Halfway There!!

 

I ran my first HALF MARATHON yesterday!  AND I completed it in under 2 hours, with no mile over 9:30 and most between 8:50-9:10 :)  I feel a huge sense of accomplishment and have to say I actually felt great on 99% of the run (that last mile is always killer) and didn't take any walking breaks.  After last weekend's 12 miler, I have one word to describe the glory of this 1/2 marathon: F-L-A-T!!!!!!!!



I did the run on the Northern Central Railroad (NCR) trail in Maryland and it was BEAUTIFUL and the temperature gods were on my side, and did I mention it was FLAT?!  Kelly and I couldn't find a 1/2 marathon race near either one of us for this past weekend, so we both did the runs on our own and seem to be on the same pace with each other - both completing the run in just over 1:50 and under 2:00 - which is reassuring for the big day!

If anyone had told me two months ago that I would be running a 1/2 marathon, on my own, in under two hours, and feel confident doing so, I would have laughed - like a deep, manly belly laugh in their face.  Before I started this training, the though of 3 miles made me want to skip the gym, and now I can complete 13.1 without stopping, cramping, or crying!

I am a firm believer that this whole running thing is 90% mental and it's pretty easy to fall into the trap of a runner's high, as it turns out.  The hours, days, and weeks before a long run require a lot of one thing, PLANNING (and didn't you know that's why P is my middle initial?).  From the short runs during the week, to sleep and nutrition.  And I've found it weirdly fun to pick a route, map out the mileage, and then get that great feeling in the middle of your run when you know you've hit that halfway point and you get to start counting miles backwards.

Officially 1/2 way through the training program and I'm feeling very confident and accomplished!  Never thought I'd say that about running, but I do.  This week's long run will be a 10 miler, but the weekday mileage has increased.  We're 7 weeks away from the 20 miler before tapering and then THE BIG DAY!

Look for a way to contribute to my run later on this week, and guest post soon, too!