Half Marathon Training: Week 1

I ran the Richmond Marathon in 2005 at the start of my first grad school year, and it was an incredible experience that I still carry with me. I have many times since then called on the mind-body confidence and inspiration that I felt in meeting that challenge, particularly in preparation for giving birth.

I have run many half marathons, mostly in 2005-2008, and a few shorter races while pregnant and in between pregnancies.

I like the half marathon distance because it requires only a 3 month training commitment and the runs are never over 2 hours.  It offers a good challenge without the hardship that I equate with the longer 6 month marathon training and 3.5+ training runs. 

This year I'm on a SportsBackers training team: the Zebras! So I will probably be sporting a lot of animal print between now and the big race day in November. I love running the long runs in a team environment because it is so convenient to have someone else determine the routes and I really enjoy the SAG stops, which are tailgate style pit-stops with water, gatorade, and gummies of all kinds to refuel every few miles. 

While I have been crossfitting for a couple years now, I don't run that frequently, maybe a couple times a week, and I usually choose runs that are around 3.0 miles.  In the past, I have had a hard time keeping up a training schedule while also maintaining my regular fitness routine.  

My plan for this event is to run the long runs with my Saturday team, and to run the midweek run on my own, filling in the other days with my usual Crossfit mornings. We ran our first group run last Saturday: 2.87 miles, 30:23 min, 10:37 pace. 

This week:

Monday: crossfit

Tuesday: 3.04 miles, 32:45 min, 10:47 pace

Wednesday: weight lifting at Gold's Gym

Thursday: crossfit

Friday: crossfit

Saturday: 2.98 miles, 31:27 min, 10:34 pace

Sunday: rest/active rest

Today's Saturday Run: 3 miles

My average pace seems to be somewhere around 11:00 minutes but I run faster when I'm in a group. I think the pace that I kept this week is a combination of my new Garmin (which continuously displays my pace and motivates me to keep it up) and running sans stroller. I am conditioned to run with the Duallie, often pushing both kids and all of their books/snacks/etc. When I run alone it feels like a relative breeze. 

To stay comfortable and hydrated on my runs I bought the new Camelbak Dart. I used the camelbak's lumbar reservoir system for the 2005 marathon, and while I didn't mind the way it jostled around during my runs, I thought I might avoid the potential chafing issues that I experienced on a few rainy and long runs that year. 

Some will say that this is overkill for short runs of 3 or 4 miles, but I really do feel better when I can drink whenever I want to. I filled it only half way, tightened the straps down, and I almost couldn't tell I was wearing it. I think it's going to work out nicely!  As for music, I always run with my iphone or shuffle with ear pods. While there are some fancy headphones out there, I prefer to run with headband style earphones because they never come out of my ears. I was curious about the yurbuds inspire series but decided to go with what I know, the cheap oldschool-style sony brand. 

I'm looking forward to a day of rest tomorrow! 

If you run, what accessories do you count as essential?

10k success

Sunday was race day. To be clear, I did not "race" the 10k. I ran it. Or maybe it was a jog. Either way, I finished strong and I didn't walk. I tend not to put too many expectations on myself during races.

We decided at the last minute to honor Roscoe's nap schedule and so he and Andy stayed home. It's a choice that we've made to ensure that Roscoe's sleep remains a priority and that he naps and sleeps in his own bed, but I was still bummed to have to drive in and run alone. On the upside, it did present a rare opportunity for peace and quiet reflection, just me and Little Sears.

I woke up at 5:30 to make a playlist, dress, and grab breakfast. I left an extra 45 minutes to find parking because in DC there are no guarantees.

I relished the uninhabited state of I-95 at 6:15 on a Sunday morning. In no time I was cresting the interstate overlooking the DC skyline. Parking wasn't as bad as I imagined but it did involve a mile jaunt to the start line.

The energy on race days is what I love best. There were people walking and running from all corners to funnel into the field at West Potomac Park. Music was blaring, the port-a-potties were lined up in parallel rows of twenty and the line of people in wait was continuous. A huge tent filled with bananas, coffee, coconut water and other energizing snacks were mine for the taking, although I had only a few minutes to grab a bag of dried fruit.

I started the race a few minutes late due to the never ending potty lines. None of the staff could guarantee restrooms on the course--and I wasn't about to chance it. At this point in the pregnancy, thirty minutes into any run and I'm usually begging for a pee break.

The weather was chilly, and the skies were clear which made for utterly perfect running conditions. I put on my sunglasses, re-laced my (new) shoes, adjusted my visor, and I was on my way! Since the groups are organized by pace with slower people at the back, one benefit to starting late is that you get to pass a lot of people along the way (which is feel good).

The Potomac river was gorgeous in the early morning sun, and the east coast foliage was in full display for Fall. I brought a Gu* along for the ride, just to give myself something to look forward to at the half-way mark (FYI: they're great for labor too!).

The last two miles I alternated on repeat Gold Lion by the Yeah Yeah Yeah's, and Roscoe by Midlake--I labored to Roscoe and if this body can give birth, this body can run 6.2 miles.

My parents surprised me with a meetup at the finish line, which made my day. Then we beelined it to the food tent where I was greeted by bagels with cream cheese, chocolate chip cookies, and other goodies. Mmm...there are few things more satisfying than a carbohydrate binge after a long run.

I ran a pace of just under 11 minutes, which is about one minute slower than my pre-pregnancy pace (modification!). The last mile was full of braxton hicks contractions, and as mentioned, my hips were so painfully sore last night that I am accepting the fact that long distance running is off the agenda from here on out. Warm up runs? Short runs? Probably ok. But the joy that comes from exercise is sucked right out when you have to take time off to "heal" afterward. And frankly, I think my hips have an important job to do right now, and I don't need to put them under more stress. There are great options for cardio that don't involve repetitive impact.

I'm thankful that I got to share a race with Little Sears and that I met the demands of the run proving to myself that I can be pregnant and still enjoy the things that make me happy.

Independence Day*

I just returned from my first post pregnancy run!!!

It felt so good to get out on my own and back to the thing that means so much to me!

Only 12 baby pounds left!

*This post was made possible by The Swing.