Half marathon - Support and Motivation!

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  • curlytop89
    curlytop89 Posts: 163 Member
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    Hello, I am in Mississippi, so it is super hot and humid here even until the end of september, but I am interested in doing a half marathon maybe in Nov or December. I had hernia surgery so I was down and out for 6 weeks and am trying to get back with it. I have a 1 year old too to keep track of. Mostly I take him in the stroller with me, but it is so different trying to run with a jogging stroller than just on your own. Plus we have a pretty hilly road and I don't want to lose the stroller down the hills, ha ha. It does have a safety strap though. I do notice that I am not quite ready for the hills while pushing the stroller anyway with my recent surgery, but I walk, and have a treadmill. Sometimes I take the baby to a 1/2 mile walking path in town to walk/jog on, but that gets boooorrrriiiing if you know what I mean. I jogged 3 miles the other day on fairly even ground and it was pretty muggy even at 8am, but I felt okay. Pretty tired when it was over. I tried a half marathon a couple years ago and it was in July and I had to train and do my longs run on pretty hot days, even in the morning. By the time the race day came, I just wanted to get it over with. I was so burnt out. I thought maybe if I took it slower and ran going into the cooler season I might do better. There is a half marathon in Louisiana or MIssissippi towards the end of November and one at the beginning of December, so I thought I would try one of those. What do you think?
  • pinbotchick
    pinbotchick Posts: 3,904
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    Curlytop - go for it!!!

    I started the day right with a quick 2 mile jog at 13:16 pace. I tried to do speed work but then realized I like my slow pace and settled in for a quiet foggy jog.
  • akasullengal
    akasullengal Posts: 1,499 Member
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    Failed at getting my morning run in this morning. It's hard, when your alarm goes off, and you look at your window and the full moon shining in your face is what wakes you up and not the run. Didn't get enough sleep last night, and I didn't get exercise in, so I'll certainly have to do something Friday instead to make up for my rest day. I'll either do Monday's work this evening (dvd and/or abs/hand weights) or if it's not too hot, I'll try and get my run in when I get off work. Otherwise, I'll get the run in tomorrow morning instead and do my second one on Friday.
  • Joyjmb
    Joyjmb Posts: 221 Member
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    I've done three 1/2 marathons:
    1st 3:18
    2nd 3:04
    3rd 2:51

    Remember, the goal is not to WIN. The goal is to finish!!
    Whoooo you!
  • lisajuly
    lisajuly Posts: 240 Member
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    5.26 mi tempo run today (switched today's run for tomorrow's)

    Mile 1: 10:56
    Mile 2: 9:52
    Mile 3: 9:46
    Mile 4: 9:30
    Mile 5: 10:38
    last .26: 2:44 (10:38/mi pace)

    Did my Warrior Dash on Sunday and it was so much fun. I'm happy to post my race report here if anyone is interested, but I didn't want to take up space if no one is interested. I'll just say that I love my fuzzy viking helmet and running at 10,000 ft is freakin' hard especially when the first mile or so is UP a mountain...and that's coming from someone who runs at 5280 all the time.

    Ate too much crap the past few days, need to get back on the wagon.
  • curlytop89
    curlytop89 Posts: 163 Member
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    Lisajuly, I would love to see a picture of you running in your fuzzy viking cap! I think I am going to try this half marathon biz. I like to have something to work for. If I finished in under 2:30 I would feel great, but just jogging the entire distance would make me feel good. I have never run that far without walking before. Anyway, I will see how it goes.
  • akasullengal
    akasullengal Posts: 1,499 Member
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    Shifted my training down by a day this week to compensate for having my rest day Monday and will workout Friday instead. Got up this morning and did my 4.5 miler in 60min (13:20 pace). Pretty slow for me... I'm usually more around 12ish min/mile averages, but I was really not engaged in getting up and moving this morning. So, I'm just glad I got up and did it and did the full distance, even though it was at an easier pace. Tomorrow's a crosstraining day- will probably do a dvd as I still haven't gotten my bike fixed yet and the gym is closed for 2 weeks for their annual renovations.
  • lisajuly
    lisajuly Posts: 240 Member
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    5.45 mi run today.

    I switched my regular run and speedwork/tempo run days this week by doing a tempo run yesterday. Which made my easy run much harder today, lol. I can't really complain, because i was shooting for 11 min miles and came in at an avg of 10:40/mi. But, my legs will be toast until Friday.

    Curlytop, i don't have a picture of me running with the viking hat, lol. Too darn hot, plus, with all that mud it would have been trashed and the hat was a major reason i did the race, lol. i don't know how to post pictures here...does anyone know if we can do that? if not, I'll try and make it one of my profile pictures.
  • pinbotchick
    pinbotchick Posts: 3,904
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    Great run Kristina!!! Way to be flexible!!!

    Lisa - You're times amaze me. I'd love to hear about your warrior run progress and I want to see a picture too!!!

    Curlytop - My goal is just to finish the race... If I can do this run, anyone can.

    Jennifer - good luck this weekend on the run and the wedding!!! Yes we will want pictures from those events as well.

    Today was cross training with an 11 mile bike ride this morning.
  • lisajuly
    lisajuly Posts: 240 Member
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    OK, here's my race report (warning....LONG)

    So, I suckered a (non-running) friend to do this race with me at Copper Mountain. It was the fuzzy viking helmets that convinced us to register. And the beer. The shirt and medals were just bonus.

    You'd think that someone who has averaged close to 25 miles a week running this year would be able to run @3.3 miles with their eyes closed. But, there was one little problem. The race started at an elevation at 9,700 feet. And the first mile or so, went up, up, up...and up some more. So, I'm admitting this early, I had to walk part of it. I may be used to running at 5280, but 10,000 ft is a whole other issue.

    okay, so they told us to be there an hour before our wave started at 12:00. So, Barb and I were hanging around the back of the starting area around 11:30. And then everyone started to run. ??? I asked some guy if this was the noon wave and he said no, but to run anyway it didn't matter. His wave had been at 10:30, and he didn't make it for that....so off we went.

    (Just a suggestion, you may want to watch this video for a clearer explanation of all the challenges http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJqk762PHH8&feature=search).

    The first quarter mile was flat and on paved road. I jumped/climbed over 2 sets of junk cars. shortly after that, the trail turned off the road and onto grass/rock/hill. We ran over a bridge, and then had to pull ourselves up this wood thing with a rope ladder. Shortly after that was a wall of hay, which was pretty easy to climb, but i kind of slid down the back side and landed on my hands and knees. Oh, and there was a field of tires. I had memories of Plyo X and Tony Horton yelling at me to keep my knees up.

    And then the uphill really began. Switchback after switchback after switchback. In full sun. I'd walk a bit, run a bit, rinse, lather, repeat. I began to wonder how people who came from non-altitude places did because I was getting my assed whooped. I kept looking at a couple of switchbacks below me to make sure my friend was doing okay. Barb kept moving along and I figured if she made it all the way to the downhill, she'd be able to finish the race.

    i was never so relieved to see the course go downhill and let gravity take me as fast as i could run. Shortly after the water station, I noticed a lot of fans lining the course, cheering on the warriors and wanting to high-five everyone. Yeah for fans!

    And then came the mudpit with four strands of barbed wire crossing it in different places. I got under the first two wires with minimal mud, but you know, the volunteers at this challenge station were guys and guys, for some reason *rolleyes* really, really, really want to see girls rolling around in mud. And so, instead of ducking under the wires, i crawled thru the mud, much to the delight of everyone around (except probably me). So, did you know that after crawling out of a mudpit, you gain about 20 lbs in mud? After cruising downhill at a pretty fast clip, trying to even stand with all that mud on me was a challenge.

    I finally got going again and the next challenge was tunnels. With mud in them. On a slight incline. Mud in tunnels makes things very slippery. And having a semi-bum knee, we'll i can't be on my knees that long (hey, no giggling), so i got thru the tunnel by crawling on my hands and feet while murmuring "please don't let me slip backwards, please..." Ah, sunlight again. Next challenge: 3 walls, waist-high and about 10 ft apart that you have to hurdle over. First one, I hurdled over. #2 & 3, well let's just say, not as graceful, lol. More like throw a leg over, then haul the rest of the body over.

    run a bit more..oh look, it's the rope ladder wall, with the platform on top and rope wall to get down the other side. Easy compared to the other challenges. Oh, look...wood planks about 6" wide going across a ravine. Fun for someone with no balance ;)

    Run a bit more. Oh, it's the stream we have to cross. I don't really care that it's really cold water, hey, I'm going to take a few seconds and wash some of the mud that's caked onto me at this point.

    Run, run, run some more. I know I'm coming up towards the end so i'm trying to run as fast as I can. Oh look...it's the rows of fire. hmm, those flames are a little higher then they showed on the website. Run, jump, run, run, jump. No burns....Woohoo! That was the last challenge and i just ran as fast as i could the last quarter mile to the finish line where i was handed my finisher's medal. 41:08, 45th out of @ 200 (??) in my age group.

    I went back to the fire area to wait for my friend to cheer her on. As soon as I saw her, I started yelling her name to cheer and then ran along side the barrier with her towards the finish. I am way proud of Barbara...she kicked but for someone who doesn't run on a brutal course. First stop after water....the beer tent. :)

    We wandered around for a while, listening to music, looking for our friends and laughing at a lot of costumes. For the record, Underoos on top of bike shorts do nothing for me. Those that ran in costume...well, i give you a lot of credit because it was hard enough for me in shorts and a tank top. Before going back to our friends' condo, we hosed off but that only took off the first layer of mud, lol. There's a reason why the race people tell you to bring a change of clothes and a garbage bag :)

    Thanks for reading. If you ever get a chance to do a Warrior Dash...DO IT! The swag is awesome, the people are great. It was probably the hardest, but most fun race I've ever done under 5 miles..it's one HUGE party (and I'd probably kick butt at sea level)

    ETA: i'm in the black & purple.
  • curlytop89
    curlytop89 Posts: 163 Member
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    Well, I did 4 miles in 39 minutes on the treadmill Monday. I have a little one at home, so I usually workout while he naps. Went farther than I planned, but it felt pretty good and not sore the next day either. No workouts yesterday and had a busy day at work. I am trying not to rush things this time so hopefully I wont get so burnt out and my legs wont get so tight. Did elliptical today for 40 minutes. I might try running 3 days a week and cross training on a couple others and then hopefully I will be able to start strength training soon. May try to run outside tomorrow if weather permits. I may have to look up a warrior race, but I don't know if they have anything like that in this area. Looks and sounds like it was a blast.
  • pinbotchick
    pinbotchick Posts: 3,904
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    Oh Lisa - WOWSA!!! It sounds sooooo awesome!!! I want to do a warrior race just to get the cool hats :) you look great. It sounds like you had a great time. And your time was great - top 25 %!!! Kristina and I ran a 5K race together in 39 min and that's without the obstacles or altiilude!!! You GO Girl!!!

    Curlytop - good luck running outside. It's very dif than the dreadmill.
  • curlytop89
    curlytop89 Posts: 163 Member
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    pinbotchick, Wow, you sure are doing great with your exercise. I looked at your home page and was impressed with how far you have come! I know what you mean about the treadmill, I assume you didn't misspell that on accident. When I was training for my last half marathon, I had to do some of my long runs inside and it actually turned off on me after 99 minutes. It just didn't go any further. That's a long time on a treadmill. Even though I usually run slower outside, it is definitely better scenery. I too was looking into a warrior dash, but the closest one is 8 hours away since I am here closer to the center of the us. We'll see, it really looks like fun. keep up the good work.
  • pinbotchick
    pinbotchick Posts: 3,904
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    Jogged 7 miles this morning at 14:25 pace. I was actually cold - it's only 50 degrees outside. I need to invest in gloves for running since my fingers still aren't working well.

    Thanks for the compliment curlytop :happy: I started running on the treadmill for C25K due to winter snow but really prefer being outside. Not sure how this winter will go - I just cant imagine not running and cant see myself running for an hour on the treadmill. I do plan to try P90X after the 1/2 marathon. That should get me through most of the winter along with snow shoeing...
  • curlytop89
    curlytop89 Posts: 163 Member
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    Did 4 miles today on a hilly road and felt pretty good. I was pretty tired at the end but not totally spent. Did it in 42 minutes, which is pretty good for me outside on the hills. I was tired that third mile, but got it back in gear for the last one I think, had a good song come on, plus trying to keep up with my dog, ha! Maybe longer next week. We'll see. Tomorrow is a busy work day and since I am a nurse I will be spending all of my time on my feet so I will probably take the day off with the exercise. Where do you live pinbotchick. By the way, my name is Marcie, it is nice to have someone to touch base with.
  • MGray06
    MGray06 Posts: 1 Member
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    Hi All! I'm new to this site and thought I would join in on the Half Marathon topic. I've run 3 half marathons so far this year and I'm currently training for my fourth. My goal is to run a total of five half marathons this year. Keep up the good work everyone! Marshall


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  • pinbotchick
    pinbotchick Posts: 3,904
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    Welcome Marshal (*flowers for you*). I'm in awe - 4 down and training for another - I bow down to you. Please feel free to pass on any tips that will help us finish (that's my goal)...

    Marcie - I live in northern Michigan about an hour from Mackinaw. Where are you? Nice run!!

    Kristina - your run tonight was fabulous!!!
  • lisajuly
    lisajuly Posts: 240 Member
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    Happy Friday everyone!

    What are your plans for the weekend? Shout out to Jennifer who's getting MARRIED this weekend :heart: and RUNNING a 10K on her wedding day! :drinker:

    Nothing much going on here this weekend. After being a crazy lady the past two weekends (Mile Hi Music Fest and then the Warrior Dash), I'm going to do a whole lot of nothing! :tongue: Ok, maybe clean a bit since I've slacked not being around.

    6.06 miles today. Had to do it on the treadmill. Set the tm for 5.5 mph and just did a nice easy run. I have an 8 miler on Sunday and if I can swing it, I may go to the massage school after my run and get a massage from a student trying to earn credit hours ($20 for a 50 min massage). Having new shoes to run in also helped because running in the afternoon on the treadmill is one of my least favorite things to do.

    Marshal, glad you joined us here! Looks like you've changed your life in a major way this past year or so. Congrats on the super weight loss and good luck on your 4th half. This will be my 4th half in October also, only mine have been spread out over a couple of years, lol!
  • curlytop89
    curlytop89 Posts: 163 Member
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    Wow, Marshal, congratulations on your weight loss and running prowess! Ha!
    Lisa, I am glad to hear some dreading running sometimes, especially on the treadmill. What keeps you on track when you just don't feel like it?

    I live southern Mississippi so we are hot and humid from the beginning of May until the end of September or so. July and August being the worst, and I have the utility bills to prove it, Yikes! I am tired today after my run yesterday and a long day at work today so I am off to bed. Plan to get up and do some sort of exercise in the morning with the kids if it is not raining, otherwise maybe the elliptical or treadmill. That is what I am limited to since I they don't have childcare at the gym. Oh well.
  • lisajuly
    lisajuly Posts: 240 Member
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    Lisa, I am glad to hear some dreading running sometimes, especially on the treadmill. What keeps you on track when you just don't feel like it?

    Well, it's more that i really don't like running in the afternoon. and having to do it on the treadmill kinda adds insult to injury, lol. I prefer to run earlier in the day, but right now, my schedule doesn't let me get out much before 9:30 am. If i'm not back by 11ish, I'm already running in the high 70s, low 80s. Now that my children are back in school, I'm usually only doing 1 tm run a week, so that's a bit more tolerable.

    whether i'm running outside or on the tm, i play a lot of mind games with myself. Sometimes it's like "oh, i'll run to the next light post" or the next crack in the side walk, or to that tree, etc. whatever it takes to get me to go a little bit further. sometimes it's to the next driveway, lol, when it's really bad. Other times I've told myself, okay, "run to the end of this song". for me, the first couple of miles are the hardest and then i get into a groove and nothing else matters. Sometimes you have to tell yourself "one more minute" and give yourself permission to quit and then, most of the time, you don't want to or have to.

    Something to keep in mind is that not every run you do has to be faster than the last one or longer. It's important to vary speed and distance, without overdoing distance (running to far too quickly). Pardon the expression, but not every run has to be balls out. Once I realized this, and realized the importance (and relief) of doing slower runs, it became easier for me.

    But, i truly believe that running gives back more than it takes and the only run you regret is the one you don't do (disclaimer: barring injury. take it from me, don't run when you're injured). I made a commitment at New Years for a monthly mileage goal and when i decided to do a half this year, I decided to actually follow a training plan this time, so these things are also keeping me on track.

    hope that helps.

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