Beginners and Beyond

12

Red, White, and Boom! Debut HM RR (Read 62 times)

obiebyke


    Short version:

     

    I ran my first HM on the 4th of July. My goal was just to finish and not get picked up by the Shame Bus. Success! I had a great time.

     

    Official time: 2:46:55 (splits TK when I have my Garmin handy)

     

    Long version:

     

    Prequel/training: I got injured training for my debut 10K right around New Year's. I was diagnosed with some nasty runner's knee and a stress reaction in my left shin, and had to not run for weeks and do PT. Well, it was supposed to be weeks, but winter depression took hold and I was out of commission for longer than that. With a lot of help, I returned to physical therapy and activity and happiness in April.

     

    I'd signed up for a 4 race series, and I had already missed two 5Ks. The next up was this HM: The Red, White, and Boom! Half Marathon. It felt nuts to go from injury to debut HM in that quick a time, since I needed to keep training light so I wouldn't make my legs grumpy again. But I decided to do it. And training went great. I did C25K and then OHR. My theory was time on my feet, so for my long "runs" I would do my OHR workout and then finish out with however many miles of run/walk. I ramped all the way up to 10 miles. Good to go!(?)

     

    Day of: The race start was 6:30am to avoid possible heat. Yowch. I was up at 4:15am and had peanut butter toast, a banana, and COFFEE. The bathroom gods did not smile upon me, though. That made me nervous... I taped my knees and got dressed and picked up my friend at 5:30am. We parked in Northeast Minneapolis and walked to the start. I got to a porta potty and success! That made my nerves go way down.

     

    I had no idea, really, how to pace. I lined up with the 2:40 pacer, which is a decent chunk slower than my easy pace. The plan was to run for 4.5 miles and then start a run/walk combo, since that's what I was up to in training. The horn went off and off we went. I found my head saying I couldn't do it. Those first couple of miles were hard, because I was counting how many I had left. I looked at my Garmin at mile 1: 11:50. This was a 12:17 pacer. Ooooops. But I held on fine. There was a dude pacing a woman who was driving me NUTS. She was struggling, and he was incessantly chatting about how slow the pace was for him and his heart rate wasn't up at all. Jerk. I almost told him to shut up.

     

    We cruised around Minneapolis and I was doing fine. Until we hit the halfway point and the craziest hill ever. Keep in mind, 4.5 miles was already 2 miles behind me and I still hadn't walked. I was determined to run this one. But 1/3 of the way up, I found myself walking. I couldn't do it. I lost the pacers. I walked to the crest and then picked up a run again. I didn't walk again until 9.65 miles! I don't know what happened at 9.65. My hips were tensing up and I was just tired. And I somehow didn't have a lot of fire and fight in me. I knew I would finish fine. So I started run/walking.

     

    Halfway

     

    The miles went by, some of them in pretty residential neighborhoods or art districts, some industrial. The annoying dude and his poor companion lost me at about 7, thank god. My girlfriend biked over from our South Minneapolis neighborhood so she could hop alongside the course 3 times during the race and jump up and down and cheer. It was great. I loved the rapping banana at mile 11. On I went. At 12.4, this woman I had been leap-frogging with our run/walk turned to me. The finish was over the beautiful Stone Arch Bridge, and she said, "Where the f$%& is that bridge?!" I laughed and we ran together for a while.

     

    I took the bridge, knowing the finish was at the end. And kicked about halfway across. I saw a couple of friends there to cheer me on. They called my name over the loudspeaker as I came in, and then I was finished. I did it!

     

    Finish

     

    I caught up with my friends and girlfriend for a quick minute and then headed to the car to shower and head to the cabin. I was now a half marathoner, and it was time for a well-earned vacation!

     

    I can't wait for the next race!

    Call me Ray (not Ishmael)

    Docket_Rocket


      Great job!  Glad to hear your first went so well (and glad to hear you didn't have any knee issues during).  Congrats!

      Damaris

       

      As part of the 2024 London Marathon, I am fundraising for VICTA, a charity that helps blind and visually impaired children. My mentor while in law school, Jim K (a blind attorney), has been a huge inspiration and an example of courage and perseverance. Please consider donating.

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      PADRunner


        Congrats obie!


        delicate flower

          Way to go, Obie!  Congratulations on finishing your first half marathon!  Sounds like it really went well for you, and most important, you had fun.  Smile

          <3

          tracilynn


            Woohoo! Congrats!

            ~~~~~~~

            Traci

             

            Jack K.


            uʍop ǝpᴉsdn sǝʇᴉɹʍ ʇI

              Congrats, obie. Let's hope the injuries stay away and you can keep at it. It sounds like you had a great time.

              happylily


                Great debut! Congratulations! And you look strong out there!

                PRs: Boston Marathon, 3:27, April 15th 2013

                        Cornwall Half-Marathon, 1:35, April 27th 2013

                18 marathons, 18 BQs since 2010

                  Congrats!

                  Dave


                  SheCan

                    My goal was just to finish and not get picked up by the Shame Bus. 

                    LMAO!!!!  That's great!

                     

                    Congratulations on your first HM!!!!  You so deserve to feel so proud after overcoming an injury and starting all over.   Its been fun following your progress along the way.  Awesome pictures (aren't you so adorable!)  and so sweet of your g/f to be so supportive.

                    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

                    scottydawg


                    Barking Mad To Run

                      Congrats, Half-Marathoner!  .  Probably a good thing you got away from the Pacer Jerk guy - if he was pacing the lady, why in the world would he talk about that crap instead of trying to give some positive reinforcement to his friend to help her out?  I don't get that part; - anyway..you're escaping him probably was helpful for you.

                       

                      You look very strong in your race photos there .  And also, you take a good race photo! My race photos are all pretty awful, lol.  Must be nice to be photogenic. 

                      "Do what you can, with what you have, where you are." Theodore Roosevelt

                      Anonymous Guest


                        Congratulations! This whole report just makes me smile.

                         

                        Well done, half marathoner. You look really strong in the pictures. And most importantly, you had fun!

                        Coaching testimonial: "Not saying my workout was hard but KAREN IS EVIL."

                         

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                        JerryInIL


                        Return To Racing

                          Awesome debut.Obie.  Hope this is the first of many HM's.

                              

                          LRB


                            There was a dude pacing a woman who was driving me NUTS. She was struggling, and he was incessantly chatting about how slow the pace was for him and his heart rate wasn't up at all. Jerk. I almost told him to shut up.

                             

                            Seriously!

                             

                            Things looked bleak there for awhile in the injury thread but you hung in there and saw it through.  Nice job on getting it done!

                            Are the injuries behind you?

                            Just B.S.


                              Great job! Congrats on your first. It is a special one!

                              Jill.


                              Penguin Power!

                                Great job Obie Smile

                                Upcoming Races: Run as One 4M (4/24) * Japan Run 4M (5/8) * Brooklyn Half (5/21) 

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