My First Half Marathon...Sort Of

Just a little after 5:30am this past Saturday, August 24, I stepped out of a fairly brisk warm up walking pace and into a slow running pace at which I would find myself moving for a little while.

In fact, it was 2 hours, 37 minutes, and 11 seconds later when I finally backed off of that running pace and found myself cooling down with an easy walk. Oh, and at the end of that timeframe, I had completed a run of 13.15 miles!

My first half marathon in the books!

Well, sort of...

There were a few race sights and sounds missing from the picture. There was no Star Spangled Banner. No starting gun (or Start Line). No race bib. No timing chip or timing mats. No USATF-sanctioned course. No volunteers. No water stations. No spectators. No Finish Line. And, well, no other runners.

But there were a few things that made this count...me, my sweaty running clothes, my trusty running shoes, my tired legs (started feeling them at about 11 miles), my little aches and pains that came and went (mostly during the run's second half), my determination to keep going...oh, and my Garmin to make this half marathon "official"...well, at least in my heart, mind, and soul.

If you're keeping score...
Distance, Pace, and Time include Warm Up and Cool Down walks

Yes, I know it's not a "real" half marathon and that results will be posted nowhere but right here; but I also know that I ran 13.15 miles and only stopped running for a quick water/nature break (at mile 6.45). And just to keep everything on the up and up, I did NOT stop my Garmin while I took the three minutes to fill my water bottles and... uh...to use the facility at the local sports field.

What I really take from this past weekend's personal "half marathon" is the knowledge that I can do one; and when I put that knowledge to the actual test down at the Disney Wine & Dine in a couple of months, this run is the first of a few coming up that will give me the confidence I need to persevere through that first "official" USATF-sanctioned half marathon!


In addition to the personal half, here's the recap from the entire week, as well as this week's schedule:

Marathon Training - Week Eight (August 19 - August 25)

Monday - Stationary Bike (45 Mins, Hills, Level 9), Abs (4 Exercises, 3 x 12 Reps)
Tuesday - 5.14 Mile Run (10:50 Pace)
Wednesday - Stationary Bike (45 Minutes, Hills, Level 9), 30-Minute Cybex Circuit
Thursday - 4.13 Mile Run (10:39 Pace)
Friday - OFF
Saturday - 13.15 Mile Run (11:57 Pace)
Sunday - 2.84 Mile Family Run

 Total Miles on the Pavement - 27.28 Miles (Includes Warm Up and Cool Down Walks)

Total Marathon Training Miles - 170.35


Marathon Training - Week Nine (August 26 - September 1)

Monday - Stationary Bike (45 Mins, Hills, Level 9), Abs (4 Exercises, 3 x 12 Reps) - COMPLETE
Tuesday - 5.07 Mile Run (10:07 Pace) - COMPLETE
Wednesday - Stationary Bike (45 Minutes, Hills, Level 9), 30-Minute Cybex Circuit - COMPLETE
Thursday - 4 Mile Run
Friday - OFF
Saturday - 5 Mile Run
Sunday - Family Run


Next week's training (Week Ten) will be shifting me from four runs per week to five...oh, and I'll also be finishing up the week with my next long run...of fifteen miles!!! But I'm going to go ahead and wait until next week to freak out about that distance...I hope.

Until then, enjoy your journey...