The crazy idea to commit to a half marathon started in mid-October, after I won and set the course record at the Ski Run Road Challenge in Ruidoso, NM. The race fit in perfectly with my training: it climbed uphill for 12.5 miles and peaked out above 10,000 feet! The 3000 foot elevation gain mimicked many of my trail runs: steep but slow. After not racing at all until this point in 2010, and only doing a couple of running races in 2009, I felt excited about competing again! And after winning the race, I felt motivated to set another athletic goal.
Choosing the Tucson Half Marathon for my next race was an easy choice. First, I love Tucson. Look at how beautiful the mountains are there! This was the view from the deck of the condo we rented. I used to love training for cycling in Tucson, and I knew it would be a great place to run as well. Second, it is only a three hour drive from our house. Third, the race took place 8 weeks after Ruidoso. This would give me plenty of time to add in some speed work and increase my weekly mileage from the 25-30 I had been running prior to Ruidoso (or so I thought!). And last, the race took place the weekend following my final exams. I would be able to relax and not worry about homework over the weekend.
Unfortunately, the semester got overwhelmingly busy. I was learning a lot in my classes and was gaining valuable experience as a graduate assistant, but I did not have the time or energy to increase my mileage. In fact, my training dwindled. I was lucky to fit in 25 miles a week...some weeks were hovering at 20.To make matters worse, after years of hammering out training as a cyclist, I am no longer motivated enough to wake up at the crack of dawn to work out. Spending time with Chad and our pets takes priority for me. Running with my dogs on trails is more important to me than scheduling in speed work on pavement. I value different things now.
So, this being said, the night before the race, I was not feeling confident in my preparation for a flat, paved half marathon course. Chad and I sat outside on the condo deck with some beverages and chatted about the morning. At one point, we almost decided not to run and just make the weekend a vacation. But maybe my competitive drive is not totally dead, because then I told Chad that I was still going to try to break 1:30. I thought this was unrealistic at this point, but had put this number in my head a while ago as a solid time for a first shot at this distance.
So we watched the sunset and decided we would try our best. As we lined up for the start of the race the next morning, I still had doubts. I felt out of shape and tired. And honestly, I was annoyed with all of the peppy people around me, pumped to start racing before dawn. There was nothing fun about waking up this early for me!
However, once the gun went off, I began to smile. Memories of how I have spent my life pushing myself through sports and the exhilaration feelings from racing came flooding in. Chad and I started in the third wave and we quickly began moving around people in the second and first waves. It was so fun! Psychologically, it made me feel fast to pass people.
We went through the first mile in 6:15. Whoops! I knew that was too fast, but it was slightly downhill, so I went with it. I came through the second mile at the same pace, and knew I needed to settle down a bit. I was not too worried since the first three miles are on a gradual downhill before the course flattens out. I hit mile 3 in just over 19 minutes and felt like I was in a good rhythm. I remember looking at my watch at mile 6 and seeing 38 minutes. I was thrilled I was being so steady! I actually felt like a runner! I stayed focused on passing people for the next few miles. I remember seeing mile 9 at 59 minutes, which was 6:30 pace. This was better than I could have hoped for! This would take me to a 1:25 if I could keep it up! Mile 10 came in just under 1:06, which was just slightly over 6:30 pace. This was fine with me, as that point had some false flat uphills.
At this point, I was beginning to feel a bit tired. But I knew I was 3 miles away from meeting or exceeding my goal! I could do this! I forced myself to pass another cluster of people from the first wave.
But then things came to a screeching halt. My legs started seizing up. My quads were cramping terribly. I forced myself to focus on turnover. People that I had passed began to pass me back. At one point, on an uphill section during mile 11, a girl walked up the hill faster than I could run it. I kept looking at my watch. I knew I had to dig deep. My sure thing of smashing 1:30 was slipping away quickly!
The last mile was pure hell. But looking back, I am so proud of my mental focus. I gave it everything I had. In many races, I look back and wonder if I could have gone harder. I can say with 100% confidence that there is no way I could have pushed any harder during that last mile! And I managed to cross the line in 1:29:25. Phew! I did it!
As I look back, I could be a bit disappointed. I had been so close to a 1:25, and in 3 miles, I lost over 4 minutes! But I think running no more than 25 miles per week made those last 3 miles especially brutal. I did not have the training in my legs to get me through the whole race. And that is okay! This gives me hope that with some more miles, and maybe adding in some cycling again at some point, I could run faster than I did! It gives me faith in my potential.
Today is Tuesday. The race was two days ago. I still cannot sit down or stand back up without pulling myself up with my arms. I can barely walk. The cramping and dehydration I experienced in the race really caused some muscle damage that will take a few more days to get over.
I know I did not drink enough in the race. I grabbed water at every aid station, but most of it splashed all over my face. I maybe got one sip at each station. I think this is part of the reason I cramped (along with inadequate training, of course). I am used to racing on a bike and it is easy to drink while cycling. Even during the handful of duathlons I did in 2008, I hydrated while on the bike. Do people walk through aid stations to ensure adequate hydration? Or will that mess up my rhythm? Should I carry a bottle? I think that would annoy me! There is a lot to figure out.
Of course after I finished the race, I vowed never to race again because I was hurting so bad! Now that the pain is fading, I want to look in to learning how to hydrate in longer runs. If I can figure this out, maybe I will give it another try! Hmm...maybe I have not lost ALL of my motivation to race after all:-).
