Viewing entries tagged
half marathon
I was injured for the 2021 Richmond Marathon, so I went up with a couple friends to spectate, cheer, and take some pictures of so many of our friends and teammates racing that day in the half and full marathon! I noted a few highlights of the day, and I included a link to the full gallery where print and web resolution images are available for free download!
At some point this weekend while working through the piles of periodicals that I've amassed throughout my house over the past year I got restless. "I might go on a run. Did I do my long run yesterday? Or was it the day before? I don't know, but I think I'll go on a run." And so, forgetting that I'd run seven miles on Saturday morning, on Sunday afternoon I went for a little run. And I kept going for six miles. I suppose when you get to the point that six or seven mile runs don't really feel much like long runs anymore then it might be time to consider the full marathon.
Well, it had to happen eventually. After a four race PR streak I finally broke my streak. It was bound to happen though. It's unreasonable to assume that I can run every race in my life faster than the last, and it might as well happen on my fifth half marathon.
I am not a leggings kinda person. I'll wear them for climbing and yoga, and that's it. Even when it's horribly cold I'm the person who lounges around in shorts and goes running in shorts. It's partly because it's never quite that cold in North Carolina to necessitate getting really bundled up, and partly because it's just not that comfortable to me - they ride up awkwardly, they cling in places I want a little more room, and they chafe on long runs.So the other day when I was browsing gear at one of my local running stores I picked up a pair of leggings to try on - mostly out of a little self-Schadenfreude (but also because of their crazy rad print). And - shocking! - they fit in all the right places! I couldn't believe it!
What do you do when you're coming down with a cold the night before your half marathon race? PR of course! Don't sleep, don't eat, don't feel mentally prepared, but still go out there and run like there's no tomorrow. Sounds about right. Richmond was a tough race and it will be an even tougher recovery.
I am terrible at the starting line. Months of training for a half marathon and this was the second time I was late to the starting line. I woke up late, changed clothes, grabbed my gear, got out the door as fast as possible, hoped I wouldn't get stuck at a red light, and drove as fast as was reasonable. Of course being late meant all the parking lots near the starting line were full, so I parked in a garage halfway across town and ran 0.67 miles (I mapped it) to the starting line. I literally had 30 seconds between arriving at the start line and the start...
I did not want to run this weekend. I'd spent time and energy doing other things - cleaning up a state park and camping - and I just was not feeling the whole run 13 miles thing.
Now that I've been running consistently for a while, I've taken particular enjoyment from one specific aspect of the sport - not the cute running outfits or the race bling or the metrics and pace times. It's the feeling of fitness and strength knowing that I am stronger and that I can do more and more. It's running 11 miles in the morning and then playing soccer in the evening and not feeling like I've been run over by a train. It's hiking all day and coming home quiet and content, but not completely drained. It's the confidence that I could keep going, the simple affirmation of I CAN.
