April 2009 Archives

I haven't always been the most positive poptart during marathon training, but there are a few things that are truly awesome about it. One of these is that on a Friday afternoon, you can decide you're going to run a half marathon the next morning -- no notice, no worries!

We had a 14 miler on the books for this past weekend, so I decided to swap the Get in Gear Inaugural Half Marathon for my long run. And I am SO glad I did.

The race started and finished in Minnehaha Park, which is walking distance from my place and made for a stress-free race morning. I got to the start in plenty of time to use the bathroom and warm up in the Pavilion for a bit, where racers were packed in like sardines. Get in Gear is the largest 10k race in Minnesota and with the other events (5k, 2k and half), it was cozy.

The line for the porta-potties was insane. I shot a quick photo with my phone:

Fortunately, I found a less-popular bathroom to duck into before the race started.

I resolved ahead of time that I was going to treat this like any other long, slow distance (LSD) run. Going in with that mindset helped quell any nerves, and I started the race feeling comfortable and mindful of my pace.

The first five miles were crowded, and a lot of people passed me right off the bat. I expected this because the 10K and half marathon course was the same for the first five and the 10Kers were naturally running much faster.

I held at my LSD pace of about 10:30 to 10:40 for the first six miles or so, but then I felt so great that I started picking up speed. I didn't even notice at first because it didn't feel like I was running much faster, but I looked down at my watch and I kept seeing 9:04 and 8:50. What?!

There's no way I can sustain this, I thought to myself. But then I figured, I feel good so I may as well keep running and if I bonk, so be it. I planned on taking it slow, anyway.

The miles ticked past in what felt like no time at all (perhaps a positive side effect of doing so many 18- and 20-mile runs?), and my pace stayed right around 9 until I reached the last mile. I walked through the last water stop and evaluated how I was feeling, and because I was still feeling strong, I decided to kick it to the end.

I passed a ton of people heading toward the finish and crossed the line smiling. In fact, I don't think I've ever finished a race feeling so happy! I grabbed water and a banana and then hung around the finish to cheer on the last of the runners.

It was a fantastic morning, and I feel like I recaptured a bit of my running mojo that had gone missing these past few weeks. It also made me think that after all this marathon business is over, my new goal could feasibly be to break two hours in the half marathon.

Thanks for your encouragement, everyone! It definitely made a difference. Now it's time to put my head down and focus because we're only four weeks out from the big race. Holy way-too-soon, Batman!

Tip No. 1: Run in costume. (Photo by wonderful local photographer and athlete Sarah McGee.)

I was leaving a comment for a friend, who asked for advice on how to make running more fun. Well, my response got to be so dang long that I figured I could spruce it up a bit and use it as a blog post!

My tips to make running more fun:

*Don't tell yourself you have to go out and run for X amount of time straight or it doesn't count. Break it up into walk/run intervals (e.g., run three minutes, walk one) and then increase the run time as your fitness builds. The easiest way to feel disappointed after a run is to pit yourself against unrealistic expectations. Instead of speed, distance or other numbers (while they do have their place), focus more on the fact that you're moving your body.

*Get quality running shoes. Go to a local running store and have them evaluate your gait to make sure you get shoes that support your specific running style. When I upgraded from my old sneakers to actual running shoes it changed EVERYTHING. Specialty running stores will do this evaluation for free, and should also let you test out shoes before you buy.

*Run with other people. Music and podcasts are fine and good, but conversation is a billion times more distracting and engaging. I also like to do a run each week with no iPod, no friends, and just appreciate the world around me.

*Bring a camera and do a photo run, like Ed does.

*Sign up for an event a couple months away. It's inspiring to have something to work toward, and it's so fun to cross the finish! I would recommend a 5k fun run to start, and then build from there if you want to increase your distance. Leave the soul-eating, body-terrorizing crapfest of marathon training for the crazies. (Just kidding! Marathon training is awesome! cough)

*Do different types of runs. If you go out every time and do the same, steady distance, it's going to get boring. Do an interval or fartlek workout once a week, run hill repeats, do tempo work. (Runner's jargon defined here.)

I'm sure you all have many more ideas, so leave them in the comments! And it doesn't have to apply specifically to running. How do you keep your favorite exercise fun?

Bonus: For even MORE, check out the article "Are We Having Fun Yet?"