I Ran a Half Marathon. Now What?

Two days ago I ran the race I'd been training for 4 months to run.  I put in 99,572,390,571 training hours and 200,369 miles.  I even had to buy new running shoes because I wore my 6 month old Brooks Ravenna's down (I'm kinda known for holding onto gym shoes for a good 5 years before tossing them out).

During this time,I learned how to fuel my body by researching pre-workouts and endurance fuel.  I saw a nutritionist who convinced me my body needed more vegetables (blech!).  I took countless tests to check my body for inflammation, food allergies and sensitives.  Turns out I have a lot of those although the level of inflammation in my body went way down from a year ago.  After learning how many foods my body doesn't like, I actually considered becoming a vegan.  Yes, me Sabrina, the red meat loving pro high fat, high protein lifestyle lover considered, at one time, just eating plants and veggies. I'm not sure how smart that would have been considering how many vegetables and fruits I am actually highly sensitive to now.

For awhile I woke up an hour early before work, 4:30 am people, to get 5-6 mile weekly endurance runs in.  That worked out well until I was diagnosed with adrenal fatigue and couldn't sleep even when it was before my alarm went off although I could have put my head down on a table and taken a nap around noon every day.

Slowly, my weekly long runs grew from 6 miles to 11.  I once ran 11 miles on my rickety old treadmill because I just couldn't take one more run in the cold.  It was hell.  I watched movies, listened to music and podcasts to pass the time and all of it was mind numbingly awful.

Speaking of running on treadmills, I can't remember how many times I would put in 5 miles prior to a race just to get in my weekly long run that day.  Yes, you read that right.  I once ran 5 miles before a 5K that I ultimately PR'ed in.  Before my first 10 mile race I put in one mile on the treadmill to get my long run of 11-13 miles in.  Who was I?  I couldn't even run a mile in high school!

The point is, I was dedicated, and committed. I had a plan outside of my other daily hum-drum commitments. I had a goal that I spent 4 months working on achieving.

On Sunday, I ran my first 13.1 miles ever in the Gate City Half Marathon.

The longest run I ever got to in my training plan was just 11 miles.  Miles 11-13.1 were uncharted territory for me during this race.

To say that terrified me was an understatement.

But I did it.  I had put in the time and work to train for a half marathon and I did it.

I'm a highly organized, detailed oriented person.  I like plans.  The Train Like a Mother 13.1 challenge that I followed from Another Mother Runner spoke to me.  It kept me on track, it held me accountable, it gave me a clear goal to achieve.

Turns out I really like goals.

On Sunday, I met that goal.  I am very proud of that fact.

Now what?

As much as I cursed that plan when it had me out there running 10 miles on a Sunday when I really just wanted to stay in my cozy pajamas or 6 miles on a Wednesday when snuggling on the couch sounded so much more fun, I needed that plan.

Dare I say I'm kind of lost without it?

I think I am actually feeling a little sad that it is over.

Do we mourn the loss of achieving our goals?  Is that a thing?  Is that what I am feeling?  I'm definitely having a hard time sticking to my nutritional plan and I am a classic emotional eater.  I really just want to stuff my face with pizza and ice cream while pouring myself another glass of wine.

When I'm ready I'll find another goal race to train for.  Until then, pass the bottle of Pinot Noir.


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Half Marathon Music Playlist

I have to listen to music when I run. It inspires me. It motivates it. It allows me to escape from my surroundings.

I'll be sure to make some last minute changes before the race and I'm looking for any suggestions for songs that will fit in with my eclectic genre. 

Below is a list of the songs and their artists that will be listening to during my first half marathon on Sunday, May 15. 

Total Run Time:  2:41

• Misirlou- Dick Dale and His Del-tones 
• Daft Punk is Playing in My House -  LCD Soundsystem
• Fat Bottomed Girls - Queen
• Heads Will Roll - Yeah, Yeah, Yeah
• Hooked On a Feeling - Blue Swede
• I'm Shipping Up to Boston - Dropkick Murphys 
• Let's Dance - David Bowie
• Let's Go Crazy - Prince
• Lust For Life - Iggy Pop
• Berlin - Black Rebel Motorcycle Club
• Paper Planes - M.I.A.
• The Dope Show - Marilyn Manson
• Elephant - Tame Impala
• Don't Stop Believin' - Journey
• Got Your Money - Ol' Dirty Bastard 
• Tighten Up - The Black Keys
• Spirit in the Sky - Norman Greenbaum
• Kashmir - Led Zeppelin 
• Howlin' For You - The Black Keys
• Don't Stop Me Now - Queen
• Flagpole Sita - Harvey Danger
• The Beautiful People - Marilyn Manson 
• Long Cool Woman - The Hollies
• Dog Days are Over - Florence + The Machine
• Rock and Roll - Led Zeppelin 
• Highway to Hell - AC/DC
• Welcome to the Jungle - Guns N' Roses
• Stronger - Kanye West 
• Work Bitch - Britany Spears
• I Want It All -  Queen
• Sabotage - The Beastie Boys 
• Born to Run - Bruce Springsteen 
• Dancing With Myself - Billy Idol
• Turn Down for What - DJ Snake and Lil Jon
• Love You Like a Love Song - Selena Gomez 
• Ring of Fire - Johnny Cash
• Darude - Sandstorm 
• A Little Less Conversation - Elvis
• I Love It - Icona Pop
• The Final Countdown - Europe

10 Tips to Surviving the Week Before Your First Half Marathon

So you're running your first half marathon.  Good for you for being only half crazy!  Ideally, you've put in some serious training over the last 3-4 months and you've followed your training plan to a T or modified it so it fits you to a T whichever the case may be.  Below on some last minute tips to help you survive the final week before the big day.

1.  Hydrate!

Aim for a gallon of water a day.  If you're worried about being up all night to use the bathroom then guzzle most of your water in the morning hours.  Add some Nuun Hydration Tablets so you get the electrolytes without the sugar.

2.  Check your gear. 

Make sure everything is in working order.  Ideally, everything you are using come race day has been broken in so there are no surprises.

3.  Pick Your Mantras.

You will be chanting them in your head, or out loud like a crazy person, when the going gets tough.  

4.  Set Your Playlist

The right music can inspire and motivate you right when you need it most.  Some of my favorite running songs are:

• Born to Run - Bruce Springsteen
• Can't Stop Me Now - Queen
• I'm Shipping Up to Boston - Dropkick Murphy's 
• Let's Go Crazy - Prince
• Immigrant Song - Led Zeppelin
• Welcome to the Jungle - Guns N' Roses
• Stronger - Kanye West
• Work Bitch - Brittany Spears 

5.  Clip Your Toe Nails

This one should be a no brainer.  No one likes bloody socks during a race.  Clip those talons.  

6.  Protein Up!

The week before your big race your nutrition needs to be on point.  Ideally, you've been doing this all along with your training so there are no surprises on the big day that lands you in the long porta-potty lines doing a crazy dance.  Protein is important because it helps build and repair muscles.  Carbs are great for a quick burst of energy, but red meat will deliver the nutrients your body needs to feed those muscles that are deep down inside.  While your at it, add an egg a day, I prefer hard boiled, to clean out your liver.

7.  Rest

This is probably the most important step.  Don't overdue it.  You don't want to risk an injury or deplete yourself this close to reaching your goal.

8.  Make a Mental Plan

Think about how you are going to pace yourself.  Research and plan which water stops you are going to stop at and which ones you might even want to walk through.  For longer races, water stops often include fuel like Honey Stinger Chews.  It's a good idea to know which ones those are so you aren't making any unplanned stops and in the process add valuable seconds to your finish time.  

9.  Stick to Your Plan

This one goes back to #7.  Run when your plan says run, rest when it says rest and cross-train when it says, well you get the idea.  The last week before your race is not the time to start adding in extra runs.  

10.  Pack Your Bags

Dress rehearsal time!  Make sure you've picked out what you are going to wear from your socks to your headphones and that you have some experience using them.  Again, to avoid surprises on race day everything on your body should have been worn before.  

Put everything you are going to need for race day into your bag.  Pack extras!  For women, I suggest packing a few extra hair ties in case they break because who wants to deal with a sweaty mess of hair while you are trying to focus on your form?  After my 10 miler I had packed flip flops and my feet were so thankful especially since we had an hour car drive home.  

If you have any other tips to add, please share them below!  I've found that the best advice comes from other runner's mishaps because  it's the little things, like hair ties, that can make or break a race for you.

How I Found Joy While Running My First 10 Mile Race

Sunday, August 24 was a pretty special day for me. No, it wasn't the day my daughter was born or even the day I married my best friend.

But still, it was important to me.

It was the day of my first ever 10 mile race, a truly monumental day for me in my young running journey. Prior to this race, I had only run 10 miles three times in my life. There was a part of me that felt like I had no business running a race of this length yet, having just started running 8 months prior, but I placed all of my trust in my training so I knew running this race was exactly what I was supposed to be doing.

Probably the smartest thing I did was to mentally prepare a plan for how I was going to run it which calmed my type-A personality. Miles 1-5 I was going to stay as close to an 11 minute mile pace as I could even though I knew I could run a 10:35mm and still make out ok.  Since I was running this without my training buddy and the best runner I know, I wanted to make sure I was safe and I could finish it STRONG.   At mile 5, I planned on grabbing Gatorade from the water station that I was going to walk (gasp!) through and then take off running again while quickly chomping down my Honeystinger gummies.  After that I was free to pick up the pace as much as I could with the goal of making my last mile my fastest.

It helped that my music was perfectly timed to either slow me down or speed me up based on what mile I was on. Knowing this really allowed me to enjoy the run.

Yes, you read that right. I ENJOYED running a 10 mile race!  Even with Queen, Prince and Guns and Roses blaring over my headphones I was able to take in the coastal scenery as well as the beauty of what my body is capable of doing.

Miles 1-4 were truly peaceful. My mind was at ease with the task at hand. I knew I had awhile to go before I would be done so why not relax and let my legs take over?   I had plenty of time to think about how my running has changed both the shape of my body and my overall health. I no longer struggle from terrible stomach pains (hello, leaky gut), migraines and neck/shoulder pain on a daily basis. My last blood test results showed the inflammation that was tearing my body apart over a year ago was almost all gone. Not to mention my wonderfully high triglyceride level that my doctor was genuinely amazed by. "See that number?" he questioned at my last visit,  "That's what all your running has done."  

Miles 5-7 were spent thinking about my mom and how she can barely walk. She long ago chose to not take care of herself full well knowing our family history of heart disease, diabetes and cancer. Knowing I don't want to suffer like she is with her many ailments, pushed me to keep running even when the little voice in my head snarked, "You know, when you run your half marathon in 3 weeks you won't even be halfway done yet."  Ugh, shut it, girlfriend.  

One of the many reasons why I've learned to love running is because I can set goals and test my limits. I've slowly learned how to be alright with being uncomfortable. On the flip side, I believe running has a meditative quality to it. If you can get in that peaceful zone then you feel like you can run forever and that is a beautiful thing for your mind and body to be so connected. You forget about that uncomfortable feeling.  You do what our bodies were designed to do - to move, breathe deeply and sweat. It's very freeing and empowering to get to that point in your running when the endorphins take over and you're just happy. 

That brings us to miles 8-10. I was still in a good mood, flying by everyone at the remaining 2 water stops. I knew I'd see my family soon which gave the little boost to push harder.  At that point, I was also dreaming of a cold beer and a cheeseburger. Mile 9 included a hill which was rough on my tired legs, but the view at the top of the Massachusetts coast was worth it. When I hit the final quarter mile Queen's "I Want It All" came blaring over my headphones.  It was my cue that this race was nearing the finish line. I gave myself a cheer and a fistpump, because, let's be honest, if you can't do one for yourself who is going to do it for you?  I was overjoyed to see my family waiting for me at the finish line and to hear my 3 year old yell, "Go Mommy!"  

The best part was I felt great!  I could have kept going if I needed to, but I was thankful to be done. 

I started, ran and completed that race with a smile on my face and a mind and heart full of joy.

I'm ready for my first half marathon now.  I know my mind and body can handle another 3.1 miles because really, after you've run ten miles 3.1 is only a 5K.


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