the half marathon: training

Yep.

So, after I ran a 10K (6.1 miles) a couple of years ago, I started believing that I might be crazy enough to try a half marathon.  I wanted to do it last year, but it just didn't work out with the events that we had on our schedule.  This year was the year.  

I used Hal Higdon's novice training schedule, and overall I was very pleased with the training.  Our neighbor-friends were kind enough to let me run on their treadmill for the first several weeks, and they hooked up a t.v. with both Netflix and Amazon Prime AND added an earphone jack.  Guess who was spoiled?  Me.  And I happily indulged myself with the first two seasons of Downton Abbey.  (On a side note, who has the remaining seasons that I can borrow?!)

About a month into the training, I had to run a 5K race.  Thankfully, there was a free one being held nearby, so I signed up.  About a half mile into the race, I decided that treadmill running and outside running are two very different events.  Not that I didn't already know it...I did.  I just didn't think it would make that much of a difference.  I ran the slowest race of my life.  This was humbling to say the least.  

Oh, hello, motivation...nice to meet you.  

Thankfully, the days were getting longer and the weather was improving, so I moved my training to the great outdoors.  I did a 6 or 7 mile run by myself and decided I needed some running buddies to help me along the way.  I knew I would never be able run week after week without a little encouragement.  I walk waayyy too easily when I'm alone.  

So, as always, my facebook friends came to my rescue.  My friend, Shannon, told me that she would be happy to do my 7 mile (I think) run with me the following week.  My faithful running buddy, Kristin, also joined us for a few miles (and Kristin did a lot of my shorter runs each week with me).  

Let me take a minute to tell you about Shannon (who has still not run her first official road race...she's going to kick some major butt when she does).  Shannon is a few years older than me, faithfully runs 3-6 miles a few times a week, and is a complete drill sergeant when it comes to running.  Throughout the remainder of my training, she encouraged me, often made me run farther than necessary, and refused to let me walk.  She.was.incredible.  

She ran my long run with me every weekend for the remainder of my training...7, 8, 9, 10.  The week we ran 9 miles was the worst.  We ran it on a Saturday evening, and it was brutal.  I remember asking her at one point how far we'd gone.  When she told me 3 miles, I wanted to lie on the road and cry.  We made it, though.  When I got home that night, I was shuffling around like a 90 year old woman.  (I almost wrote 80, but I was certainly not moving that well.)  My back hurt like it did a few summers ago when I pulled something.  I was actually afraid that I had damaged myself in some way.

I remember telling Josh that night (on the verge of tears), "I can't believe that I have to go 10 miles next weekend.  I just want to run the race next weekend.  I don't want to feel like this again.  I just want this training to be over."

I dreaded the following weekend.  I was out of town Thursday night through Saturday night.  I hadn't slept well Thursday or Friday night, and I didn't get home until after 11:00 on Saturday.  I contemplated skipping church just to get more rest, but I didn't.  All I wanted to do when we came home from church was take a nap.  But instead, I put on my running clothes, and drove down to a new area of town where we hadn't run previously.  We decided that we needed some new scenery if we were going to go 10 miles.  And we added an extra running buddy as well. :)

Shannon brought along her runner-neighbor, Cate.  It was fun to have an extra buddy along for our 10 miles.  Cate is super energetic and decided that we should line up and high-five any other runners that we met along our path.  This kind of fun was right up my alley.  I loved it.  I could hardly believe it when Shannon looked at us and said, "We just hit 5 miles, girls!!"  It felt like 2.  

The first 8 miles of our 10 mile run felt good to me.  The last two were rough...the last one especially.  I found complete joy in the fact that this was my last training week and the following week I was actually going to run my half.

I couldn't believe how great I felt after that last long run.  It was phenomenal compared to the previous week.  I was actually looking forward to my race!!

Next up: the race.