My First Half

What was my first real half marathon was really my second time running a half marathon. Back in college, a bunch of girls decided it would be fun to run the Rock n Roll Half in Virginia Beach. I was a smoker and had never run before in my life. I'm guessing out of 13.1 miles, I ran about .1 miles. I was more interested in the beer and party at the end than anything else. I look back and seriously wonder what we were thinking!

This past November, I ran my first official 13.1 at the Outer Banks Half in Nags Head. I was fully prepared having trained and even run my own personal 13.1. The half marathon goal came after talking with several running friends who said if I could run 7 miles, then I could run 10, and then do a half. So early on, that became my goal. I posted '13.1' on my bathroom cabinet and in my classroom at school as a constant reminder of the goal. I must say that the half marathon is my favorite distance to run. I find a steady pace around mile 6 and the rest is pretty easy.

The weekend of the half was absolutely beautiful. Chris and I enjoyed a nice weekend away without our little boy which is something we don't do very often. We had the best time eating, drinking, and visiting with friends. The morning of the run was pretty warm but midway through became windy. Gotta love running on the coast!

All was well until about mile 9. Never, ever, has my stomach crapped up so badly as it did then. I don't know what caused it, but I had to stop and walk. I thought I was going to fall out right there on the course. It was the strangest thing. It hasn't happened since so I'm wondering if it was nerves? I just hope it doesn't happen in April! After walking for about 10 minutes, it let up, and I was able to finish the race in around 2:15 which was slower than I wanted. I knew the little stomach thing added to my time, but turns out that Runkeeper is faster than official race time or my Garmin. (That's a whole other post!)

At mile 10, we had to run over a bridge that connects Nags Head to Manteo. It was absolutely gorgeous. The race ended in Manteo overlooking the water. Enter loads of food and beer that this time, I actually earned! The feeling of crossing a finish line that you've trained for and fought for is incredibly emotional. For me, it was knowing that just 11 months prior, I had never run a mile in my life. I felt on top of the world.

In a few more weeks, I'll be running another half marathon at Oak Island. I'm running with the same girls who, like me, run because we're half crazy and love the challenge. It could also turn into a girls weekend which always refreshing!

Outer Banks Half Marathon

Common Questions

*Here is my disclaimer: I am not a running or fitness expert. I am not a certified running coach. I've only been running about 15 months. I just love running. Here I will offer my advice, tips, and things that have worked well for me and other workout tips I find along the way.

Today I was asked several good questions about running. Instead of emailing them back to my friend, Dot, I thought this was the perfect time to start this running blog . . . an idea I've had for a while but never really did much with. It is always best to talk with your doctor if you have questions! So here goes:

Breathing: (This is huge and lots of my Couch to 5k girls ask me this a lot.) I breathe in and out of my mouth when I run as I'm gulping air sometimes on faster runs but leisurely breathing on long, slower runs. The cold air makes breathing difficult as do problems associated with asthma and/or allergies. When summer comes, breathing becomes more difficult as the humidity increases. This is something that comes with practice. For a more in depth look at breathing check out this link from Runner's World.
Breathing Tips from Runner's World

Building up Endurance: I remember the first time I ran 4 miles. I just knew I was going to be injured from running that far. Nah. Did I go out the first day and run 4 miles? Nah. My first step was to do run/walk intervals until I could run a mile without stopping. I wasn't worried about speed, just covering the distance. NEVER worry about speed if you're just starting. Just cover the distance. So one mile led to a mile and a half, then two, and so on. I was eventually able to run a 5k (3.1 miles) and then each weekend, I bumped it up to 4, 4.5, 5, 5.5, and so on. Endurance comes with lots of time spent covering the distance without worrying about how fast you're going. Endurance also comes with discipline, pushing yourself, and setting a goal. If you've reached a mile without stopping, try for 1.25. When you've met that goal, go for 1.5 or 1.75 miles. Taking those baby steps, setting a goal, and reaching them makes this so much more attainable.

Results: Several people have asked when I started seeing results. Honestly, I saw results within the first two or three months. I was a little leaner and had slimmed down some. As I introduced strength training and other forms of cardio, I began to see more results. Let me say however, that while the physical results are certainly motivating, the intrinsic results were even more powerful. Having been a sedentary, some what overweight young adult, I found a side of myself I never knew. I WAS capable, I COULD push myself. I COULD run that 4 miles. I found a fire within myself that has brought me to my second half marathon. I was now running miles to the face. And it felt damn good. So results, physical, yes, they are awesome. The results on the inside are what drive me to keep on keepin' on. :)

Strength Training: Again, I'm not an expert. Running requires a strong core. Strong legs are important too but until the core of your body is strong, nothing else will perform. I do a lot of core work with planks and ab work. Running involves strong shoulders, back, arms, neck, core, backside, and legs. Incorporating core work and strength training is crucial. This is also crucial to staying injury-free.

Burn out: People ask me all the time if I run every day. NO. Talk about killing your feet and wearing your body out. It's easy to want to run all the time or every day, but for me, I run about three days a week. Any more than that gives me blisters that are just annoying and is just too much. The pounding of the pavement will take a toll on your body. Take it easy. Don't over-do things. I usually do a 3 or 4 mile run, a 6 mile run, and always (well, usually) a 10 mile run on Sunday. I have one rest day (sometimes two), and the other days I visit the YMCA at the crack of dawn or do some kind of strength/crossfit type workout. There are some weeks, I am slack and don't do so much. Listen to your body. Rest is good.

The bottom line: Newton's law of motion says that an object in motion stays in motion until an external force is applied to it. If you've started moving and running or walking, don't stop. Keep going, keep pushing one more quarter mile. Keep moving and you'll stay moving. And with that, you will find a side of yourself you may have never met.

Happy Running, my friends.