WORKOUT – Half Marathon race 13.1 miles/1:53:55 7.1 miles/1:05
First, the race. My time 1:53:55 was according to my garmin because they didn’t have chip timing.
I got up at 4am and did my normal pre-game, left the house at 5 and arrived at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena around 6:15. way too early. The race started at 7:30am.
An hour before the start I had my usual Clif bar but a new flavor. I don’t think Clif bars are anything amazing, but they have good nutritionals and most importantly, don’t wage war on my bowels while running.
Waited around in the car, called my mom and then eventually made it to the start. It was warm already at 7:30, and I was thirsty as soon as the race started.
The first couple miles I really had trouble getting into a good pace. For much of the race I felt like I was either going to have to stop and walk or I was barely moving, all over the pace spectrum.
The first 4 miles were a big loop around the Bowl and then we hit the trails. legit, hard trails.
It looked like we were crossing the Sahara because of all the sand. SAND! didn’t expect that.
At mile 7 I took my only gel. Around mile 9 we left the trails and met up with the Rose Bowl again and did a couple more weird loops around it.
I didn’t really like the course: it was a weird juxtaposition between roads around the Bowl with TONS of walkers/bikers/dogs and then being like Columbus hiking up a mountain discovering a new land in the middle of nowhere. Plus, I thought repeating the loop around the Bowl was super boring.
I was tired, hot and thirsty from the starting gun to the finish line “party”. I kinda feel like I should be disappointed in my time , one of my slowest halfs to date, but I really can’t be…
It was hot (85 by the time I got to my car), a hard course, and I gutted it out and performed to the best of my ability – my ability today. Hopefully next month I’ll be faster and in better shape, but even if not, all I can do is my best.
After the race I drove to Long Beach, which is on the way home, to do my 7 miles to make 20. Probably a bad decision for a few reasons:
a. It was 80 degrees, even by the ocean in Long Beach. The only time I do well in hot weather is when I’m in a bikini sipping a pina colada.
b. My previous long run last week was 13.1 miles. Doing 20.2 today meant the 10% rule punched me in the face and flew out the window.
c. I had a slight mini mental breakdown. Ok, if someone threw me a line, I would have tied a noose for myself by the end of the run.
I was so frustrated and mad at myself for struggling so much and going so slow <running my slowest 7 miles ever AND I stopped at least every mile to rest!>. The longer I ran, the more frustrated I became until finally the crapper of a run was done. Good thing or I might have punched myself in the face.
The only picture I took in the LBC; I was too tired to press the button on my camera any more.
Let me add that I never get emotional (or like today, CRAZY) about running. I’ve never cried during a run or a race because to me, it’s just running, not life and death. But today I just couldn’t keep my frustration with myself in check.
But on the way home I decided to let it go; it doesn’t matter and I have so much to be grateful for… including the fact that I (hopefully) don’t look like Heidi Montag when I cry. I’m sure there’s a few other things but I can’t think of them at the moment.
The bottle count:
-I drank a cup of water at every aid station, probably every 1.5-2 miles
-Post-race, had 16.9 oz bottle of water AND 32 oz PowerAde Zero
-While running in Long Beach, had another 16.9 oz water bottle
-Driving home, had a 16.9 oz Diet Snapple Peach Iced Tea from the race
And yet, I still lost 2.8 lbs of water. That my friends, is a study in dehydration. And probably the reason I annihilated a jar of pickles for lunch.
