Beginners and Beyond

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Baltimore Half Marathon RR (my HM debut! lots of pics!) (Read 118 times)

meaghansketch


    Congratulations on finishing your first HM and beating almost all of your goals!  You've come a long way in the past year for sure.  You set very realistic goals and did a great job hitting your planned splits to achieve those goals.  I about wanted to strangle you when you mention stopping at the port-a-potties when you didn't even really have to (Shocked) but it sounds like it gave you a good chance to regroup mentally and finish the last couple miles strong.  Congrats again and I hope this is the first of many HMs for you!

      Congrats Kristin!

       

      Very cool that your first HM pace was lower than your first 5K pace.

       

      Salsa dancing, undies cupids with beer, a crab medal... not only did you run an excellent race, it must have been a lot of fun as well.

      Toronto


      Seven Deadly Shins

        congrats on your first!  Nice pics!

        kristin10185


        Skirt Runner

          Finally had the chance to sit down and respond to you guys....I've been reading your responses but it's been tough getting back to you guys during the work week, especially since I've felt miserable Sad. So, better late than never! I greatly appreciate everyone taking the time to read my report!!!

           

          Pinktastic, Baboon, okiebyke, Beth, traci, redrum,  Damaris, HobbitLegs, Jack, outoftheblue, RabbitChaser, Ginny, Ric-G, hog4life, PADRunner, Zelanie, happylily, Baconista, Jay, Toronto-- THANK YOU!!!!

           

          fourouta5- Yeah that inner knee has been quiet lately, so I haven't been taping it. I actually planned on taping it "just in case" but we were running a little late leaving in the morning to get Janis to her volunteer post, so I brought the KT tape with me. But, DOH, didn't bring scissors! I ended up not needing it though....didn't feel a peep out of that area so I do, knock on wood, think it's behind me!

           

          nova- See you next year?

           

          RunswithBeer- That is actually really comforting to hear someone else had difficulty with those hills. I also trained on hills, and I hurt in places I've never hurt before! One of my 11 mile training runs was in Central Park, and the total elevation gain was only about 100 feet less....but for some reason the Baltimore hills just seemed so much harder! I think my biggest "mental error" was assuming that since the majority of the hills were in the first 6.5 miles that the back half of the course would be cake. But every single little incline after that point felt like a mountain and it was very hard for me mentally and physically to get through hills after the halfway point....maybe because I hadn't mentally prepared myself? Anyway.... Maybe see you next year too?

           

          scotty- The way they do the race times is so that the half marathon merges into the full marathon and you run the back half of the marathon course together and finish together. They have the marathon start, then have the 5K start because it uses the same starting line and finish line of the 5K, and the 5K finishers will all be long out of the way before any of the marathon or half marathon finishers come through. By the time the half is starting, the elite marathon finishers are coming close to the finish line (last year I walked Janis to her starting corral for the half, and didn't get back to the finish line on time to see the male marathon winner!)

           

          Oski- I think my fueling strategy worked well! I felt like I was running out of energy a little bit before the 2nd GU, but I think it was more mental....I was expecting an aid station to take it .5 miles before it actually was located, and there was a hill I wasn't expecting leading up to it. Otherwise I think the GUs at 45 minutes and 1:3X worked just fine!

           

          meaghansketch- LOL, the thing with the portapotty is that each aid station had LONG lines..... I was afraid that by the time I really REALLY had to go (I have the smallest bladder in history and had at least 45 minutes of racing to go and knew I was going to have water with my GU....it becoming an urgent thing before the finish line was probably inevitable) and there was NO line at all at mile 9. I figured it was better to run in and run out and lose maybe 20-30 seconds then chance it would be an emergency later and have to lose 5 minutes waiting in line. And I reallllllly am not into the idea of peeing myself while racing LOL.

          PRs:   5K- 28:16 (5/5/13)      10K- 1:00:13 (10/27/13)    4M- 41:43 (9/7/13)   15K- 1:34:25  (8/17/13)    10M- 1:56:30 (4/6/14)     HM- 2:20:16 (4/13/14)     Full- 5:55:33 (11/1/15)

           

          I started a blog about running :) Check it out if you care to

          LRB


            I just want to take a moment to thank LRB for all of his advice and support during my training for this race.

             

            FYP and you are welcome!  Cool

             

            The one thing racing a half marathon does is make the shorter distances seem, well, short.  You should have a blast with your remaining schedule this year.  Congrats!


            SheCan

              WTG, kristin!  Congratulations on such an excellent first HM!  Awesome pictures!

              Cherie

              "We do not become the people who this world needs simply by turning our backs on anyone we don’t like, trust, or deem healthy enough to be in our presence. "  ---- Shasta Nelson

              So_Im_a_Runner


              Go figure

                Yay first half marathon!  You've really had a great stretch of healthy running and really seem to be hitting your stride.  That was a pretty tough elevation profile for a race, but your splits show that you handled it really well.  Congratulations on meeting almost all of your goals, and am very happy that you had such a great experience.  I can't wait to see even more improvements in the races to come.

                Trying to find some more hay to restock the barn

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