Okay, I confess. Here's the real reason why I'm updating my blog right now: I ran the Long Beach Half Marathon this morning and I'm recovering on the couch. Normally, my Sunday would involve baking or sewing, but my legs are stiff and I need to stay off my feet. My Sundays have almost always involved running for at least the past year, but rarely do I run 13.1 miles.
My friend Andy has been running with a running group every Sunday for the past couple months or so. She heard about it from her friend, and I heard about it from her, and I've been joining them for the past month. We meet at a designated place that rotates around the area every Sunday at 7am. It's early, but since it's long run day, it's nice to get it out of the way in the morning. Sometimes it's hard to muster the motivation to run on long run days. Anyway, the group is a lot of fun and the people are very nice. Running is an individual sport, but at the same time, it's not. Running with other people makes me feel like part of a community and it's a great motivator. About half a dozen of us ran the half or full marathon today, and it was great to meet up with everyone before the race and hang out while we waited for race time.
I wanted to break 2 and a half hours today, but I had to revise my goal when it turned out to be warmer than I'd anticipated and when I got a side stitch around mile 9. I finished in 2:35, which is still a personal record (PR). Not bad, and I'll take it. I just checked my stats, and I was pretty much in the middle of the pack among all racers, among just the women, and among my age group. As someone who still gets self conscious about my pace (I think I'm slow), I was proud to see that I'm actually a middle of the pack runner.
I love races- the energy, the excitement, the jitters. Humanity is at its best at races. Strangers cheer for strangers, strangers high five strangers, and strangers shout out your name in encouragement. The best sign I saw said "I'm a stranger, but I'm so PROUD of you." If I could, I would have given that guy a hug, but I was on the side of the road opposite him. Sometimes it's nice to be reminded that we still rock even though we're a bit slow and have no chance of winning. It's nice to be reminded that simply just running the race is an accomplishment and what's important.
The race course was nice and scenic, and flat (which might be of more importance). I tried my best to take in all the sights, but at around mile 8, I got kind of bored and then tired, and then I had to focus on just putting one foot in front of the other. Of course, Drew got a photo of me approaching the finish line.
And post race.
I don't know what this says about my adviser or her students, but many of us are distance runners. I believe that an overwhelming majority of her students have completed marathons, half marathons, or triathlons (perhaps not under her tenure, but at least at some point in their life). Today, three of us ran the half marathon and one ran the full. (And of course, I've already emailed her this photo. She is beyond proud of us and does not hesitate to show her support, which is one of many reasons we love her.)
After completely a half and full marathon in the past year, I wasn't sure what to expect today. It wasn't nearly as easy as the first half of the OC Marathon, but that makes sense, as I was overtrained for a half and trained for the full. Today's race was tough; I got bored around mile 8, and the last 3.1 miles were quite a challenge. In contrast to the past two races, for this one, I was better trained- physically and mentally. When I ran the half last January, I remember various body parts beginning to hurt around mile 8, and I could barely walk after the race. When I ran the full, the race was mentally challenging, and the last 10 miles were physically challenging. This time, even though I'm stiff and a bit sore, I don't feel as bad as I'd felt after the half. And even though it got tough at the end, I didn't get frustrated or beat down, and I knew I'd finish. Next up is the Surf City Half in February, and already, I can't wait.
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