One freaking forty!!! I have so much to say.
One of my 2023 resolutions was to run a half marathon and I did it! It was my first one in over four years and I set high expectations of a sub 1:40 for the 13.1 mile race. Without realizing, that is the same goal I made four years ago when I failed to make that personal record.
Training
Preparation this time around was different. Instead of following my own training plan, I followed one by Hal Higdon for intermediate half marathoners. It had a variety of runs during the week including a couple long runs, race pace runs, tempo runs, and base runs. All that to say I was not running at my race pace speed for every workout which was a little stressful for me! How was I going to perform if I wasn’t practicing the way I wanted to perform? I learned to trust the process.
Two weeks before the race my right knee was in pain after a long 11+ mile run. I limped for the following days and besides a 2.5 mile run a week before the race, my training came to a full stop. I was barely walking straight at work, and was modifying exercise demonstrations when coaching at Orange Theory. It was hard and I questioned what race day would be like with minimal physical activity. I did some yoga and weight training but mostly let my knee recover as much as possible for race day.
Race Day
My alarm went off at 5:40am. I typically run fasted, but it was a special day! I chose food I’m familiar and opted for yogurt and a waffle. My fiancé (it’s still new, had to throw that in there!) drove me to the Dallas Skyline Half Marathon event where I jumped out the car to make it to the race in time. Half Fanatics pacing groups were present to help runners reach their personal records and their times ranged from 1:45 to 2:30+. I knew I would be pacing myself aiming for a 7:38 mile on the mile. I made my way all the way near the front of the pack. It was the final three minutes until the 7:00am start time and I don’t remember ever being so nervous.
The gun fired! It was go time. I started my run on my Garmin watch and my legs took off to Katy Perry’s Firework – a personal favorite! Three miles in and I felt fantastic. At around the four mile mark I finally felt my right knee talk to me, and left foot that had been healed for over a month also barked a little. I ignored it as much as I could. My split times were solidly under 7:40 and that’s all that mattered. By mile eight I realized I could actually hit the 1:40 I was striving for! It was the first time I really believed in myself but also the point where I started to feel tired.
The Dallas Skyline Half route runs through the Trinity Grove area and featured 3-4 “hills” AKA highway ramps. They were my kryptonite four years ago and ultimately where I lost my personal record in 2018 (more on that here). This time around I’m able to say I held onto my pace up the hills! I’ll admit I was a little delighted to see the hills beat down some men while I charged on. Still, even I wasn’t happy to see the final hill at mile nine and I would be lying if I said the last one didn’t test me.
I held on to my pace for as long as I could but had to back off on miles twelve and thirteen. My legs were beat and my knee as uncomfortable as it could be. The end was in sight and I picked up the pace for the last .1 mile. I crossed the finish line with a time of 1:40:19!
Jeff and I were about to head out but decided to stick around for the awards, which I have never done. I recalled just a handful of females in front of me during the race. There was the slightest possibility I could have been within the top three of my age group. Lo and behold – I was 1st place in my age group! And if you’re curious, 6th out of 426 females. Day made!
Post Race Plans
I’ve touched on this before, but when I’m preparing for a race I stop all other exercise activity other than running. It’s just hard for me to squeeze it all in! Running is fun for me but it’s demanding and requires a lifestyle shift that I don’t want to live in right now.
Another one of my resolutions was to run a full marathon of 26.2 miles. The time commitment to train would be four months from August through a December race day. As much as I want to accomplish that goal this year, I’m going to let it sit on the back burner while I enjoy my time being engaged and planning my wedding. Time is fleeting and I want to be present in the one year I get to be Jeff’s fiancé!
That doesn’t mean I’m going to stop running though! My goal for the rest of the year is to create a balanced fitness routine as follows: 4x/week at Orange Theory, 2x/week running, and 1x/week yoga. I have looked forward to this new schedule for the past month and am excited to start living it!
Thank you for cheering me on!
XO, Vivian