National Half Marathon Recap

Yesterday I ran my 10th half marathon and it was definitely my best yet!

As I discussed earlier this week, I focused on cross training and speed training this time around versus just running a lot. This change has made a big difference in my running, my weight loss, and my body. My legs are more powerful than they’ve been historically thanks to spinning and weight lifting, my core is regaining some of it’s lost strength due to daily ab workouts, and my arms are finding shape due to pushups and lifting two times per week.

This new strength and speed meant I was very excited for this race and new that I wanted to PR with at least a 2:15 race time.

Yesterday morning, I woke up at 5, ready for a great race. Even with all the excitement I slept through the night and woke up excited versus nervous. IMG_1025 (478x640)We organized our race gear the night before which made getting ready very easy. IMG_1027 (480x640)

I was very happy I brought my own peanut butter, bread, and banana because this meant I didn’t have to worry about finding it at our hotel or in DC. This weekend, Ali and I both did a great job of bringing more than enough supplies which is one of my biggest recommendations for an out of town race.

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By 5:45 we were downstairs ready to take advantage of our hotel’s shuttle. We stayed at the Courtyard Marriot Capitol Hill which was also an official race hotel. This meant that they went out of their way to serve the runners including morning race breakfasts, knowledgeable staff, and shuttles to the race. They had three shuttles running, which should have been more than enough for the race. The only issue was the traffic they weren’t expecting! The traffic caused each shuttle run to take more than 30 minutes, 3 times the normal length. IMG_1030 (640x478) There were over 40 runners downstairs waiting for the shuttle!Luckily, Ali and I were aggressive and were able to get in the first shuttle we saw since we promised “we’d squeeze.”

When we arrived at the race site we first took advantage of the empty porta potties! It was still quite cold and dark outside but luckily everyone was in good spirits!

Our next stop was the warmth of the armory where the expo had taken place the day before.

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The race organizers were nice enough to have the armory open before the race since it was so cold outside. We spent the time stretching and saying hello to other runner friends.

At 6:40 we headed out towards the stadium and corrals, ready for the big race!

Luckily, I found Theodora’s friend Tamsin which meant I had a friendly face to hang out with until we made our way to the start line. I was in corral 8 due to my projected time. I am not sure why this race had so many corrals as 7,8,9, and 10 were all visibly empty when the race started. Hopefully next year the race officials will improve this system.

By 7:10 I could see the start line and was ready for the running to warm up my body. I can’t thank the organizers enough for including throwaway gloves in the swag bag as these kept my hands warm in the corral and for the first few miles of the race.

At 7:12 on the dot I was off and ready to set a new PR!  Going into the race, I knew I wanted to achieve two things and decided to focus on that the entire time:

  • I wanted to burn out by mile 13.1
  • I wanted to start out fast.

These may sound like odd goals but they made sense in my head. I told Ali on Friday that I’ve never been excessively sore after a half marathon and I believe it’s because I’ve never pushed hard enough. I’ve never pushed myself hard enough because I was scared of burning out too early. Now that I have a full marathon on my belt, I know that my mind and body is powerful and able to carry me at least a mile or two on fumes, if necessary.

Therefore, I started out very fast, trying to pass the joggers and walkers who were in my corral. I wanted to weave as little as possible while also seeing the few spectators I knew were on the course. Therefore, from the beginning I hugged the right as much as possible which made turns very easy.

I felt amazing my first four miles, racing past the historical sites such as the Capitol and the Washington Monument.

 

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This was exactly the race I’d planned for- beautiful and flat. My splits for these miles ranged from 9:09 to 9:40, very fast for someone trying to run a 2:15.

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As you can tell from my face, I was very happy around mile 3.5 when I saw Emily and Caitlin!

Luckily, minutes after, the race’s surprise hills quickly slowed me down.

Miles 4-8 were nothing but hills. The neighborhoods were cute but a few of the inclines were killer on my legs, especially the 1/2 mile gradual incline and one steep climb after the underpass. Around mile 4 I took my first shot block, after dropping two by accident.

I focused on jogging up each hill, not willing to walk a single mile during this race. The technique worked as I was able to maintain under a 9:45 pace on most of the hills and a 10:02 on the steepest hill. These hills also helped me realize that I still have work to do when it comes to hill training.I know my weight work with my trainer will help, but I am also going to start incorporating hills into my treadmill runs during the week after talking to Becca last night who rocked the marathon with 85% treadmill training.

Most of the course is a blur, but I remember taking my other Shot Blocks at mile 8 and 10. I only had a single pack accessible because normally that’s all I need for a half marathon. But, dropping two meant that I was now running on less fuel than normal while also pushing my body harder than I ever have before in a half.

I know I was still feeling strong around Howard University and the river. It wasn’t until we passed the Capitol again, around mile 11 that my energy levels dropped. I suddenly hit what runners often call the wall. I found myself weaving a bit and I saw my pace drop from a solid 9:56 to around a 10:33. But, I also knew that I had plenty of Nuun electrolyte water left in my CamelBak and only two miles left to run. I started playing a mental game with myself and my body. I put on my current favorite song on repeat and started learning the words. This took my mind off of the lack of energy I had and helped the time pass. I also promised that unless pain set in, I’d continue running because I knew walking would only mess with my rhythm.

My trick worked perfectly! I was able to keep a 10:02 pace on mile 11, 10:01 on mile 12, and then took a deep breath before gearing up my legs for the last mile. My Garmin told me that I had to run a 9:42 in order to come in under 2:13 what had become my new goal during the race. My adrenaline and music pushed me through the finish, keeping a 9:43 pace for the last mile and a 8:02 pace for the final 2 tenths of a mile!

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I immediately knew I had PR’d and secretly hoped I’d made the 2:13 time I had aimed for during the race. Regardless, my eyes were elated to see that my final stats, 13:26 miles in a 10:02 pace!

Unfortunately, the finish line was very poorly organized. Instead of enjoying my strong finish with a medal and a banana, it took me 15 minutes to weave through the runners and medal area. The organizers were searching for more medals and asked finishers to come back in a few minutes. Really? By the time I reached the medals I realized I had passed the entrance to the food which was gated by a fence. I finally convinced another runner to pass a banana through the gates before I headed back over to the medal area.

By 9:45 I had my medal in hand but couldn’t find Ali. In all our excitement, we had never chosen a meeting place, instead saying that we’d just call each other when we finished. Unfortunately, the area was so crowded that reception was impossible and I also couldn’t find her in the crowd of people. I headed over to the Armory, hoping to get signal away from the crowds.

Success! A few minutes later we were reunited and smiling ear to ear! It’s amazing how quickly we forget our pain or issues when you’re celebrating two PRs!

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We spent the next few minutes inside the Armory stretching our tired legs and tight hamstrings. The hills left both of our legs screaming but luckily Ali insisted on a stretching session.

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Overall, I would recommend this half to anyone who is looking for a scenic half marathon in a wonderful city. Hopefully in the future the organizers will only improve upon some of this year’s flaws such as the lack of GU, empty corrals, traffic, lack of mile markers, or length of time it took to post the results. But. every race has it’s flaws and at least this course and city made up for the flaws.

Question: What is your favorite race you’ve ever run?

*Thanks to Ali and Tina for some of these pictures as I didn’t use my camera during the run since I was focusing on my PR!

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Carb Loading & Race Day Prep: DC Style

 

What a day it has been!

We arrived in Washington, DC around 1:15 after a smooth and entertaining Bolt Bus trip.

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Within minutes, we were exiting Union Station in order to meet Theodora’s friend Tamsin.

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I forgot how gorgeous this city is!

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Tamsin navigated the DC traffic like a seasoned pro, quickly finding our hotel and then the Armory where the expo was held.

 

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Unfortunately, this expo was underwhelming. But, the race shirts are technical tees and I was able to catch up and meet some new blogger friends, so I can’t complain.

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It was great meeting Anne and Megan for the first time while also catching up with Tina!

All too soon we parted ways in order to tame the hunger beast which had developed since our early bagels.

Tamsin suggested a neighborhood pub for lunch and it was perfect! Ali and I shared the blackened mahi mahi sandwich with sweet potato tots since it was already 3pm and we didn’t want to ruin dinner.

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After lunch, Ali and I headed towards our hotel in Capitol Hill. Luckily, the METRO was able to get us there in 40 minutes with only one easy transfer.

Our hotel has far surpassed our expectations! We weren’t sure what to expect since it isn’t in the best area but it is one of the official race hotels which means it filled with inspiring runners, offers a race day shuttle to and from the course, and has a very helpful staff! You can’t ask for much more.

After unpacking, organizing our gear, and relaxing we headed out for a pasta dinner. We both knew we wanted a simple pasts dish which included a protein and a vegetable. Many of the area restaurants were already booked due to the weekend crowds. Luckily, Carmine’s DC was able to fit us at their bar.

Dinner included lots of bread and garlic infused olive oil. Good thing there won’t be any kissing happening tonight. That garlic was STRONG!

 

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We were able to save money tonight by sharing one of their family style dishes, the shrimp spaghetti with “red sauce.” I put the red sauce in parenthesis because it was no where to be found in the dish. Luckily, we were both open to mixing all the ingredients and mashing the roma tomatoes which led to a delicious flavor and mix. This dish ended up being exactly what we wanted and were each craving!

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Our gear is organized, everything is charged, and our pasta stomachs are ready for bed.

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After all, we have a race to run tomorrow don’t we! In 12 short hours, we’ll be celebrating wonderful runs!

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Half Marathon Taper Check List

A bright and cheery good morning to each of you! I hope your week is going well so far. Mine week is going wonderfully as it’s only a four day work week  and I have a great weekend coming up!

Believe it or not, the National Half Marathon is this weekend which means my training has entered taper mode. Come Friday, Theodora, Ali, and I will all head down to Washington, DC via Bolt Bus, ready to rock this half marathon! I’m definitely excited for a taper week as I have trained hard these past few weeks, incorporating cross training and speed training into my training for the first time! Luckily, the results are starting to show as I’ve lost a few pounds and set a new PR in my last NYRR race, last month.

184294_670132991193_24200188_37793700_7601844_n I thought I would share some of my taper week tips and preparation check list with you all.

  1. Rest: Even though I had a pretty epic weekend, I’m making sure that Sunday through race day I enjoy at least 7 hours of sleep per night. It is important to give your muscles time to heal and recover this week.
  2. Hydrate: Water is a miracle drug in my book, giving me energy when I’m dragging and keeping me going through even the hardest of workouts. It’s essential that you’re hydrated on race day and this can’t happen from chugging water that day alone. Focus on increasing your water intake all week and possibly throw in a little extra sodium or salt pills the night before the race to help retain some of that water. Also, if you’ve hydrated with a Camel-Bak or water bottle during your training, make sure to bring that same item for race day. You don’t want to try anything new on race day. Crunch Yoga
  3. Stretch/Yoga: I find that stretching and yoga help me relax, work out toxins and buildup in my muscles, and prepare my legs for the big day. Make sure to include foam rolling and or the stick in your practice to work out any knots in your legs or tightness in your itband. Make sure not to take any tough yoga classes which may strain your muscles the week of the race. As always, listen to your body. Yesterday, I enjoyed an amazing hot vinyasa class with Lauren at Yoga to the People. Since it’s race week, I didn’t push myself as far into the stretches as I normally would have and found child’s pose more than once during the practice. IMG_0973 IMG_0879
  4. Laundry: This may seem silly but make sure all your favorite running gear, right down to your socks, are clean for race day. More than once, I’ve gone searching for clothes the night before only to realize they are deep in the dirty clothes pile.
  5. Go shopping early in the week: Head to your favorite running store early in the week to buy your necessary supplies such as Camel Bak cleaner, Shot Blocks, or Gu. You don’t want to wait until Thursday or Friday only to find that they are out of your favorite flavor. I don’t recommend waiting until the Expo either because you never know which vendors or brands will be on site that day.
  6. Organize your gear early: No later than Thursday night, put all your race day gear in a pile near an outlet. This allows you to charge your electronics (Garmin, iPod, etc) in the same area as your clothes pile so you don’t forget them in the wall when you leave for the race or trip. I have definitely done this at least once and want you all to learn from my mistakes! Make sure to also pack these chargers for the weekend. Yes, they take up extra space, but if you or any running buddies need them during the weekend they are well worth it! Also, make sure to make a packing list for not only race gear, but also the rest of the items you’ll need for the weekend or race day.
  7. 7. Make a playlist: If you run with music, you know how important having fun music is for a great run. The upbeat music keeps your running going, even when the going gets tough. Be sure to include a few inspirational favorites, a few surprises, and one song that can get your pace going even when your legs feel like lead. If you’re looking for a few new song suggestions I suggest checking out iTunes list of most popular downloads, or Jes’ playlists here and my latest playlist here.

    image8. Set a goal: Establish ahead of time what your intention is for the race. Do you want to PR? Do you want to take at least 20 pictures along the course with all your friends? Do you want to finish your first half? Regardless of the goal, having an intention will help keep you strong throughout the race. Some people find it helps to write this intention on their wrist or hand, so they can remember it during the race. My goal for the National Half Marathon is to finish under 2:15.

    9. HAVE FUN so you can smile afterwards!

    What are your race week suggestions? Is there anything I missed? Are you running the National Half Marathon? If so, what is your bib color?

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