Live, Love, RUN: 13.1 Conquered.

Yesterday I completed a goal I’ve had for a long time. I ran my first half marathon. The funny thing is that I actually completed a 25K race in October which is 15.6 miles – a distance greater than the half marathon which is 13.1 miles. Yet, there is something significant about that 13.1 distance. I wanted to conquer it. I signed up for a half marathon in 2010 and was training for it but I injured my back wakeboarding and subsequently couldn’t run.

Hawaii, given its lovely climate, hosts a plethora of races every year, including a series of five training races leading up to the Honolulu Marathon in December. A marathon is also on my life bucket list, but I have never felt quite ready for one, especially since I hadn’t even run a half marathon before. Brian suggested we sign up for the race series and he would be my coach and running partner (Woohoo, I got a HOT coach :-)).  I looked at it as an opportunity to improve as a runner, gain some racing confidence and most importantly, have some fun. That last one is something Brian had to remind me of constantly over the last few months. When the alarm goes off at 4am, and there’s an ankle chip, competition and race results, it’s easy to forget you’re there to have fun. Particularly when you’re competitive or hard on yourself, both of which I am.

Running has always been one of my favorite activities. Even more than the physical exercise, it is the ultimate outlet and stress reliever. It is a time to think, to reflect, and to work out any kinks in life. I often joke that I also do my best writing when I’m running. My creative juices seem to flow and ideas hit me out of the blue. Sometimes when I’m mad or frustrated I’ll pump some loud music and just run until I’m too tired to be angry anymore. And sometimes, running is just about putting one foot in front of the other, listening to my rhythmic breathing and immersing in the escape. No agenda, no watch, no music, just running.

I am proud to say I ran four of the five races in the series. In August we ran the first race, a 15K (9.32 miles) in the Diamondhead/Kahala area and my goal was to not walk any of it. Much to my surprise, I succeeded! I am by no means a fast runner; I run about a 10 minute mile, and Brian stayed by my side the entire time. Now, that sounds sweet and all, but the reality of that is a very challenging thing for someone who can run A LOT faster than me. Brian runs a 5-7 minute mile (depending on the distance), so to slow down his pace means he has to completely change his stride, which in turn can cause blisters and pain in his hips. I didn’t actually realize this until after our race yesterday. Of course he never complains, because that’s just the kind of guy he is. I, on the other hand, took it upon myself to complain freely and openly throughout the entire race series. Actually I’m a pretty quiet runner until the last two or three miles of the race.

In September, we ran a 20K (12.4 miles) at Barber’s Point, in Ewa. It was a flat, hot course and again, Brian was there by my side, ordering me to drink Gatorade at all the water stations and giving me pep talks. We had a conversation with about 2 miles left in the race that is pretty funny when I look back on it now. It went something like this:

Me: I’m so tired…how much longer?
Brian: I know babe, you’re almost done. There’s a water station up here, then we just have to go around the corner.
Me: Ok, but my knees are starting to hurt so bad.
Brian: I know, just a little longer. You’re doing awesome!
Me: What corner? I thought you said it was around the corner.
Brian: Yes up here around the bend and then one more little stretch. Just think of it as one more loop around Kapiolani Park. Think of it like that. You can do it.
Me: Everything hurts.
Brian: I know, you’re almost done.
Me: This is NOT one time around the park! This is like TWO times around the park!  Don’t lie! Or if you’re gonna lie, tell me it’s WAY more than that. Tell me it’s FIVE times around the park so I’m excited when it’s not! (For the record, it was about one time around the park but I was obviously delusional :-))
Brian: Ok babe. Look, there’s the finish line.

There were a few conversations of that nature throughout the series. Needless to say, Brian is a very patient guy.

The third race in October was a 25K (15.6 miles) in Kailua, and probably my favorite race of all of them. The course itself was fresh, new to me and beautiful. We ran from Kailua Beach Park all the way to Kaneohe Marine Corps Base, up a big hill where we got a gorgeous view of the Ko’olau Mountains. Plus my brother was there to cheer us on which was an added bonus. And who doesn’t want to jump in the turquoise ocean at Kailua Beach after a long race? I had two races now under my belt and was gaining confidence. In the prior race I learned the lesson of fueling early so that I have more energy at the end of the race, so for this race, Brian carried a Lara Bar in his pocket and I would walk and have a bite with my Gatorade at every water station. It was a good plan and I felt the difference at the end of the race. I also took a few walking breaks when I needed to.

The biggest lesson came after the race, when I had a panic attack out of the blue about an hour after crossing the finish line. I hadn’t eaten well the day before and I only got about four hours of sleep, (3am wakeup call for this race) so my body was extremely malnourished and dehydrated. Despite feeling pretty good during the race, my blood sugar levels were all out of whack and my body reacted afterwards, resulting in panic like symptoms. It was eye opening to say the least, and made me reevaluate just how important nutrition is to racing, particularly if you’re prone to things like anxiety and hypoglycemia, which I am now in the process of learning more about.

Given that lesson, I decided to listen to my body and forgo the next race which was a 30K (18.64 miles) and the longest of the five. It was the right decision. My system needed a reboot.

That brings us to yesterday’s half marathon, the almighty 13.1 that I was ready to finally surmount. My goal was to finish in 2:20 – 2:30. Ideally 2:20 but I knew 2:30 was more realistic given my 10+ minute per mile. I finished in 2:28. Not bad and within my goal, yes, but I let my head get the best of me during the last four miles, so I wasn’t overly happy with myself. My right knee was in a lot of pain and I had a nagging cramp which turned into the worst one I’ve ever had in my life right near the end of the race, and I let the pain overtake me. I walked more than I wanted to. Then I looked at my watch incorrectly and thought I had already missed my goal time with two miles to go, so I turned into even more of a negative nancy. Brian informed me that my watch was crap, that I was well within my goal time, and that gave me a bit of momentum. He talked me through to the end and I crossed the finish line. I completed a half marathon!

Like life, the race series was full of bumps. It didn’t always go how I thought it would, but I learned a lot from the way that it DID go. During the half marathon, there was a girl about my age who was running at my pace for much of the race. On the back of her shirt were the words NO MEDIOCRITY and the name of a soldier that died in Afghanistan in 2009. I wondered if it was her brother or her boyfriend or husband. Whoever he was, she was running for him. Running is a mental test and yesterday I let the negative thoughts get the best of me. It became all about me and my pain, instead of running for something bigger and gaining strength from that. So unbeknownst to her, that girl taught me the most important lesson of my first half marathon, and likely one that I will remember in every race I complete in the years to come.

I am so grateful for my loving boyfriend who ran by my side each and every race, even when it was an annoyingly slow pace for him, even when it caused him physical pain, even when I complained and called him a liar, even when I didn’t appear to be having any fun. He was my rock, my support, my coach and he is my greatest love. He pushes me and makes me a better runner and a better person. I hope he knows just how much I appreciate him. And I’m sure he’s happy we don’t have any more races for a little while. 🙂

15K –  1:33:22 – 10:01/M
20K – 2:03:45 – 9:56/M
25K – 2:54:14 – 11:12/M
21K – 2:28:12 – 11:19/M