We're all out there chasing our better selves (FredtheDuck chases on)

Tuesday Training Update: Week Ending 9/3
This was the plan for the week:

T - 4.5 miles @ EB + Strides
Th - .5 miles @ WU, 4 miles @ tempo, .5 mile @ CD
F - 4 miles @ EA
Sa - 4 miles @ EB + Strides

I don't have a ton to report for this week. My 4.5 miler was on the treadmill, and it was fine. If you follow @roxymama's training journal, you saw my thought process for the tempo run on Thursday. It went totally fine, and I was actually a smidge faster than I should have been. Whoops. But lately I've been trying to just find a hard-but-comfortable pace and stick with it... if I look down and see I'm way too fast, I'll pull back, but that seems to be working for now.

My Friday four-miler was adjusted because I forgot my gym bag, which meant that I would either have to reschedule a bunch of running or get something short in in the evening. I elected for the short run because I was cranky and figured running would help my mood (oh, how far I've come in my running...). And it did. I had time for two miles. I went out fast and decided that I wanted to get a harder run run in because it was going to be short. I ended up doing both miles under 10 min/mile, which is record speed for me. And it was the more hill-y neighborhood route. So that's fun. Best part is that I felt really good after. Not just proud-good, but physically good, like I had pushed my body but hadn't pushed it too hard.

Saturday it poured hard here (remnants of Harvey, apparently). We decided push our run to Sunday and used the rainy day as an excuse to go to the mall to pick up some winter clothes for our daughter, plus her Halloween costume from the Disney Store. She's going to be Anna from Frozen, and the costume is adorable. Friends gave her a stuffed talking Olaf, so she'll have that too. Sunday's "long run" was totally fine... we ran a trail near our house and then had brunch. It was lovely.

And now I'm in taper. I've decided to do my two weekday runs on the treadmill at my office. I have a tendency to push the pace as it is... and I think running on fresh(er) legs is going to exacerbate that habit. So the treadmill will force me to be smart about pace and save the real effort for race day.

Which is this Sunday.

EEP!
 
You're tempo description was very accurate!

Because of your journal name; I am going to imagine you yelling "I AM MOANA" fiercely at some point in your race. Not sure if it'll be off the start line, during, or after crossing the finish. I hope you at least get the opportunity to think it in your head...fiercely :)
 


I am going to imagine you yelling "I AM MOANA" fiercely at some point in your race.

There's a hill around mile nine called "the silencer" because it's a tougher hill late in the race. If I dominate it, I'll be sure to yell this, just for you : ) And to make other people laugh... or give me some space ("don't run too close to the weirdo over there")... you know... whatever.

Race Week! :car:

I knowwww. I'm starting to get anxious about it! :Pinkbounc
 
Screw you mile 9 hill, you can't silence me!

c0ce12764be4a51b1b7d8213c2fb5dc0.gif
 


Any last minute questions before your race this weekend? I'm excited to hear all about your first HM!

No questions, just lots of nerves. I hope I can do this!

I'll report in after, but just wanted to say that no matter the outcome or the time, I truly appreciate your support and guidance. And I thank everyone who has followed along for their support and encouragement. I never would have even gotten as close to my goal as I am today without all of you.
 
No questions, just lots of nerves. I hope I can do this!

I'll report in after, but just wanted to say that no matter the outcome or the time, I truly appreciate your support and guidance. And I thank everyone who has followed along for their support and encouragement. I never would have even gotten as close to my goal as I am today without all of you.

Go get em! I've read your thread and have enjoyed watching your journey and rooting for you. You have put in the work. Now enjoy the race! You've got this
 
RACE RECAP: Parks Half Marathon
September 10, 2017

Well, I finally did it! More than four years after I started running, I finally completed a half marathon. Interestingly, I'm less emotional about it than I thought I would be. When I finished my first 10k, I got a little choked up. For the half? Not even a little. I was kind of surprised by that. Ok, so on to the recap!

Pace/Finish/Fitness: Official results say I finished in 2:39:26, for a pace of 12:10. I started out near tempo and maintained it for some time. But I had to detour twice for restroom stops (stomach problem I've covered before), including one stop that was pretty far off the course. So Strava says I actually ran 13.6 miles at 11:41, and my Apple Watch says something similar (11:36/mi). That feels right to me based on efforts and the paces I saw when I looked at my watch. So I'm happy about the pacing overall. I never felt like I couldn't do it physically, which is truly a testament to @DopeyBadger's good training, and @MoanasPapa's good cheering/distracting along the course. I did have a mental moment around mile 6, but I think it was just intimidation at the time limit, especially since by then it was clear that a second stop was required. Also, I read a recommendation that when races get tough, it sometimes helps to dedicate miles to people that have supported you. So I did that from miles 8-finish, and it really DID help quite a bit (plus it forced me to really think a mile at a time). Some of you reading this may have been on that list : ). Also, I definitely did say "I AM MOANA" when I got up high-five hill, as promised, but there was no one around except my husband, and he already knows I'm weird. My knees and hips are a little sore today (hilly course), but I'm otherwise upright and feeling good.

Other race details:

The GOOD:
- Weather: Truly, you could not have asked for better weather for a race. I had been kind of worried about that since selecting this race, as we often have summer-like weather recur around this time of year. Not this time! It was around 51 when we started, 53 at the end.
- Organization: The race started in waves, and people were pretty good about self-seeding (or at least it seemed that way from the back). The mile markers were clearly visible. Water stops every couple of miles, and volunteers were really clear about what was water and what was Gatorade. Bag check and bag pickup were both smooth and fast. The premiums were also great: The medal is beautiful, the race shirt was a really nice UnderArmour long sleeve tech shirt, and they also gave out a cute fleece hat that will be good for winter running. And my bib had my name on it, which was a first for me!
- Runners: I'll talk more about this later, but it was clear that most runners here were both experienced and respectful. There was VERY little trash/discarded clothing along the the park path, and even at the water stations, you could tell that runners had at least tried to hit the trashcans.
- The course: It was really beautiful. A bit of neighborhood running, but 10 miles or so of the course was through Rock Creek Park, and I loved running through it.

The LESS GOOD:

- The finishing area: The finish line was a little chaotic. They just didn't move people through super well. So it took a second to see where the medals were being distributed. And the line to get food was so insane that we decided not to bother waiting.
- Crowd support: A few families came out of their houses, but there is literally no crowd support for this race. That was fine, but @MoanasPapa thought that maybe I would have been more excited/proud at the finish if there had been more of a race environment going on. Mostly, this run felt like a long run, but with water stops and a medal at the end.
- The time limit: I'm bolding this because it was a big deal to me. This race has a time limit of 2:45. They ask runners who can't commit to that time limit not to register. Likely, most of the runners were not first time half marathoners. And likely they were generally stronger runners. But that means that we were back of the pack, and I stressed out a lot about how close we were to the sweep line. Like. Really a lot. And it really, really took me out of the zone. And for good reason: There were 2,164 registered for this race. There were 1,750 finishers.

The BAD:
- Stomach issues. Twice. I figured once would be a sure thing. The second just lead to my anxiety about finishing within the time limit. Realistically, we think the two stops took five minutes off of my finish time (one of them was a decent detour off the course to get to the park restroom, which was set back off the trail).

The sweet: @MoanasPapa made the day wonderful. He got a nasty cramp about five miles to the finish but still worked to stay with me and keep me calm. We had a nice lunch with our kiddo, took a nap, and then he sent me out to get a pedicure (which, btw, is an excellent life choice after a race... my calves and feet felt SO MUCH BETTER after). Then, he took all of us out to my favorite pizza place for celebratory pizza and beer for dinner. He also helped my almost-2-year-old pick out a sweet congratulatory card.

Overall: I'm proud that I finished my first half, and minus the stomach issues, proud of the run itself. My moving time was good for my first half. I would do this race again, BUT I wouldn't recommend it to first timers for two reasons: lack of crowd support makes it less of a race atmosphere, and the time limit can be really intimidating if, like me, you aren't the speediest runner.

What's next for my running and this journal? I'm not sure. I have a couple of 10ks between now and the end of the year (Marine Corps and a local turkey chase on Thanksgiving). I'll take a couple of days off this week, then get back out there because I don't want to slip too far from where I've gotten weight and ability-wise. After that? Who knows.

For now I'll say a huge thank you to @DopeyBadger, for helping me reach a goal I've had in the back of my head for years, to @MoanasPapa for being with me literally every step of the way during my longest long runs and the race yesterday and for being my biggest cheerleader, and to all of you who have followed along... your support was immensely meaningful, and I'm so grateful for it.
 
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RACE RECAP: Parks Half Marathon
September 10, 2017

Well, I finally did it! More than four years after I started running, I finally completed a half marathon. Interestingly, I'm less emotional about it than I thought I would be. When I finished my first 10k, I got a little choked up. For the half? Not even a little. I was kind of surprised by that. Ok, so on to the recap!

Pace/Finish/Fitness: Official results say I finished in 2:39:26, for a pace of 12:10. I started out near tempo and maintained it for some time. But I had to detour twice for restroom stops (stomach problem I've covered before), including one stop that was pretty far off the course. So Strava says I actually ran 13.6 miles at 11:41, and my Apple Watch says something similar (11:36/mi). That feels right to me based on efforts and the paces I saw when I looked at my watch. So I'm happy about the pacing overall. I never felt like I couldn't do it physically, which is truly a testament to @DopeyBadger's good training, and @MoanasPapa's good cheering/distracting along the course. I did have a mental moment around mile 6, but I think it was just intimidation at the time limit, especially since by then it was clear that a second stop was required. Also, I read a recommendation that when races get tough, it sometimes helps to dedicate miles to people that have supported you. So I did that from miles 8-finish, and it really DID help quite a bit (plus it forced me to really think a mile at a time). Some of you reading this may have been on that list : ). Also, I definitely did say "I AM MOANA" when I got up high-five hill, as promised, but there was no one around except my husband, and he already knows I'm weird. My knees and hips are a little sore today (hilly course), but I'm otherwise upright and feeling good.

Other race details:

The GOOD:
- Weather: Truly, you could not have asked for better weather for a race. I had been kind of worried about that since selecting this race, as we often have summer-like weather recur around this time of year. Not this time! It was around 51 when we started, 53 at the end.
- Organization: The race started in waves, and people were pretty good about self-seeding (or at least it seemed that way from the back). The mile markers were clearly visible. Water stops every couple of miles, and volunteers were really clear about what was water and what was Gatorade. Bag check and bag pickup were both smooth and fast. The premiums were also great: The medal is beautiful, the race shirt was a really nice UnderArmour long sleeve tech shirt, and they also gave out a cute fleece hat that will be good for winter running. And my bib had my name on it, which was a first for me!
- Runners: I'll talk more about this later, but it was clear that most runners here were both experienced and respectful. There was VERY little trash/discarded clothing along the the park path, and even at the water stations, you could tell that runners had at least tried to hit the trashcans.
- The course: It was really beautiful. A bit of neighborhood running, but 10 miles or so of the course was through Rock Creek Park, and I loved running through it.

The LESS GOOD:

- The finishing area: The finish line was a little chaotic. They just didn't move people through super well. So it took a second to see where the medals were being distributed. And the line to get food was so insane that we decided not to bother waiting.
- Crowd support: A few families came out of their houses, but there is literally no crowd support for this race. That was fine, but @MoanasPapa thought that maybe I would have been more excited/proud at the finish if there had been more of a race environment going on. Mostly, this run felt like a long run, but with water stops and a medal at the end.
- The time limit: I'm bolding this because it was a big deal to me. This race has a time limit of 2:45. They ask runners who can't commit to that time limit not to register. Likely, most of the runners were not first time half marathoners. And likely they were generally stronger runners. But that means that we were back of the pack, and I stressed out a lot about how close we were to the sweep line. Like. Really a lot. And it really, really took me out of the zone. And for good reason: There were 2,164 registered for this race. There were 1,750 finishers.

The BAD:
- Stomach issues. Twice. I figured once would be a sure thing. The second just lead to my anxiety about finishing within the time limit. Realistically, we think the two stops took five minutes off of my finish time (one of them was a decent detour off the course to get to the park restroom, which was set back off the trail).

The sweet: @MoanasPapa made the day wonderful. He got a nasty cramp about five miles to the finish but still worked to stay with me and keep me calm. We had a nice lunch with our kiddo, took a nap, and then he sent me out to get a pedicure (which, btw, is an excellent life choice after a race... my calves and feet felt SO MUCH BETTER after). Then, he took all of us out to my favorite pizza place for celebratory pizza and beer for dinner. He also helped my almost-2-year-old pick out a sweet congratulatory card.

Overall: I'm proud that I finished my first half, and minus the stomach issues, proud of the run itself. My moving time was good for my first half. I would do this race again, BUT I wouldn't recommend it to first timers for two reasons: lack of crowd support makes it less of a race atmosphere, and the time limit can be really intimidating if, like me, you aren't the speediest runner.

What's next for my running and this journal? I'm not sure. I have a couple of 10ks between now and the end of the year (Marine Corps and a local turkey chase on Thanksgiving). I'll take a couple of days off this week, then get back out there because I don't want to slip too far from where I've gotten weight and ability-wise. After that? Who knows.

For now I'll say a huge thank you to @DopeyBadger, for helping me reach a goal I've had in the back of my head for years, to @MoanasPapa for being with me literally every step of the way during my longest long runs and the race yesterday and for being my biggest cheerleader, and to all of you who have followed along... your support was immensely meaningful, and I'm so grateful for it.

CONGRATULATIONS GIRL!!! You did a great job with your first half and should be SO proud! :D
 
I'm very proud of you! Congrats on your first half marathon! Sounds like an overall great experience. I feed off crowds so I can certainly understand the lack of them being a bit of a downer.
 
I AM SO HAPPY THAT YOU SAID THE MOANA LINE!!!!!
(sorry I get over-excited)

Congrats on your first half marathon. I don't think it is weird that you didn't get emotional. I was zero percent emotional at mine until I got hit with the giant chute of cheering crowd people during the last .1 miles and then it was blubber city. So I think crowds make a difference.
Super impressed with you. Love the "dedicating miles thing" and may have to borrow it in a few weeks!
 
Way to go!! I mostly lurk but am so there with you as I'm doing my first half in November and pretty nervous about it.

The time limit: I'm bolding this because it was a big deal to me. T

This is a pretty scary time limit and you did amazing! I would be freaked about that too and that's not what you needed during the race! But you rocked it!!
 

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