6 to 13.1..... that escalated quickly!!
Hey guys!!!
So a couple of months ago, I won an entry into the Salt Lake City Marathon (wahoo free!!), but due to Utah freakish weather, my aversion to cold and my clumsiness on dry flat ground let alone icy ground at higher (haha not that high) speeds I pushed off training until the last part of February first part of March, so I started training and was as slow as molasses, but, I was training and getting off the couch, getting some me time (mom win with three kids its hard) and learning to push myself!!!! Last Friday 4/21 I did the longest run in my entire life 6.61 miles, I did it in 2 hrs and 6 min. That friday was also the deadline for registration with my free code, so with some coaxing from SIL (she was doing the half) and IDK runners high from the long run, I registered for the half marathon. If you don't know a half is 13.1 miles!!! I thought well I'll just run some more for the next couple of days and get some more longer runs under my belt (ha ha), as usual when I put something off til the last second, I came down with a cold, I was terrified to run because I didn't want to make it worse, so by the time race day came I hadn't ran in over 7 days, and had done half of the race once (lol).
Needless to say getting on the train to head up for my race I was a nervous wreck
!!!! But I did it, and faster than I thought, I can do hard things!!!! Now I wouldn't recommend doing a half the way I did, lol but here are some tips/things that I found helped me (and I figured would probably help, even if you were appropriately trained)
1. Running people are your running family: I got on the train, arrived and ran without anybody I knew when the race started, but I met so many wonderful people!!! So don't be shy (I'm super shy) you already have something in common, you know that they are just as crazy as you - getting up early on a saturday to put your body through torture just for some medal on a lanyard (haha -- sooo pretty).
2. EVERYONE wants you to succeed: Not just the people actually racing, the volunteers, the police officers, there were people standing on the street and little's giving high fives, there were so many funny signs along the way giving encouragement ("your running than our government is") , its amazing and just feeds that runners high!!
3. Dig deep, and repeat your mantra: Before your run, I suggest trying to figure out a mantra that will keep you motivated, "get that medal" "your gonna get that PR" mine yesterday was "I will, because she did" - in reference to my daughter K, who was diagnosed with hip dysplasia last year and had to have surgery and be in a half body cast at 18 mo for 12 weeks, I mean talk about hard, if she could do that with a smile and conquer I could do a little 'ol 13 miler ;) FIND WHAT WILL KEEP YOU GOING even when your legs and brain are screaming to stop!!!
4. Its ok to walk, no seriously unless you are a competitive runner going for first place or a personal record, interval!! I even saw some that walked the whole time, you just gotta get to the finish, doesn't matter how long or how ugly, you just gotta cross that line!!!
5. Have fun!!! Seriously your doing something for your legs, your lungs, your mind that is so awesome, your training them that you can do more, you might as well have fun doing it!!!
6. Pain is temporary: I mean unless you actually severely injure yourself, the pain you feel is just your body adjusting to completing the hard!! There was a sign that said "blisters are braille for awesome" ha ha, yes it hurts and you'll probably hurt the next couple of days but its all a reminder of the awesome you completed!!!!
7. Better have some jams!! Or whatever will keep you going, there are some long stretches (and if you are like me at the back, lonely ones lol) so make sure you have something that will keep you moving and motivated!!!
8. Stay for the after party! I mean you freaking earned all the free bananas, oranges, creamies, pancakes, music and camaraderie that are readily available!! Eat up, laugh and giggle, but DON'T SIT DOWN! Ha ha, I mean sit down cause your tired, just be prepared for it to be the hardest stand up of your life!!!
Overall I learned that I can do really hard things, and that in the thick of it it's pretty terrible, but looking back it wasn't that bad (and I think that's a pretty good mantra for life in general!!) So whatever your going through, you got this, you can do it and most importantly when your through it don't forget to party!!!!
-T-
So a couple of months ago, I won an entry into the Salt Lake City Marathon (wahoo free!!), but due to Utah freakish weather, my aversion to cold and my clumsiness on dry flat ground let alone icy ground at higher (haha not that high) speeds I pushed off training until the last part of February first part of March, so I started training and was as slow as molasses, but, I was training and getting off the couch, getting some me time (mom win with three kids its hard) and learning to push myself!!!! Last Friday 4/21 I did the longest run in my entire life 6.61 miles, I did it in 2 hrs and 6 min. That friday was also the deadline for registration with my free code, so with some coaxing from SIL (she was doing the half) and IDK runners high from the long run, I registered for the half marathon. If you don't know a half is 13.1 miles!!! I thought well I'll just run some more for the next couple of days and get some more longer runs under my belt (ha ha), as usual when I put something off til the last second, I came down with a cold, I was terrified to run because I didn't want to make it worse, so by the time race day came I hadn't ran in over 7 days, and had done half of the race once (lol).
Needless to say getting on the train to head up for my race I was a nervous wreck
!!!! But I did it, and faster than I thought, I can do hard things!!!! Now I wouldn't recommend doing a half the way I did, lol but here are some tips/things that I found helped me (and I figured would probably help, even if you were appropriately trained)
1. Running people are your running family: I got on the train, arrived and ran without anybody I knew when the race started, but I met so many wonderful people!!! So don't be shy (I'm super shy) you already have something in common, you know that they are just as crazy as you - getting up early on a saturday to put your body through torture just for some medal on a lanyard (haha -- sooo pretty).
2. EVERYONE wants you to succeed: Not just the people actually racing, the volunteers, the police officers, there were people standing on the street and little's giving high fives, there were so many funny signs along the way giving encouragement ("your running than our government is") , its amazing and just feeds that runners high!!
3. Dig deep, and repeat your mantra: Before your run, I suggest trying to figure out a mantra that will keep you motivated, "get that medal" "your gonna get that PR" mine yesterday was "I will, because she did" - in reference to my daughter K, who was diagnosed with hip dysplasia last year and had to have surgery and be in a half body cast at 18 mo for 12 weeks, I mean talk about hard, if she could do that with a smile and conquer I could do a little 'ol 13 miler ;) FIND WHAT WILL KEEP YOU GOING even when your legs and brain are screaming to stop!!!4. Its ok to walk, no seriously unless you are a competitive runner going for first place or a personal record, interval!! I even saw some that walked the whole time, you just gotta get to the finish, doesn't matter how long or how ugly, you just gotta cross that line!!!
5. Have fun!!! Seriously your doing something for your legs, your lungs, your mind that is so awesome, your training them that you can do more, you might as well have fun doing it!!!
6. Pain is temporary: I mean unless you actually severely injure yourself, the pain you feel is just your body adjusting to completing the hard!! There was a sign that said "blisters are braille for awesome" ha ha, yes it hurts and you'll probably hurt the next couple of days but its all a reminder of the awesome you completed!!!!
7. Better have some jams!! Or whatever will keep you going, there are some long stretches (and if you are like me at the back, lonely ones lol) so make sure you have something that will keep you moving and motivated!!!
8. Stay for the after party! I mean you freaking earned all the free bananas, oranges, creamies, pancakes, music and camaraderie that are readily available!! Eat up, laugh and giggle, but DON'T SIT DOWN! Ha ha, I mean sit down cause your tired, just be prepared for it to be the hardest stand up of your life!!!
Overall I learned that I can do really hard things, and that in the thick of it it's pretty terrible, but looking back it wasn't that bad (and I think that's a pretty good mantra for life in general!!) So whatever your going through, you got this, you can do it and most importantly when your through it don't forget to party!!!!
-T-
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