Getting Ready for the Half Marathon
I am gearing up for my second official half marathon this weekend, back home in Saskatoon. I have known about the Saskatchewan Marathon for years, as my Dad and Grandma have both participated in it. This weekend, I am going to check out the Race Expo and attend the Pasta Supper on Saturday, take in all that the race weekend has to offer. I am curious to see how this half marathon experience is different then my first one. I know my training hasn't been as good this time around, but things never go perfect in life. I guess come Sunday morning we will see. Since it is only my second official race of this kind, I thought it would be a good chance to look back, reflect on and share what the first one was like.
I ran my first official half marathon in September 2016 in Regina. I trained all summer and was feeling ready for it until I hurt my back three weeks before the race. It hurt to run, and I struggled to move without being in pain. I felt defeated. I had spent so much time and effort preparing and training for this run. I was scared but excited about it at the same time. I didn't want to lose this opportunity because of my back. So I did what any person who is serious about athletics would do, took some Advil and Aleve, and then tried to run.
Standing with my Dad at the starting line on that Sunday morning in Regina I was terrified. I was afraid I wouldn't be able to run at all. I was afraid I wouldn't be able to finish. I was afraid of being a failure. I was so upset I started crying, feeling overwhelmed by all of the emotions. Then after a quick pep talk from Dad, the gun sounded, and we were off. I started slow, testing my back to see how it felt. Hoping that it would warm up and loosen up as I ran and that I would be able to complete the race. My Dad and I went our separate ways at the start, as I didn't want to slow him down. It wasn't long though before I was feeling good and caught up with him. Running with my Dad was nice. It helped me feel comfortable with all of the people and gave me the confidence that I could do it. We only ran parts of the race together though, as he was running the full marathon.
When I crossed the finish line, I felt like my legs were going to collapse under me. I had given everything I had and more than I thought I could. During the race, I never stopped running. There were parts where my pace wasn't quite as fast as I would have liked, but I ran the whole thing, and considering how everything with my back had been in the weeks leading up to the race, that was a victory for me. The next thing was to find out my time. I originally had a goal of 2:00.0 or under, but with my back, my goal was just to finish. So since I finished, my goal of 2:00.0 instantly came back into my mind. My official chip time was 2:04.15. So was I disappointed in this? In some ways, yes I was. I had put in the time and training and knew that I could be close to that 2-hour mark, so I was disappointed that I didn't achieve that goal that I had set out for myself. At the same time though, I was proud. I had just completed my first official half marathon and hadn't been able to run for three weeks before the race.
After the race, I waited for my Dad to finish and his first question for me was what did I think. I don't remember my exact words, but it was something along the lines of I loved it and wanted to run a full marathon. I planned to run the full sometime in 2017, but due to other commitments I never could. Now, it is on my 2018 goals.
Reflecting on my first official half marathon, I am excited about Sunday. Yes, I am nervous and scared again, but I am also excited. There is an energy that comes with running with a group of that size, and I know that from only ever doing it once. I don't know how things will go on Sunday, but next week I will be back with a post about the weekend, from how the race went to how to strategize your nutrition for that type of event. In the meantime, what do you readers want to know more about? Sports Nutrition? Healthy eating for the summer? Comment below and I will put together a blog post about it!
I ran my first official half marathon in September 2016 in Regina. I trained all summer and was feeling ready for it until I hurt my back three weeks before the race. It hurt to run, and I struggled to move without being in pain. I felt defeated. I had spent so much time and effort preparing and training for this run. I was scared but excited about it at the same time. I didn't want to lose this opportunity because of my back. So I did what any person who is serious about athletics would do, took some Advil and Aleve, and then tried to run.
Standing with my Dad at the starting line on that Sunday morning in Regina I was terrified. I was afraid I wouldn't be able to run at all. I was afraid I wouldn't be able to finish. I was afraid of being a failure. I was so upset I started crying, feeling overwhelmed by all of the emotions. Then after a quick pep talk from Dad, the gun sounded, and we were off. I started slow, testing my back to see how it felt. Hoping that it would warm up and loosen up as I ran and that I would be able to complete the race. My Dad and I went our separate ways at the start, as I didn't want to slow him down. It wasn't long though before I was feeling good and caught up with him. Running with my Dad was nice. It helped me feel comfortable with all of the people and gave me the confidence that I could do it. We only ran parts of the race together though, as he was running the full marathon.
When I crossed the finish line, I felt like my legs were going to collapse under me. I had given everything I had and more than I thought I could. During the race, I never stopped running. There were parts where my pace wasn't quite as fast as I would have liked, but I ran the whole thing, and considering how everything with my back had been in the weeks leading up to the race, that was a victory for me. The next thing was to find out my time. I originally had a goal of 2:00.0 or under, but with my back, my goal was just to finish. So since I finished, my goal of 2:00.0 instantly came back into my mind. My official chip time was 2:04.15. So was I disappointed in this? In some ways, yes I was. I had put in the time and training and knew that I could be close to that 2-hour mark, so I was disappointed that I didn't achieve that goal that I had set out for myself. At the same time though, I was proud. I had just completed my first official half marathon and hadn't been able to run for three weeks before the race.
After the race, I waited for my Dad to finish and his first question for me was what did I think. I don't remember my exact words, but it was something along the lines of I loved it and wanted to run a full marathon. I planned to run the full sometime in 2017, but due to other commitments I never could. Now, it is on my 2018 goals.
Reflecting on my first official half marathon, I am excited about Sunday. Yes, I am nervous and scared again, but I am also excited. There is an energy that comes with running with a group of that size, and I know that from only ever doing it once. I don't know how things will go on Sunday, but next week I will be back with a post about the weekend, from how the race went to how to strategize your nutrition for that type of event. In the meantime, what do you readers want to know more about? Sports Nutrition? Healthy eating for the summer? Comment below and I will put together a blog post about it!
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