I ran a half marathon

Before this past summer I had never ran more than maybe 3 or 4 miles. At the beginning of the summer I was running 0 miles a week – you know how it goes, one thing happens to disrupt your routine (me getting sick) and then you keep putting it off (graduation, traveling, etc). So my first week of my work in June I decided I needed to get back into the swing of things.

I don’t even know where the idea to run a half marathon came from, but I just started searching the interwebs for half marathons in the VA/DC area. I came across a few, but the only one that occurred before I was leaving for France was the VA Rock N’ Roll Half Marathon. I noticed on the site that if I signed up the next day, which just so happened to be National Running Day, I got $20 off. So the next day I signed up and donated the $20 that I got off entry to the cause, which was for lymphoma I believe. That week also happened to be about a perfect 3 months away from race day, which was what the training schedules I researched had allotted for.

I had no idea who was who in the running world, but after a pretty simple Google search, Hal Higdon seemed to have it down pat. He had a couple different schedules for runners of different levels. Earlier in the spring I was running a pretty solid 3 miles every couple days, so I decided to go a level higher than beginner.

The schedule was simple enough: Monday was a rest day, Tuesday 3 miles, Wednesday was 3 to start off with then 4 and then 5 miles by the end, Thursday back to 3 miles, Friday rest, Saturday a long run that started at 3 miles and added a mile each week (although I didn’t always adhere to this rule) and then decrease once peaking at 10 miles, and Sunday crosstraining day (although I rarely did this).

It wasn’t easy. Getting up in time to leave my house around 745/8 AM was already a lot to ask a recent college graduate who was used to waking up at 10 AM. But on top of that getting up an hour earlier to run? Yeah right.

I did finally get into the swing of things. I was pretty good about following the schedule all summer, although I did make a few substitutions here and there (sometimes cutting out miles from what I was supposed to run :D ).

I remember when I hit 5 miles, which was a big mile mark for me since I had never ran than far. It was the day after I had gone to an 80s cover band concert, a Sunday since of course I skipped my long run the day before. I didn’t start out on my run til about 10 AM and by the time came back I thought I was going to faint from heat exhaustion/dehydration. I practically jog-walked the last mile, but I did it! I went to the pool after and my friends were pretty sure I was going to have a seizure since I randomly started shaking a couple times. But you’ve got to start somewhere, right?

I’m pretty proud of how dedicated I was throughout the month of July. I traveled pretty much every weekend that month and got up around 5 am a couple times to make sure I got my long run in on Fridays before work (since I knew I wasn’t going to do it those Saturdays). I’m equally proud of how dedicated I was about running while on vacay in Hawaii. Although, I did have very beautiful scenery to accompany my runs, so it wasn’t so bad.

I took a lot of criticism from friends and experienced a lot of peer pressure. “Why aren’t you coming out? Why are you going home so early? Come on just for one drink. Wow, that’s lame.” These were questions or phrases I regularly heard. Some people just didn’t seem to get it. Half marathon? Why the hell would you do that?

In the end though, it was worth it.

Race day in VA Beach was hot and there was 91% humidity, so I’m glad all I came away with was an ugly (and BIG) blister. I started feeling it around the 2^nd mile, but refused to stop. I was off my target goal by about 4 minutes, which I consider pretty good for my first big race.

My friend Amanda from school let me crash with her that weekend (thanks!) and met me at the finish line with flowers (aww). She even carried me across the sand (since walking with my blister was difficult) to the beer tent so I could claim my free beer- now that’s true friendship.

I remember having a conversation about half marathons a few years back with my friend Meggie, who runs a lot and has actually ran the Boston Marathon. I made a comment about seeing cars with 13.1 stickers on them (the distance in miles of a half marathon) and saying why would anyone put that on their car? Isn’t it kind of puny putting 13.1 on your car when other people have 26.2 on their cars? Meggie replied that half marathons were still a big deal and some people wanted to display their accomplishments. I just rolled my eyes.

But now, if someone made the kind of remarks I made about a half marathon I would be tempted to slap them. Half marathons are a big accomplishment and it definitely was for me, although around mile 10 during the race all that was going through my head was, “WHAT WERE YOU THINKING???” It helped though to see inspirational quotes on other runners’ t-shirts. My favorite one - and the only that I remember – was: Pain is just weakness leaving the body.

I’m glad I did it though and will probably do another one some day, maybe even a full marathon (???). We shall see. But I definitely encourage anyone who is thinking about one to do it!