoyed it and (based on the conditions) am happy with my performance.  My official posted chip time was 2hr 1min 38 secs, while my Garmin running watch said I finished the half at 1hr 57 minutes and the length of the course was a bit longer.  The fact that the two are conflicting is messing with my mind and competitive spirit.  :)  But like I mentioned, I'm not too bummed about my time considering it was my very first one, I didn't follow a real training plan, it was cold and raining the entire run and the course went up and over a bridge twice.  I know that I could crush a half in the future that was on a flat course.  So now I'm pumped up to prove it.  

Since the most I had ever run at one time was 9 miles, I wanted something to keep my energy stores up during those extra miles on race day.  The night before, at packet pick-up, I bought some Gatorade Endurance Carb Energy Chews to try for the half.  They were recommended to me by two runners because they were easy to digest, had a favorable orange flavor and could be taken in really small bites along the run.  They have 31g of carbs and 120 calories in the whole pack of 4 chews.  It's important to have something like this for endurance training because when your body gets fatigued it will reach out to fat stores for energy which take much longer to break down and convert into usable energy than carbs do.  So these chews provide an instant source or usable carbohydrate based energy to help you push through when you start to feel sluggish.  One of the experienced runners at packet pickup told me to take a small bit at every two miles and to let the chew dissolve on it's own in my mouth instead of chewing and swallowing.  I had my first bite at mile 4 and could not just let it dissolve in my mouth.  It was too chewy to just have sit on my tongue and it was distracting to keep in my mouth while running.  I ended up just chewing and swallowing each bite.  I had a small bite at miles 4, 6, 8 10 and maybe 11.  I do feel like it provided a quick pick me up for about half a mile each time I had a bit.  I ended the race still having about half the packet (2 chews) left.  They were easy to digest and tasted pretty good, like concentrated orange gatorade.  My brother had some of those goopy energy gels, one blackberry and one vanilla.  The packet said to eat one 15 minutes before start time and then one every 45 minutes after.  Watching him try to finish one minutes before the race was pretty painful.  He said they were very sweet and hard to eat all at once.  I'm glad I had something different.  

The most difficult part of the race wasn't the extra miles, it was the bridge.  UGHHHH, the bridge.  The first time over, around mile 5-6, definitely wasn't fun.  I slowed down and could really feel the incline taking it's toll on my calves and quads.  But on the way down I was able to relax a bit, pick up the pace and get back into my normal stride.  But it didn't stay that easy.  Oh no.  Because then around mile 9 or 10, I found myself staring up at the daunting incline again, thinking WHY???  This time up was brutal and I was struggling.  I just kept thinking this is it.  This is where my legs give out or I slow so much I end up moving backwards.  And once over the bridge the second time, coming down was not like coming down the first. After that, I was never able to get back into the zone mentally or physically.

How did I feel after the race and the next day?  I honestly felt pretty good after the race.  I didn't have wobbly legs and I wasn't that stiff.  Around mile 8 or so I did get an odd strain in the left side of my lower back that still hasn't gone away.  Actually, the sorest part of my body today is my back.  I could use a full body massage to work out all the knots and soreness.   Immediately after crossing the finish, I chugged several cups of water and gatorade but still continued to feel pretty dehydrated for the next 24 hours. Speaking of soreness and recovery, I'm going to rest today and make sure to stretch a lot to help my muscles recover from the micro-trauma they experienced yesterday.  But tomorrow, I'll be back at it!

Allison, Preston and me after the race

Take 1

Take 2 (with the medals showing)

Course Map (please note the goal ruining monster bridge)