CHATEAU MABILE

You might remember back in early April I ran an 8k race (basically 5 miles). When I finished it I felt like I could've kept going. It was great! I knew I wanted to race again soon, but a further distance. Knowing that whatever distance I chose would be my last for a while I said, "Shoot. Why not go for the half?" These races cost money so the entry fee and those awesome new running shorts I'm wearing were my Mother's Day gifts from Greg and the kids. My family rocks!

 

Well, I will go ahead and tell you that while I am happy to have finished...I am a bit disappointed. This was my first half , and only my second race so I don't have much to compare it to, but I know this wasn't a great race for me. I guess I should say, I HOPE this wasn't a great race for me. I can blame it on a number of different things, but I think it really all factors in. I know I didn't allot enough time for training. Until I crossed that finish line, the farthest I'd ever ran was 10.1 2 weeks ago. Next time I'll train at least past mile 11 (which was brutal). I had no hills so did no hill training. This course had uphill sections. There was this pedestrian bridge that went over the interstate that you cross at mile 3ish...and then again at mile 10.5ish. Like an idiot I was so determined not to walk any of the race that I chugged up the hill. Mistake. I killed my legs. By the time I got down and made it to the 11 mile marker I had to face the truth: either take walk breaks or don't finish. So I kissed my 10:05 pace goodbye (only 5 seconds off of my goal) and traded it in for a 10:32 per mile  (around 2 hour 18 min total) finish. Womp womp. Another factor was that I'd never "tapered" before. Tapering is, well, tapering off your mileage and intensity a week or two (or 3-4 for a full) before race day. I did NOT like this. I felt lazy and fat and it completely messed with my head. I had read that the taper was evil, but necessary, and now I know why. Also I tried to increase the percentage of carbohydrates in my diet while reducing the fat and refined sugar intake...carbs are good but sat so so heavy. My last two runs before race day were flat out awful, like winded 2.5 miles in awful. On race day my GPS lead me 4 miles out of the way of the parking lot causing me to hit tons of lights and making me only 15 minutes early instead of 30. There was no gear check like they said there would be so me and a ton of other people had to make mad dashes back to our cars. I had to do it twice because I left my dang sunglasses on my head. I didn't have time for one last bathroom break. Being so late to the start corrals I had to start a full minute pace back from where I'd planned to which meant I spent the first few minutes weaving through people. I was a nervous wreck anyway so none of this helped. Oh, and ladies, that monthly gift we all look forward to surprised me with a 5 day early visit at 5am that morning. Normally I would've spent the day on the couch saying things like, "I hate being a girl!" and "Where's my chocolate?!" but that wasn't really going to help. So yeah, I sincerely hope that this wasn't a good race for me but since it's gotta be my last for who knows how long it'll have to be a dangling carrot that entices me to try harder when I can run again.

 

I sure was happy to see these two (and Greg) waving and jumping before the finish line...but I gotta admit, in that moment, I might've been happier to see that finish line!! I seriously had nothing left ya'll.

 

It doesn't look that bad right here, but you run up and then down (which is almost as bad) that after 10.5 miles and then tell me what you think of it. This race was mostly through a forest preserve so there weren't many spectators throughout so I felt less ashamed when I ran/walk/ran mile 11. I'm still not sure how I managed to run the final mile, LOL!

 

Not the best quality because its a cell phone picture, but after a much needed bottle of water and bunch of grapes I was feeling slightly more human :)

Oh wait. THIS is what got me to run the last mile! Pequod's pan pizza. That and the thought that I didn't want to look like a  marshmallow in front of my husband and kids!