6.3 miles at an 11:30 pace today. after running last night too.
i will do dexter-aa. i will.
Saturday, April 18, 2009
Monday, April 6, 2009
Racing Again
It's been a while, I know. But I'm back in action!
The 5k of a couple of weeks ago, along with my ability to stick to a workout schedule, gave me the confidence to do a half marathon yesterday. I know it would be a scenic route (through a park in Dearborn), plus the theme was AWESOME (Martians! http://www.martianmarathon.com/index.php?option=com_frontpage&Itemid=1), so I figured that even if I had to walk half of it, it would be worth it.
Kate and I got up at 5am and pulled on some layers. It got down to the 30s on Saturday night, and it was still chilly. We drove to Dearborn and parked the car, then hurried, shivering, to the building where the expo was being held.
I felt a strange combination of excitement and nervousness. I was almost worried by how I wasn't really that concerned with what I was about to do: run a half marathon after almost no training since October. It made me realize how much my mindset has changed over the past year. It was a good feeling, but I was worried that I was too confident.
Finally the race started, and Kate soon left me behind. I intentionally kept a very slow, steady pace. My runs lately have mostly been faster than I intended, and I wanted to be sure I had a fair shot at getting some distance before my muscles gave out. At the halfway mark I started to feel tired, but I kept telling myself "ok just one more mile and then you can walk." Instead of stopping at mile 9, I just ran the whole frigging thing. In 2:44, which gave me a pace of 12:33. Which is faster than I was doing training runs of this distance last fall. What. The. Eff. I'm starting to wonder if taking a long break was exactly what I needed. While I've definitely gotten squishier and heavier than I'd like, clearly my strength is not an issue.
So now I'm contemplating registering for the Dexter-Ann Arbor half. Pros: cool medal (http://www.dexterannarborrun.com/halfmarathon.htm), nice run, something to keep me going, part of my fee will get picked up by the grad school program. Cons: 12 min pace minimum or they chase you off the course. Kate thinks I can do it. I think it's hypothetically possible, but finals, graduation, moving, and vacation occur between now and then.....
The 5k of a couple of weeks ago, along with my ability to stick to a workout schedule, gave me the confidence to do a half marathon yesterday. I know it would be a scenic route (through a park in Dearborn), plus the theme was AWESOME (Martians! http://www.martianmarathon.com/index.php?option=com_frontpage&Itemid=1), so I figured that even if I had to walk half of it, it would be worth it.
Kate and I got up at 5am and pulled on some layers. It got down to the 30s on Saturday night, and it was still chilly. We drove to Dearborn and parked the car, then hurried, shivering, to the building where the expo was being held.
I felt a strange combination of excitement and nervousness. I was almost worried by how I wasn't really that concerned with what I was about to do: run a half marathon after almost no training since October. It made me realize how much my mindset has changed over the past year. It was a good feeling, but I was worried that I was too confident.
Finally the race started, and Kate soon left me behind. I intentionally kept a very slow, steady pace. My runs lately have mostly been faster than I intended, and I wanted to be sure I had a fair shot at getting some distance before my muscles gave out. At the halfway mark I started to feel tired, but I kept telling myself "ok just one more mile and then you can walk." Instead of stopping at mile 9, I just ran the whole frigging thing. In 2:44, which gave me a pace of 12:33. Which is faster than I was doing training runs of this distance last fall. What. The. Eff. I'm starting to wonder if taking a long break was exactly what I needed. While I've definitely gotten squishier and heavier than I'd like, clearly my strength is not an issue.
So now I'm contemplating registering for the Dexter-Ann Arbor half. Pros: cool medal (http://www.dexterannarborrun.com/halfmarathon.htm), nice run, something to keep me going, part of my fee will get picked up by the grad school program. Cons: 12 min pace minimum or they chase you off the course. Kate thinks I can do it. I think it's hypothetically possible, but finals, graduation, moving, and vacation occur between now and then.....
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