The Running Thread - 2016

[Waiting2goback]

 

[Waiting2goback]

 

[keahgirl8]

Hi! I'm Christine - brand new to this forum but I'm going to jump on in. I've read a lot of this thread - what a wealth of information! I'm hoping to get registered for the Glass Slipper Challenge in 2017 which will be my first Disney race. I ran my first half marathon last October after a couple of injuries causing me to defer my June race. This year I've run 3 halfs so far and have a couple more planned.

Is there a place that's appropriate to ask training questions? I could use some help from more experienced runners. I got the Hansons Half Marathon book after reading about it here. Their plan is 18 weeks and I have 11 and 14 weeks before my fall half marathons, so I would have to tweak the plan somehow to use it.

Christine! Ask away!

 

[Kathymford]

View attachment 178897

So me for two weeks before I shut it down. HA.

 

[Waiting2goback]

So me for two weeks before I shut it down. HA.

It was me last summer with my PF and from January to May this year before I finally went to the doctor. I guess it even applies now as I prepare for a race tomorrow.

 

[keahgirl8]

It was me last summer with my PF and from January to May this year before I finally went to the doctor. I guess it even applies now as I prepare for a race tomorrow.

I know you can never say never, but I'd like to say never again for me.

 

[Kathymford]

Ah-ha... Yup, had an adductor strain at one point, but mild, thankfully. My sister actually had the real deal a couple years ago that knocked her off the tennis court for a good while. Her's was the type that was very high in the hip, and from what I understand, just requires rest. If it's a full on pull, like hers, you just have to wait for the tissues to reconnect, I hate to say. You may already know this, but you can test it by squeezing a soccer or exercise ball between your knees. Depending on how much effort you put in before it hurts tells you how bad it is. Here's a cheesy little video on the test.

For me, I gently (and carefully) strengthened the adductors by first squeezing the exercise ball between my knees, stopping at the first sign of pain in the effort. After a while, I was able to add the ole' exercise-band-on-the-ankle adductor pull. I also foam rolled it... gently! No stretching. Oh, and cold/hot/cold/etc for a while each day until it cleared up, which it mercifully did right before Dark Side, but it did reduce my last two weeks of training. It's a group of muscles that doesn't get a lot of attention, but greatly benefits from some strength work, and is really easy to do. Just don't go after it until you can do it without the pain. I hope this has helped, if I wasn't already telling you stuff you didn't know!

Thank you so much for this! I haven't been doing much other than walking needed to survive. Ice, biofreeze and Advil have been great for me so far. I haven't done the heat part, so maybe I will try that too. It's most sore in the morning when I get up now, so I'm pretty sure it's healing. I definitely don't plan to even attempt any running until it's not sore at all. And already have a plan to ease back into running slowly. Thanks again, I do appreciate it!

 

[BuckeyeBama]

Ran a 13.1 mile training run today - my longest run since my injury. It was 10 degrees cooler today than last week, which allowed me to run faster with a lower heart rate. I ran 15 seconds/mile faster and my heart rate was 135 BPM (stayed below 130 for the first 8 miles). The run felt amazing, and I feel great.

Amazing what a difference a cool morning can make.

 

[Barca33Runner]

Ran the Lake County Captains Grand Slam 5K today and despite being a little warmer and sunnier than ideal I managed a 26:01 for a new PR.

I didn't report the race for the front page because I wasn't sure if it was going to be chip-timed or a certified course and wasn't sure how hard I was going to run it. Turned out to be both so I decided to try and go as quickly as possible. It was pretty congested for the first half mile, but I was pretty happy with how my race went.

 

[jfinke]

This year may be the first year since the 2014 Boston Marathon that a BQ could simply be enough to get you in. Where as it was around BQ-2min almost two years ago.

Not quite sure what you are saying here. Qualifying for the 2016 Boston Marathon was was 2:28 below BQ. That wiped out a lot of people who thought that they were in. The last year everyone who got in was 2013, the year of the bombing. Boston is the largest feeder race into the next year's race. So if the conditions are not great, less people BQ during the race itself. This impacts the next year. 2012 was a very hot race, which is why I believe 2013 was as accepting as it was. I would anticipate next year (2017) to have a very open qualifying as this years race was hot as well. It was actually really warm at the start and then cooled off as we got to Boston, but the damage was already done to most of the runners. My wife managed to requalify, but I did not.

 

[Chasing Dopey]

Ran a 13.1 mile training run today - my longest run since my injury. It was 10 degrees cooler today than last week, which allowed me to run faster with a lower heart rate. I ran 15 seconds/mile faster and my heart rate was 135 BPM (stayed below 130 for the first 8 miles). The run felt amazing, and I feel great.

Amazing what a difference a cool morning can make.

That's good because it was hotter'n'hell when I got out of church! And I'm envious of your heart rate. I would be really slow with tiny little steps to stay that low.

Getting to those longer distances after coming back from injury is a huge deal, and I bet it feels great. Well done!

 

[bellanotte10]

@Waiting2goback hopefully to DC!!

And I'll be there for dopey 2018!! I promised my boyfriend and marathon weekend is the reason we met in the first place. I plan on going to as many going forward as I can!

 

[mrsgryphon]

Thanks for the warm welcome!

But I would say attempt to incorporate that first half INTO your current training plan (line it up in place of a long run of similar length), and when it comes time to race it, take that one a little easier, and instead of racing for time, use it to focus on avoiding the typical race-day mistakes (starting too fast, eating the wrong thing before, etc).

That would be the smart way to do it. The first one is supposed to be a fast, flat course so I'd like to see what I could do on that one. The second is the one I ran for my first half last year.

My question to you is, you have run 3 half's this year already, do you need a full 18 week plan anyway? Aren't you most likely already in decent shape? Give us some more info and you will most likely get plenty of feedback.

You're definitely right, I don't need a full 18 week plan. My most recent half was just a month ago so I wouldn't worry about finishing even if I did a shorter plan. However, I'm slow and the halfs I did so far did not go as well as I had hoped. I've never done any kind of speed or tempo work, just built up miles, and my weekly mileage is not impressive.

I know I have tried many training plans over the years, but I am currently on my second training cycle using Hansons Half Marathon Advanced plan (and I'm currently using Hansons Personal Coaching Services as well), so I can help translate any marathon-to-half-marathon training differences. The Hansons Half Marathon book definitely has some vague and inconsistent areas that weren't fully developed from the full marathon book. Some I figured out on my own based on the Hansons philosophy, and others I had to ask my Hansons coach to clarify, but I think I have a very good understanding now of the Hansons half marathon training and how it differs from the full marathon training. Anyway, that's a long-winded way of saying if you have any half marathon specific questions regarding Hansons, just ask away.

Thank you - I've just finished reading and am still digesting the information, but am sure I'll have questions for you.

[QUOTE="DopeyBadger, post: 56037321, member: 564601"]Funny enough I was going to send you a message a week or so ago. Based on your "likes" I could see you were making your way through the whole thread. :D[/QUOTE]

Busted! I've enjoyed reading through everything here and hope to stay now that I'm here. I'm typically the introverted lurker, but the atmosphere here is just so positive I had to join in. I'll answer your questions and give you more info in the next post.

 

[Slogger]

Hi! I'm Christine - brand new to this forum but I'm going to jump on in. I've read a lot of this thread - what a wealth of information! I'm hoping to get registered for the Glass Slipper Challenge in 2017 which will be my first Disney race. I ran my first half marathon last October after a couple of injuries causing me to defer my June race. This year I've run 3 halfs so far and have a couple more planned.

Is there a place that's appropriate to ask training questions? I could use some help from more experienced runners. I got the Hansons Half Marathon book after reading about it here. Their plan is 18 weeks and I have 11 and 14 weeks before my fall half marathons, so I would have to tweak the plan somehow to use it.

Welcome Christine! You definitely came to the right place to gather information about your half marathon training. I'm sure many people will chime in with great advice.

 

[keahgirl8]

I'm slowly but surely working my way back into running. This week, I am doing intervals for 1/3 of the running time/distance and walking for 2/3 of it. Next week, all go half and half. It's harder than it used to be, but it felt good to be getting miles in, no matter how few or how slow.

 

[mrsgryphon]

1) What kind of training have you been doing lately? Days per week, pace, duration of runs, daily mileage, weekly mileage, etc.
2) What is a recent half-marathon result that you feel best represents your current fitness level?
3) What is your motivation for running?
4) Which of the two halfs is your "A" race? Which is the race you want to give your best effort?

1) Leading up to the races - 4 days a week, pace typically 11:10-11:45, daily miles 4/4/3/long (6-12), weekly miles 16-21
I took the week after the last race off, then was on vacation for 2 weeks (got in 3 shorter runs each week). Found a 5k while on vacation (6/18) and finished in 28:36 - a post-40 and 4 kids PR. I've never done any speed training or tempo runs. I've just tried to get the miles in, building up the long run a mile a week with some dropback weeks.

2) Half marathon on 6/5 - 2:21:18 - the best of the 3 this year

3) Overall, better health and fitness. The weight has just kept creeping up with kids and age. I figured I'd better do something to help improve my health. I started Couch to 5k in 2014, then continued with the "to 10k" app, finishing that in 2/15. The sad thing is I'm 12 pounds heavier now than I was then. Back then I couldn't run for 2.5 hours though. Now it's to see how far I can go, how much better can I get. I feel good when I run regularly.

4) I'd say the first since it's supposed to be a flat & fast course. The second is what I ran last year, and while there aren't any killer hills it definitely isn't flat. I'd like to see what I can do after some solid training and the first would be a great chance for a nice PR.

Background - When I picked up my progressive series medal (5k/10k/half) after finishing my first half last year I saw others picking up running jackets for completing the triple half challenge. I knew what my next goal was - 2016 halfs in April, May, and October. For my first half this year (4/3) my training slipped off during the 3 weeks before the race. I don't remember why I was in such a funk, but I only did 2 runs a week after having a regular, steady progression to that point. I got a reprieve, because that race was actually postponed due to an unexpected snowstorm and high winds with gusts over 75mph. Rescheduled for 4/24, which was only 3 weeks before the second half (originally 6 weeks apart). Most of my training prior to this race was done on a treadmill. I decided to try to run with a pace group - my choice being 2:15 or 2:30. My first half was 2:21:23, so I decided to go with the 2:15. There were hills, lots of hills. I was able to hang on until almost mile 7 and then let the pace group pull away. By mile 8 I was taking a lot of walk breaks - I just gave up but kept moving. A disappointing 2:33:50 finish.

Instead of that kicking me into gear, I only managed 5 runs in the 3 weeks leading up to my second half (5/15). I drove that course the night before - no major hills, but the second half had rolling hills. Went out with the 2:30 pace group this time thinking I could try to pick up the pace later in the race if I was feeling good. Turns out the pacer went out at a 10:48 pace instead of 11:27. I actually felt good through mile 7, but was feeling it by mile 10 and started taking some short walk breaks. Not nearly as bad as the last half and I wasn't nearly as discouraged. Finished in 2:26:38 - and improvement, but still not as good as my first half.

I decided to throw in a third half 3 weeks later (6/5) because I felt better about my second performance but still needed to redeem myself. I did not want to wait until fall for my next half. Life was very hectic during those 3 weeks and training was sporadic. Weather predictions the day before the race? Severe thunderstorms all morning. We were notified the race may be called before or during, but they were going to try to run as scheduled. Race morning the storms had been pushed off and we only had steady rain. Back to the 2:15 pace group (yes, there is a lesson to be learned here). The first mile was very narrow and congested, so when it cleared the pacers saw we were behind (10:44 instead of 10:17) and picked up the pace. The first 6 miles averaged a 10 minute pace - definitely faster than I should have been going and I started slowing down. Minor walk breaks after mile 9 and my pace just slowed down. Time - 2:21:18 - a 5 second PR.

I thought it would help me to run with a pace group because I wasn't confident I could keep a steady pace myself. The trouble is I should have been right in the middle of those groups and wrongly chose optimism and dreams twice instead of the reality of my training. I also didn't drop back the two times that I realized the pacers were significantly quicker than what they should have been. I felt okay then, so why slow down? Yeah, it doesn't work. Sometimes it takes awhile for the lesson to sink in.

This got very long...time to turn in so I can run tomorrow.

 

[bellrae]

So, ran the Gold Coast half marathon on the weekend here in Australia.

It was a lovely morning, nice and cool and clear. The thousands of runners crammed into the tram to the start line at 5am were freaking out the few drunks stumbling home after a big night out!

The first 17km were amazing. I was running better than planned. I was keeping a really consistent pace, and was keeping my 5k pace, which was amazing. My breathing and my heart rate were also right where I wanted them to be. I realised I was on track for a 20 minute PB at this point! Then, I noticed that I was starting to get some pain in my knee, and I started getting slower and slower as it became more brutal with every step. By the time I got to the finish line I was in agony and literally limped over. After the race as I went through the chute I really thought the knee would just give way. I eroded a lot of the good time work I did early on - but still managed a 6 minute PB with a finish time of 2:28.

I've subsequently worked out the problem is the dreaded IT Band. I'm still in a lot of pain in my knee today when trying to do things like walk down the stairs (I live in a three story townhouse!!!), but I am hoping with some rest and treatment things will get better.

Despite being on the other side of the world, I spotted a pair of runDisney New Balance Goofy shoes during the race, and at one point a lady in front had a Star Wars half shirt tied around her waist - made me feel like you were all there cheering me on

Also - biggest achievement of the morning - I didn't take a single walk break! I was prepared to, but half marathon number 5 was 100% running. Super proud of myself and the training I have put in.

I have a pic of the medal on Instagram if anyone is interested - @belindarae15

 

[DopeyBadger]

1) Leading up to the races - 4 days a week, pace typically 11:10-11:45, daily miles 4/4/3/long (6-12), weekly miles 16-21
I took the week after the last race off, then was on vacation for 2 weeks (got in 3 shorter runs each week). Found a 5k while on vacation (6/18) and finished in 28:36 - a post-40 and 4 kids PR. I've never done any speed training or tempo runs. I've just tried to get the miles in, building up the long run a mile a week with some dropback weeks.

2) Half marathon on 6/5 - 2:21:18 - the best of the 3 this year

3) Overall, better health and fitness. The weight has just kept creeping up with kids and age. I figured I'd better do something to help improve my health. I started Couch to 5k in 2014, then continued with the "to 10k" app, finishing that in 2/15. The sad thing is I'm 12 pounds heavier now than I was then. Back then I couldn't run for 2.5 hours though. Now it's to see how far I can go, how much better can I get. I feel good when I run regularly.

4) I'd say the first since it's supposed to be a flat & fast course. The second is what I ran last year, and while there aren't any killer hills it definitely isn't flat. I'd like to see what I can do after some solid training and the first would be a great chance for a nice PR.

Background - When I picked up my progressive series medal (5k/10k/half) after finishing my first half last year I saw others picking up running jackets for completing the triple half challenge. I knew what my next goal was - 2016 halfs in April, May, and October. For my first half this year (4/3) my training slipped off during the 3 weeks before the race. I don't remember why I was in such a funk, but I only did 2 runs a week after having a regular, steady progression to that point. I got a reprieve, because that race was actually postponed due to an unexpected snowstorm and high winds with gusts over 75mph. Rescheduled for 4/24, which was only 3 weeks before the second half (originally 6 weeks apart). Most of my training prior to this race was done on a treadmill. I decided to try to run with a pace group - my choice being 2:15 or 2:30. My first half was 2:21:23, so I decided to go with the 2:15. There were hills, lots of hills. I was able to hang on until almost mile 7 and then let the pace group pull away. By mile 8 I was taking a lot of walk breaks - I just gave up but kept moving. A disappointing 2:33:50 finish.

Instead of that kicking me into gear, I only managed 5 runs in the 3 weeks leading up to my second half (5/15). I drove that course the night before - no major hills, but the second half had rolling hills. Went out with the 2:30 pace group this time thinking I could try to pick up the pace later in the race if I was feeling good. Turns out the pacer went out at a 10:48 pace instead of 11:27. I actually felt good through mile 7, but was feeling it by mile 10 and started taking some short walk breaks. Not nearly as bad as the last half and I wasn't nearly as discouraged. Finished in 2:26:38 - and improvement, but still not as good as my first half.

I decided to throw in a third half 3 weeks later (6/5) because I felt better about my second performance but still needed to redeem myself. I did not want to wait until fall for my next half. Life was very hectic during those 3 weeks and training was sporadic. Weather predictions the day before the race? Severe thunderstorms all morning. We were notified the race may be called before or during, but they were going to try to run as scheduled. Race morning the storms had been pushed off and we only had steady rain. Back to the 2:15 pace group (yes, there is a lesson to be learned here). The first mile was very narrow and congested, so when it cleared the pacers saw we were behind (10:44 instead of 10:17) and picked up the pace. The first 6 miles averaged a 10 minute pace - definitely faster than I should have been going and I started slowing down. Minor walk breaks after mile 9 and my pace just slowed down. Time - 2:21:18 - a 5 second PR.

I thought it would help me to run with a pace group because I wasn't confident I could keep a steady pace myself. The trouble is I should have been right in the middle of those groups and wrongly chose optimism and dreams twice instead of the reality of my training. I also didn't drop back the two times that I realized the pacers were significantly quicker than what they should have been. I felt okay then, so why slow down? Yeah, it doesn't work. Sometimes it takes awhile for the lesson to sink in.

This got very long...time to turn in so I can run tomorrow.

Lots of great information. I think you learned a very important lesson I learned as well. Pace groups are a nice tool, but in the end it's most important that you run YOUR race to run your best race. I think this change in thought process that you've had will serve you well.

So, you've been running 4 days per week with weekly mileage around 16-21 miles. You have 11 weeks before your "A" half marathon. Given these characteristics, I can not recommend you do the Hansons half marathon plan as written. The plan as written 11 weeks out is around 38 miles weekly and at 6 tough days a week. If we jumped into that you increase your risk for injury dramatically. However, we can come up with a custom plan that can optimize your time and slowly transition you from 4 days a week to 6 days a week if you wish. Your recent 5K PR has a HM race equivalency of 2:12 so it tells me you likely need more endurance work & tempo work than speed work at this point to improve your current HM time. Given your time frame of 11 weeks you likely could only focus on one aspect (endurance or speed) so this means we would do endurance (it takes about 8-10 weeks to reap the benefits of a single focus aspect training). If you're interested in setting up a custom plan send me a PM and we can figure out what would work best for you.

 

[Waiting2goback]

I know you can never say never, but I'd like to say never again for me.

I'm not even going to pretend I won't ever do it again. I am sure I will. I am stubborn so if I get a pain I will most likely run through it until the point I can't handle it anymore. Plantar fasciitis took me about 4 months to get checked out. A torn tendon took me 5 months. So, unless I actually break a bone and it's obvious to me, I will most likely do it again in the future.

Ran a 13.1 mile training run today - my longest run since my injury. It was 10 degrees cooler today than last week, which allowed me to run faster with a lower heart rate. I ran 15 seconds/mile faster and my heart rate was 135 BPM (stayed below 130 for the first 8 miles). The run felt amazing, and I feel great.

Amazing what a difference a cool morning can make.

Don't you just love those runs when your done and you can say it felt amazing. They don't happen as often as the bad ones but when they do they just re-energize you. I'm glad things are going well for you during your recovery.

@Waiting2goback hopefully to DC!!

And I'll be there for dopey 2018!! I promised my boyfriend and marathon weekend is the reason we met in the first place. I plan on going to as many going forward as I can!

See, I need a girlfriend like you one I am divorced. Someone that will promise we can go back to Disney is right up my alley!!! Hopefully we can get a big meet up together and we can all meet then.

1) Leading up to the races - 4 days a week, pace typically 11:10-11:45, daily miles 4/4/3/long (6-12), weekly miles 16-21
I took the week after the last race off, then was on vacation for 2 weeks (got in 3 shorter runs each week). Found a 5k while on vacation (6/18) and finished in 28:36 - a post-40 and 4 kids PR. I've never done any speed training or tempo runs. I've just tried to get the miles in, building up the long run a mile a week with some dropback weeks.

2) Half marathon on 6/5 - 2:21:18 - the best of the 3 this year

3) Overall, better health and fitness. The weight has just kept creeping up with kids and age. I figured I'd better do something to help improve my health. I started Couch to 5k in 2014, then continued with the "to 10k" app, finishing that in 2/15. The sad thing is I'm 12 pounds heavier now than I was then. Back then I couldn't run for 2.5 hours though. Now it's to see how far I can go, how much better can I get. I feel good when I run regularly.

4) I'd say the first since it's supposed to be a flat & fast course. The second is what I ran last year, and while there aren't any killer hills it definitely isn't flat. I'd like to see what I can do after some solid training and the first would be a great chance for a nice PR.

Background - When I picked up my progressive series medal (5k/10k/half) after finishing my first half last year I saw others picking up running jackets for completing the triple half challenge. I knew what my next goal was - 2016 halfs in April, May, and October. For my first half this year (4/3) my training slipped off during the 3 weeks before the race. I don't remember why I was in such a funk, but I only did 2 runs a week after having a regular, steady progression to that point. I got a reprieve, because that race was actually postponed due to an unexpected snowstorm and high winds with gusts over 75mph. Rescheduled for 4/24, which was only 3 weeks before the second half (originally 6 weeks apart). Most of my training prior to this race was done on a treadmill. I decided to try to run with a pace group - my choice being 2:15 or 2:30. My first half was 2:21:23, so I decided to go with the 2:15. There were hills, lots of hills. I was able to hang on until almost mile 7 and then let the pace group pull away. By mile 8 I was taking a lot of walk breaks - I just gave up but kept moving. A disappointing 2:33:50 finish.

Instead of that kicking me into gear, I only managed 5 runs in the 3 weeks leading up to my second half (5/15). I drove that course the night before - no major hills, but the second half had rolling hills. Went out with the 2:30 pace group this time thinking I could try to pick up the pace later in the race if I was feeling good. Turns out the pacer went out at a 10:48 pace instead of 11:27. I actually felt good through mile 7, but was feeling it by mile 10 and started taking some short walk breaks. Not nearly as bad as the last half and I wasn't nearly as discouraged. Finished in 2:26:38 - and improvement, but still not as good as my first half.

I decided to throw in a third half 3 weeks later (6/5) because I felt better about my second performance but still needed to redeem myself. I did not want to wait until fall for my next half. Life was very hectic during those 3 weeks and training was sporadic. Weather predictions the day before the race? Severe thunderstorms all morning. We were notified the race may be called before or during, but they were going to try to run as scheduled. Race morning the storms had been pushed off and we only had steady rain. Back to the 2:15 pace group (yes, there is a lesson to be learned here). The first mile was very narrow and congested, so when it cleared the pacers saw we were behind (10:44 instead of 10:17) and picked up the pace. The first 6 miles averaged a 10 minute pace - definitely faster than I should have been going and I started slowing down. Minor walk breaks after mile 9 and my pace just slowed down. Time - 2:21:18 - a 5 second PR.

I thought it would help me to run with a pace group because I wasn't confident I could keep a steady pace myself. The trouble is I should have been right in the middle of those groups and wrongly chose optimism and dreams twice instead of the reality of my training. I also didn't drop back the two times that I realized the pacers were significantly quicker than what they should have been. I felt okay then, so why slow down? Yeah, it doesn't work. Sometimes it takes awhile for the lesson to sink in.

This got very long...time to turn in so I can run tomorrow.

I will leave it to DopeyBadger to come up with the training plan. He is clearly better at it than me. I could probably use some help in that area myself in fact. But, I think we need to put something in perspective and these are somethings I need to work on as well. It is just easier to see it in others than it is yourself.

You have only been running for 2 years, and I say only because some people have run way longer than that. And in two years, unless you are racing every weekend, there is no way you can learn everything there is to learn about this sport. I have been running 2 years and I know I still don't know anything. So, don't beat yourself up about it taking a long time for a lesson to sink in (look at my first comment above about the injury thing, I know about taking a long time to learn). If you are in the middle of 2 pace groups that can be tricky to decide which to go with.

There is nothing disappointing about a 2:33:50 finish in any 1/2 marathon. Are there faster people on this thread, sure. But you just started running 2 years ago, you have how many kids, 4? I have 4 kids and just fitting in the training between 4 kids and a full-time job can be very difficult. So many things can go wrong during any one of these races so just to be able to finish is a major accomplishment.

If you have read this thread you know one of my major goals is to qualify for the Boston Marathon and yet my PR in the marathon distance is only 5:01. Sounds like I am crazy, right? I have to cut 1:45 off my time to even have a chance. The reason I think I can still do it is because I learned a lot during that race. I learned that no matter how hard you train you can't control everything. I went into that race ready, so I thought. Well, at mile 14 I thought I was going to crap my pants and vomit at the same time. I was looking around for a place to go to the bathroom and wondering now that I am in the middle of the race how am I getting back to the finish when I quit. I said, screw it. If I crap myself at least I didn't quit. At mile 18 both hamstrings decided it would be funny to see me rolling around on someone's front lawn so they locked up on me at the same time. Some of the worst pain I have ever felt.

So what did I learn? I learned I was crazy for signing up for a marathon only 7 months after I began running. It sounded like a good idea at the time and I am still glad I did it, but I wasn't even close to ready for it. I learned how much I really don't know. I learned that anything can happen in any of these races and a finish is a finish and I am more proud of that finish than any of the others because I wanted to quit many times but I didn't. I kept going through all of the pain and I didn't quit on myself for once. I learned I am capable of anything once my mind accepts it is possible.

So don't beat yourself up over a "disappointing" finish time. It just means you have left yourself more room for future PR's. Look how many PR's I will set for myself as I chip away at my goal to BQ, because now that I didn't quit on myself I just have to match my ability (which I believe is there for a BQ) and my training. And I don't mean to make my response about myself but I just feel it is the best way to explain my point, hopefully it comes across that way.

So, ran the Gold Coast half marathon on the weekend here in Australia.

It was a lovely morning, nice and cool and clear. The thousands of runners crammed into the tram to the start line at 5am were freaking out the few drunks stumbling home after a big night out!

The first 17km were amazing. I was running better than planned. I was keeping a really consistent pace, and was keeping my 5k pace, which was amazing. My breathing and my heart rate were also right where I wanted them to be. I realised I was on track for a 20 minute PB at this point! Then, I noticed that I was starting to get some pain in my knee, and I started getting slower and slower as it became more brutal with every step. By the time I got to the finish line I was in agony and literally limped over. After the race as I went through the chute I really thought the knee would just give way. I eroded a lot of the good time work I did early on - but still managed a 6 minute PB with a finish time of 2:28.

I've subsequently worked out the problem is the dreaded IT Band. I'm still in a lot of pain in my knee today when trying to do things like walk down the stairs (I live in a three story townhouse!!!), but I am hoping with some rest and treatment things will get better.

Despite being on the other side of the world, I spotted a pair of runDisney New Balance Goofy shoes during the race, and at one point a lady in front had a Star Wars half shirt tied around her waist - made me feel like you were all there cheering me on

Also - biggest achievement of the morning - I didn't take a single walk break! I was prepared to, but half marathon number 5 was 100% running. Super proud of myself and the training I have put in.

I have a pic of the medal on Instagram if anyone is interested - @belindarae15

Managed a 6:00 PB? Anytime you can beat a previous PB by 6:00 I think would qualify as a huge accomplishment rather than just "managed". My above message applies here as well. Sure you were on pace for a 20 minute PB but anything can happen. You fought through and still ended up with a huge improvement. I would say it is more than just "managed". A lot of training must have gone into that 6:00 PB. I checked out the medal, its cool!


I didn't post last night because I had my races. They were night races and we got home late. I will do a review later as this was more hectic than last week having 2 races with start times only an hour apart. I brought the GoPro so if the footage came out decent, which I haven't checked yet, I may put together a video. While I am not a fan of posting pics of myself anywhere for public to see them I do have to post these because I am so proud of my girls.



They did an awesome job in their first race.

 

[doctorintheTARDIS]

I was curious if anyone uses the Road ID bands?

I don't run super far (yet!) but looking at their website, it made me think, I go out running without any ID.

If I pass out/get hit by a car/etc no one will know who I am to contact my loved ones.


If you do have one, do you know what type you got (any pros or cons to any of them? I know its just a wristband... but if its constricting or rubs... I'll be uncomfortable)