My official half marathon time was 2 hours, 40 minutes and 49 seconds (a 12:17 pace for those of you keeping track). I have 2 questions: 1) How many half marathons must I run before I can call myself a half marathoner? and 2) How many half marathons must I run before I can put a 13.1 sticker on my car?
Monday, January 9, 2012
Saturday, January 7, 2012
13.1
Today my friend Sam and I ran the Southern California Half Marathon, 13.1 miles. We finished in 2 hours and 43 minutes. The first 13 miles were a breeze, but that last tenth was tricky. Har har.
We had planned to walk a minute after every mile, as we had done in our training runs. But as we approached the starting line prior to the race, Sam suggested we take fewer walk breaks and I was game to try. We ended up running nearly the entire way, stopping only for water and to eat our gel packs. I had heard that once you run a certain distance, if you stop, it becomes very difficult to start up again. This is true, and perhaps the only reason we ran all 13.1 miles.
Miles 1 through 5 were quite easy, but miles 6 through 8 were more difficult. Even though I knew the entire time that we had 13 miles to cover, this fact didn't really set in until about the 6th mile. Mile 9 was more manageable, if only because it's easier to wrap your head around having less than 5 miles left to run. At mile 10, Sam and I psyched ourselves up by pointing out we had only 3.1 miles left, or a 5K. When you train for a half marathon (and anything longer I'm sure), running 3 miles is a piece of cake. Except when you've already run 10 miles.
At mile 11, Sam pointed out that this was the farthest I'd ever run which was an exciting distraction to think about (our longest training run was 10 miles). Mile 12 was exciting mainly because it meant the finish line was so close and we were almost done. We passed the 13th mile marker, and adrenaline kicked in as we sprinted the last tenth to the finish line (or at least that's how it felt).
Crossing the finish line and meeting Drew was great. The race was hard, but it was fun and I really would do it again. For me, it was not as mentally difficult as I thought it could be. I've heard that it's not uncommon for runners to hit a wall in mile 9 of a half marathon (or mile 20 or so in a marathon) when it becomes very, very difficult to continue. Fortunately, we didn't experience any mental challenges. As far as physically difficult, it's about what I'd anticipated. I knew it would hurt, but I wasn't sure how much. I was surprised that I didn't feel tired during the race, or out of breath. There was no huffing and puffing; Sam and I easily talked throughout the race. However, even though we both commented that our lungs felt strong and that we had good stamina, around mile 8 or 9, various body parts started to get tired and ache. After we crossed the finish line, I could barely walk.
We had planned to walk a minute after every mile, as we had done in our training runs. But as we approached the starting line prior to the race, Sam suggested we take fewer walk breaks and I was game to try. We ended up running nearly the entire way, stopping only for water and to eat our gel packs. I had heard that once you run a certain distance, if you stop, it becomes very difficult to start up again. This is true, and perhaps the only reason we ran all 13.1 miles.
Miles 1 through 5 were quite easy, but miles 6 through 8 were more difficult. Even though I knew the entire time that we had 13 miles to cover, this fact didn't really set in until about the 6th mile. Mile 9 was more manageable, if only because it's easier to wrap your head around having less than 5 miles left to run. At mile 10, Sam and I psyched ourselves up by pointing out we had only 3.1 miles left, or a 5K. When you train for a half marathon (and anything longer I'm sure), running 3 miles is a piece of cake. Except when you've already run 10 miles.
At mile 11, Sam pointed out that this was the farthest I'd ever run which was an exciting distraction to think about (our longest training run was 10 miles). Mile 12 was exciting mainly because it meant the finish line was so close and we were almost done. We passed the 13th mile marker, and adrenaline kicked in as we sprinted the last tenth to the finish line (or at least that's how it felt).
Crossing the finish line and meeting Drew was great. The race was hard, but it was fun and I really would do it again. For me, it was not as mentally difficult as I thought it could be. I've heard that it's not uncommon for runners to hit a wall in mile 9 of a half marathon (or mile 20 or so in a marathon) when it becomes very, very difficult to continue. Fortunately, we didn't experience any mental challenges. As far as physically difficult, it's about what I'd anticipated. I knew it would hurt, but I wasn't sure how much. I was surprised that I didn't feel tired during the race, or out of breath. There was no huffing and puffing; Sam and I easily talked throughout the race. However, even though we both commented that our lungs felt strong and that we had good stamina, around mile 8 or 9, various body parts started to get tired and ache. After we crossed the finish line, I could barely walk.
All in all, it was a great experience. Most of the volunteers were students from an area high school, and their enthusiasm was contagious. Running can be a solitary sport, but it's days like this when I'm reminded that it doesn't have to be. I'm fortunate to have a running buddy and it's a major reason why I even challenged myself to a half marathon. But I'm certainly glad I did!
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