I DID IT!

I DID IT! I ran my first half marathon.  I have had a wide range of emotions flowing through my mind the past few days, that it's hard to know where to begin with this post.  I can't believe that something that I worked so hard for for so long is now over.  

Before the Race
The few days before the race, I was a nervous wreck.  My stomach was in knots constantly, I was having a hard time eating and sleeping.  I did three 4-5 mile runs the week prior to the race, and they all went so badly that I was convinced that I couldn't do 13.1 miles.  I had gotten into the mindset of "whatever... I'll try my best but I'm probably going to fail".  Thursday evening I ran into the owner of a local running store, who gave me some words of advice: run your own race.  I really listened to him, and slept better that night than I had all week.  I still had a hard time "carb-loading", because honestly I'm just not used to eating that much.  I was eating in two hour intervals, pretty much anything and everything, for three days straight.  I felt bloated and weighed down and I was terrified that something like the Old Weth 10K was going to happen again.   The night before the race I stopped eating around 9 pm, and was so anxious that I didn't fall asleep until 12:15 am.

Race Day
I set my alarm for 4:55 am, for the race start time of 8:00 am.  I wanted to be certain that I was awake, well fueled, and ready to go.  It was lightly sprinkling when I awoke, which then turned into a steady rainfall.  Disappointing weather, but luckily all my long training runs had been in rain, so I was not worried about the rain altering my running state of mind.   I downed two cups of coffee as well as an avocado and some baked potato.  I headed over to Bushnell Park at 6:45 am, where the festivities were well underway.  Around 7:30 I got in line for the restroom, which, by the time I was in and out, left me with EIGHT minutes to get to the starting line! I quickly warmed up, and rushed to the starting line with one minute to spare.  I'm glad it ended up this way, so I didn't have time to process what was about to happen.  The host was getting everyone pumped up and playing awesome music, then the gun signaled and we were on our way.

During the Race
As I had mentioned, I was a nervous wreck, with a lot of emotions coming and going.  The first few minutes of the race I was very teary eyed, quietly crying while running.  I seriously just couldn't believe that the day had come that I had been anticipating for 5 months.  
The first mile mark came and went, and I saw that I was at a much slower pace than I had anticipated.   I had been training at around a 9:15 minute mile, and I was running the race at about a 10:00 minute mile.  I was surprisingly okay with this, after all, I had set NO time goals, I just wanted to cross the finish line after running the whole thing.  At about mile 1.5, the full marathon group and half marathon group went separate paths.  At this point it thinned out a little and I got into my groove.  
I opted to not run with my running/water belt, so I made sure to grab a cup of water or gatorade at each station, which by the way- are very hard to run through!  There was also Gu available at two stops, as well as live music/DJs at seven different points throughout.  We also passed four fire houses, and all the firefighters were lined up outside, honoring a fallen fireman from Hartford who had passed the week prior.  It was very emotional to see them, and a lot of runners ran to give them hugs/high fives.
I kind of zoned out in my headphones and didn't really focus on running during the first six miles, and before I knew it I was running under the halfway marker.  I felt amazing, no pain, no stomach aches, feeling well hydrated.  I took my first Gu down at that point, and continued to push through.  The rain was still coming down and I was still freezing! I couldn't believe there were some people wearing shorts and tank tops... I was in long pants, long sleeve (two layers!) gloves, and a hat!
Mile 7-10 were through West Hartford and Elizabeth Park (where I participated in the Red Dress Run), so I knew there would be a few hills involved.  Normally, I'd bump up my music and power through the hills, but... my iPod stopped working at this point.  It had gotten so wet that it began to malfunction.  So I tried to power through the hills with no music- definitely not the same!  After that, it was all flat, and we were in the homestretch.  Somewhere around mile 11.5 my right foot and knee started to really, really hurt.  I was wincing in pain, and kept thinking "you could stop and walk..." but I seriously could not let myself do that.  
Soon enough I saw the 12 mile marker and I started to cry.  I was crying partially because I was in pain, freezing, and soaking wet, but I was mostly crying because I was about the cross the finish line.  I was running through the city that I love most, with hundreds of people that I didn't know cheering me on.  I was about to finish something that I had put my mind to three years ago, only to be interrupted by two of the most painful surgeries ever.   I was ending twenty weeks of dedication to something that I never though was possible.   I picked up my pace in the last half mile, and I crossed the finish line at 2:12:29, whimpering, crying, shivering, and in disbelief that I ran the ENTIRE way.  It felt absolutely incredible and somewhat indescribable.  

After the Race
I had intended to meet up with friends after the race and have some post-race adult beverages, but I was in pain and so cold that I just wanted to go home.  I grabbed a bagel and banana from the athlete food tent, and huddled with my mom and Kevin to try and warm up and eat.  I couldn't get any food down, so I took the food with me and headed home.  Once home I stretched a little and hopped into an Epsom salt bath, then lounged the rest of the day.  The following day I was incredibly sore, and spent the day waddling around and trying to stretch.  
I have been on a high since crossing the finish line.  I have broken into tears a handful of times since then, and still can't really describe how amazing it feels to have finished.
A few weeks before the race someone asked if I'd be running another half marathon or maybe a full marathon, and I said absolutely not.  Now... I can't wait to sign up for my next long race.  I've never had a better feeling than the one I had crossing that finish line.

A special shoutout to my running buddy, Emmylou and her mom Carolyn, who also had their first walk/strides the same day.  I dedicate all of my runs to Emmylou and couldn't have finished this without her and her family's support.  Also a shout out to Kerri who ran her first half marathon on Sunday! You go girl!

Stay tuned for my race recap (and infamous race photos- I don't think there will be any thumbs up photos though...) and also what I learned throughout this journey.

How did you feel after accomplishing a goal you'd been working towards for so long?

Have you run a half marathon? What did you feel as you were crossing the finish line?

One Month To Go!

Trying to capture how sweet my water belt is!

One month to go before the Hartford Half Marathon!  

As October 11th gets nearer, I'm getting more excited, and definitely more nervous.  I'm running a solid 27 miles per week right now, with my longest runs at 11 miles.  I truly cannot believe that I can run that far.  When I started my half marathon journey, I was struggling to run 2 miles- what a transformation! This week, I'll increase my long run to 12 miles, the same for the following week, then begin to taper.  I've begun practicing using Gu and other fuel during my runs (I really… really… do not like Gu) and I also got a sweet water bottle belt that I'm getting adjusted to wearing.  I've already picked out my outfit for the big day, a custom shirt that will honor my #iRun4 buddy!  My buddy Emmylou and her family are so strong and inspirational, and I seriously don't think I could get through my longer runs without thinking of them.

Tired legs

For the past month or so, I seriously have not slowed down.  Since I left my job, my schedule is all over the place and I am finding it hard to dedicate time to sitting down and writing.  I've been working "part-time", hunting for a condo, traveling a lot (California, Newport, Boston…), and just being generally busy.  I've been really enjoying only working part time, although I know it won't last for much longer.  I'm excited about a job opportunity I have coming up- more details later!

New places I've discovered on my runs- so peaceful

Post run- shoe and snack bar matching

 That's all for now- until next time!

How do you find a balance between work and hobbies?

Do you have any races coming up? Any other sort of activity you're training for?

Race Recap: Old Wethersfield 10K

HMF Old Wethersfield 5K & 10K
Registration: $40 (10K) includes bib, t-shirt, drinks, light food
Race Location: State Street, Old Wethersfield, CT
Packet Pickup: Day before at Fleet Feet WH, or morning of starting at 7 AM
Parking: Free parking in DMV lot
# of Participants: 10K- 615 people

Runners gathering nice and early!

Overview: What better place to run my first 10K race than in my own town, Wethersfield?  I was coming off of a rough few weeks, which involved less running than I would have liked, so I wasn't going into this 10K with high expectations.  All I hoped for was to run the whole way, and finish in under an hour.  I did both, but it was hard.

The morning festivities were well under way when I arrived at 7:45 to pick up my packet, which included an awesome bright orange t-shirt.  There was a DJ playing loud, fantastic music getting everyone pumped up for the race.  The 5K and 10K both started at 8:30 am, with the 5K doing one loop around Old Wethersfield, and the 10K doing two loops.  I usually run through Old Wethersfield at least once per week, so I was familiar with the area, which helped ease my nerves. 

Pre race selfie!

The first 3 miles went very well, I was averaging a 9:00 minute mile, and felt good.  Around mile 4, I got a really, really bad stomach ache… as in I didn't know if I was going to throw up or something worse…  I thought through all of my options- should I stop? Should I just run to a bush and throw up? Should I flag down a police officer? As I contemplated my options I realized we had passed the 5 mile marker, and at that point I decided to just suck it up.  Also around that point, my high school marketing teacher was running next to me, so we chatted and I kind of forgot about my tummy.  The last mile I definitely slowed down, but I was still proud of myself that I wasn't walking.  I crossed the finish line at 59:49.  The second I crossed the finish line I booked it for the bathrooms, thinking I was going to get sick.  In all my years of physical activity and sports I have never thrown up from overexerting myself, so I think this may have been a combination of exhaustion, emotion, terrible eating a few days before, and lack of training.  I ended up placing 28/48 in my age group, 165/345 in the female division, and 399/615 overall.

Daniella! The best encourager and fellow iRun4 runner!

I had a bunch of friends running in this race, and it was really nice to see them throughout the run and give high fives and get encouragement.  This was a mentally challenging race for me, and I persevered through it and finished while completing my race-goals.  I'm proud of myself for not quitting even though I wanted to desperately numerous times throughout.

I will definitely be running this race next year.  The HMF does a great job organizing events and providing fun, energetic environments. 

Have you run the Old Wethersfield 5K/10K in previous years?

Do you prefer running on home-turf as opposed to races in other towns, or do you feel no difference?