Half Marathon Training

Lucky for me, I was able to train well since we had a rather mild winter here in the Northeast. In other words, I was able to fit in ALL my long runs. Since I ran a half marathon 5 weeks ago, I only needed to run 10, 11, 12, 8 miles and I ran 10, 12, 12, 10 so I should have been ready.

As I have mentioned many times before, I don’t ever follow a serious training schedule.  I don’t do sprints, hill repeats, intervals and all those things a runner is supposed to do. I just make sure than I do my long runs on the weekends and run a few times during the week (usually for 3 miles.)

For this race, I should have trained on hills.  But I didn’t so I suffered the consequences.

And of course, I planned my race outfit keeping my fingers crossed that it would be warm enough to wear it.

Skirt Sports tank & new skirt, compression socks, Nike shoes

I mean it had been 80 degrees several days before the race.  But in March, you never know.

Pre-Race Preparations

This half marathon was certainly different.

I usually run my half marathons alone. Most are destination races too.

But this time, I took a bus down to the race with a bunch of old friends/new friends/strangers.

I had even convinced my running friends Judy and Barbara to come on the bus even though they were only running the relay. (It was supposed to be my friend Mary Pat but she got injured at the last minute.)

Last year, it was cold and it snowed so we were fortunate to have better weather this year. It was actually pretty perfect – 50’s, a little sun the first half, no wind.

Below is a map of the scenic course:

More importantly this was the elevation:

HILLY HILLY HILLY – the hilliest one I’ve ever run

Race Day

I got up early (like 4:30 am) and had my usual race breakfast of cream of wheat and tea. It was nice to sleep in my own bed for a change before a big race.

I met Barbara at the Park n Ride and we drove together to the bus. We were early and the bus left late but I knew people on the bus and before you knew it, we were there.

I had a hard time deciding what to wear.  In the end, I shed my long sleeved shirt and just wore a tank and my DIY arm sleeves.

in front of our bus – that’s the driver behind me

We got our race packets – a sweatshirt, a bag, etc. and then went in search of a restroom.

There were real bathrooms there but the line was very long so we used the one on our bus and then patiently waited for the race to start.

Miles 1 -4:

10:13, 10:35, 9:59, 10:49

There were pacers so I lined up between the 2:15 and 2:30 group.

the start – pic from FB

We began running on a country road. None of the roads were closed to traffic so you had make sure you ran on the right and moved out of the way when a car drove by. (In fact one runner actually got hit by a car and was air lifted to a local hospital.)

Me toward the beginning of the race – pic from FB

Most of these pics are screen captured from GoPro video posted on youtube – Thanks 100 Half Marathon Club member

Soon we passed the stretch of road with all the signs dedicated to persons who battled and/or battling cancer.

I had one for my friend Ava.

And then we started up the biggest hill of the race. It was early on and I didn’t want to zap all my energy so I walked up it as fast as I could.

Soon we entered the part of the course that resembled a park.  Lots of trees.  And rolling hills, of course.

Next came the part of the course with lake views.  But the hills kept coming and coming and coming. It was pretty and the views of the lake helped take my mind off the fact that I hate hills.

My legs are not used to hills and I didn’t feel prepared to run up them so I walked.  I wasn’t alone, many of the runners were doing the same.  And the ones who struggled up the hills weren’t going much faster than me with my fast paced walk.  Many times, I caught and passed them on the downhill.

In addition to the hills, I also stopped at each water stop.  There were at least every 2 miles in the first half and every mile the second.

just posing for the photographer

Miles 5-8:

10:24, 10:42, 11:14, 10:35

Although I took a Gu before the race, my breakfast was at 5 am and I was getting hungry,  So I took another around mile 5.

We ran around Wolf Lake for several miles.  In addition to the lake, there were a lot of interesting houses and cottages.  But the hills continued and continued.  UGH!

And I was walking more and more but still happy to not have any pain. I had quite a few conversations with fellow runners.  It’s easy to do when you are walking so much.

Finally around mile 7.5, I came to the relay exchange.  There I saw Barbara who was waiting for Judy.  She cheered me on.

Right after that, came another huge hill.

my favorite sign

And then there were more.  The hills never seemed to end.

again posing for the photographer

Miles 9-13:

11:54, 10:55, 11:09, 11:14

Around this time, I took another Gu hoping that it would give my legs some pep to power up those hills.

Nope, the legs still wanted to walk up those hills.  Even Barbara who started about 7 minutes behind me passed me by. But at least, I had the energy to run down the hills.

wine, beer and donut holes here!

Soon we were passing those motivational signs again and heading toward the finish.

Every time, I thought that it would be “downhill from here,” there was yet another uphill.

Mile 14:

7:37

Eventually, I did see the finish line and gave it everything I had and sprinted across it.

can you see me? behind the guy…

Garmin time: 2:22:40
Gun Time: 2:23:15 (no chip time)

earned this one!!

Both Judy and Barbara were waiting for me at the finish line.  We headed inside where there was a barbecue sponsored by Outback Steakhouse.  We made the mistake of having pasta outside.  With our food band cut off, we couldn’t eat the food inside (which had a much bigger selection.) So I just chatted with some runners that I knew and then headed back to the bus.

Although we were supposed to leave at 1 pm. We didn’t leave until after 2 pm.  I’ll know for next year not to rush. Somebody made cupcakes and passed them around the bus so I was a happy camper.

group pic – we got a trophy for having the largest group

Additional race reflections:

The Good:

• No rain!!
• Perfect running weather – cool, no humidity or wind.
• I knew lots of people at the race.
• Nice sweatshirt as race swag
• Warm place to wait before and after.
• Real bathrooms.
• Pacers (at 15 min intervals.)
• People calling out times at each mile.
• Decent crowd support. A lot of kids high fived me.
• Many Gatorade & water stops
• Unlimited Gu packets at one water station
• Scenic course with lake views
• Early start for slower runners and walkers
• Relay option for those who didn’t wait to run 13.1 miles
• The Bus – nice not to have to drive & find parking
• No injuries. Nothing hurt.
• I finished.

The Bad:

• Pacers were for both early and regular starters so it was confusing to know which was which
• Unorganized regarding rides to and from the relay transfer spot
• Uneven refreshment options – pasta did not include what the barbecue did such as bread, salad, etc.
• I wasn’t sure how much I should push myself on the hills so I walked them ALL…probably could have pushed myself more

The Ugly:

• the Hills
• the Hills
• the Hills

So there are many more positives than negatives!!! Overall, it was a good race!! Running with friends is great. Supporting an important cause is the best!

Would I recommend this race?

Definitely. But you better train on hills.  I suck at hills and next year, if I run this race, I will only do the relay.

Final Stats:

4th in my AG (top 3 were under 2 hours)

And I definitely walked more and slowed down (as usual) during the 2nd half of the race.

I wasn’t thrilled with my results.  But I wasn’t unhappy.  After all, I didn’t train for hills. It was far from my slowest time.  In fact, it was faster than the one in December on a flat course.

Every time, my lower back started to ache, I fixed my form and stopped hunching over my shoulders.  And my awful feet only received some minor blisters.

The day after, I felt great and was even able to go for an easy run.

However, if I want to run another hilly course, I’ve got some work to do…

Every Wednesday, the Deb from Deb Runs will be providing a word about which to blog. Kind of like a nice little blog prompt. Posts can be fitness or health related, but don’t have to be, so really anyone can play along. Just be sure to link up with InLinkz on Deb’s main post, and share the love by reading and commenting on other’s participant’s posts.

This week’s word is Shenanigans.

The only “silly, high-spirited, mischievous or deceitful behavior” I can think of are those goofy poses during my races (even when I feel at my worse) or racing in a costume (which I have only done a few times.)

This photo was taken during that horribly, hot, humid race in Florida.  I felt like crap and my time sucked yet I gave the victory sign to the photographer…. deceitful or mischievous???

I’m dressed as a “parrot head”

Above are my costumes for Halloween, Christmas and St Patrick’s Day races.  Silly or high-spirited?  Barely…

Happy Running!  Have you ever run a race just for the cause? How do you handle a hilly race? Any shenanigans you’d want to share?

I am not sure what I was looking forward to more – this race or leaving the cold NE for 6 days in Florida!!

Half Marathon Training

But lucky for me, I was able to train well since we had a rather mild winter in the Northeast (until now.) In other words, I was able to fit in ALL my long runs (6-12 miles.)

No snow at all this winter!! How odd!

I don’t ever follow a serious training schedule.  I don’t do sprints, hill repeats, intervals and all those things a runner is supposed to do. I just make sure than I do my long runs on the weekends and run a few times during the week (usually for 3 miles.)

And of course, I planned my race outfit keeping my fingers crossed that it would be warm enough to wear it.

I wanted to wear my new SkirtSports skirt & tank top…wouldn’t you?

It had been warm in Florida UNTIL I arrived.  While I was there, it was cool (40-50 degrees), cloudy and windy, very windy.

It even rained the day before the race.

I was enjoying the Ringling Museum gardens in the rain – NOT!

Pre-Race Preparations

I usually rush to a race and then rush home.  This time, I flew down to Fort Myers, Florida on Thursday (3 days before the race), rented a car and drove to my friend who lives 1 1/2 hours away in Cape Haze. I spent a relaxing Friday with friends. I even went for a short run.

It was chilly – see that jacket in my hand but at least it was sunny.

We met friends in Punta Gorda for lunch.

I left Cape Haze on Saturday and drove an hour north to Sarasota (in the rain).  I picked up my race packet at the New Balance store. It was well-organized and not crowded at all. All you got was a shirt and a bib. That was fine with me. I was able to get out of there quickly and head to my friend’s place.

So what do you do on a rainy day?  We visited some art exhibits and then went out to dinner.  I had pizza – my traditional carb loading pre-race meal. (And I had a cannoli for dessert. Why not?)

I went to bed early but sleeping the day before a race?? Well, you know how that goes…

It wasn’t nerves that kept me awake.  My ankle started throbbing!! It was the one that has 8 pins and a plate in it but it has never hurt like this in 4 years!!  I attributed the pain to the weather – cold, rainy but secretly I was kinda worried.

I took some Tylenol and the pain went away.

Race Day

I got up early (like 5 am) and had my usual race breakfast of cream of wheat and tea (which I brought from home.)

The wind was howling and it was in the 40’s.  For some reason in Florida, it feels colder than the temperature.  Maybe it is the  dampness from the Gulf or Ocean.

And I was FREEZING!!

I put on sweatpants, DIY arm warmers, long sleeved cotton shirt, a wind breaker and gloves. That was about all I had. (I was after all in Florida!!)

My friend’s husband was nice enough to drive me to the start.  (I could have driven but he knew a shortcut.) I arrived there around 6 am. Though the forecast called for 0% chance of rain, it was raining lightly.  (I had left my umbrella & rain poncho at my friend’s place too.)

It made me laugh to see how bundled up everyone was – wool hats, scarfs, down jackets, etc.

I knew that I couldn’t run in everything I was wearing so I checked a bag with my sweat pants and windbreaker and kept on the rest.

The best part was that the Van Wezel Arts Hall was open and warm.  I hung out there, used the rest rooms and chatted with other runners until it was time to line up.

There were pacers so I lined up behind 2:10.  (Wishful thinking on my part after my last half.) We all shivered together until it was time to begin. At least the rain had stopped. Some runners were even wrapped up in a blanket. It did take several minutes (not sure how many) for my wave to cross the start line.

photo by Matt Houston of the Sarasota Herald Tribune

As with any race, it was very crowded in the beginning. The race closed out with 3000 runners (double the number that ran it last year, its inaugural year.)

The race course began by heading down Tamiami Trail and then turning right to run over the HUGE Ringling Bridge.

photo by Matt Houston of the Sarasota Herald Tribune

The course map is below. It is similar to First Watch Half Marathon that I ran in 2013 but after running over the bridge twice, you run a completely different loop back to the start/finish line.

Miles 1 -4:

9:35, 9:47, 9:43, 10:17

Saturday night’s ankle pain turned into just annoying stiffness.  It felt like my gait was off and I was limping.  I made the decision to run as long as I could without pain.  I never looked at my Garmin to see my pace but I felt like I was running very slowly when actually I was not.

first trip over the bridge

Running over that huge bridge was tough.  It was very windy.  I had to hold my hat on.  My skirt was blowing up. My bangs were covering my eyes. But, the first time over, I actually ran most of the way up. I was proud of myself.

Ringling Bridge – http://www.ourtownsarasota.com/- seemed longer and steeper than it looks.

It seemed like it took forever until we were running downhill.  This was the hardest part of the course.

photo by Matt Houston of the Sarasota Herald Tribune – these poor kids played through the wind and cold temps.

after crossing the bridge the first time

After crossing the bridge the first time, we ran and circled St. Armand Circle. It was familiar to me since when I travel to Naples with my tennis friends, we come here to lunch and to browse in the shops.

back in May 2012

I got tired of carrying my gloves so I tossed them here.

Next we headed back over the bridge for the 2nd time.  It was even harder this time.  I just couldn’t muster the wind and the hill so I walked on and off.

over the bridge for the last time

Nice how my skirt is blowing up most of the race

Miles 5-9:

10:46, 10:02, 10:46, 10:50, 10:37.

We were finally done with the bridge but it really tired me out.  My pace was slowing but I was still enjoying the course so much.  And my ankle?  By mile 5, it felt normal again.  I didn’t think about it for the rest of the race.

The sun even came out and it felt less cold.  In fact so bearable that I threw away my shirt. (I would regret that later.)  I just wore my DIY arm warmers to keep my arms shielded from the cold wind.

By this point, we had passed 3 water stops twice (so that’s 6).  I made sure that I stopped at each one and had water.  At mile 5, I even had a GU.

Now we were running on Bayfront Drive along the water.  It was so beautiful.  We ran past my favorite statue, Unconditional Surrender.

photo by Matt Houston of the Sarasota Herald Tribune

Then we turned onto Mount St. and then onto Orange Avenue. A priest threw holy water on us.  Even in these cold temps, there were crowds along the whole course.  I can’t tell you how many times, kids high fived me.

Since this was a MUSIC half marathon, there were over 20 bands along the course.  Most of them, you passed twice.  There was never a point when you didn’t hear music – rock, folk, jazz, all types and sizes. This helped you to forget that you were running 13.1 miles in the wind.

After we passed by the entrance to Selby Gardens, we entered some pretty neighborhoods. Here there were even more people cheering on the runners.

Mile 8 was the Girl Scout Mile with cookies, of course.  I had to have one.

Eventually we turned around and headed back to and into Selby Gardens.

Miles 10-13:

10:29, 11:02, 10:49, 11:11

Selby Gardens was free today for spectators and it is one of my favorite places in Sarasota.

back in May 2015

It was a little crowded running on the narrow path through the gardens but I loved the scenery.

However, I was very tired at this point.  I wished that we could have run through it when we were fresher. (My friends were supposed to be there to watch but I told them that I would be with the 2:30 pacer and they missed me.)

After we exited Selby Gardens, we ran along the water for awhile.

I continued walking through all the water stops (5 more and each twice) and ate another Gu around mile 11.

Mile 12 was the Beer Mile but I abstained.

Next we ran along side the bridge and through Hart’s Landing.  The wind picked up and I started to get very cold.  You could even feel sprays of water from the bay.

The last mile was uphill too and into the wind.  I gave up here and walked and walked. I even had a hard time walking, the wind was so strong.  (35 mph with gusts up to 50 they said – ugh!)

I wish I was dressed like the girl behind me at this point.

Nevertheless, I pushed on through and smiled for the photographers (of course.)

Mile 14:

9:42

I sprinted as fast as I could. I hadn’t been looking at my watch and although there were clocks throughout the course, I didn’t know how long it took me to get to the start line in the beginning of the race.

I was shocked to see the clock at the finish line.  I thought my time was going to be a lot slower.  In hindsight, I shouldn’t have been surprised since I had lost the 2:10 pacer but never saw the 2:20 pacer.

My chip time was 2:17:56. Woo Hoo!! (And the course was long according to my Garmin.)

I made my way over the obligatory finish wall and took a picture and then headed to bag check to put on some warm clothes.

Van Wezel Art Hall, where we started and ended, overlooked Sarasota Bay and there was a beer tent and a band but unfortunately, it was too cold to enjoy the view or music.

love the medal!!

Instead, I went inside to enjoy the best post-race buffet I’ve ever had.

brunch by Mattison’s

There were the usual scones, muffins, pastries and bagels plus eggs, potatoes, French toast, sausage, bacon, fresh fruit.

I sat and ate and ate while chatting with other racers until I got a text from my friends who were waiting for me outside.

We drove back to their place and after a long hot shower, I felt energetic enough to walk around Anna Maria Island. More about the rest of my race-cation in another post.

bundled up to walk along the beach – we walked for miles!!

Additional race reflections:

The Good:

• No rain!!
• Well-organized race.
• Pacers (at 10 min intervals.)
• Timing clocks throughout the course.
• Great crowd support.
• Many Gatorade & water stops (8 and you passed them twice so 16.)
• Warm place to wait before and after.
• Real bathrooms.
• Awesome post race refreshments – best buffet I’ve ever seen.
• Gu at 2 water stations
• Girl Scout cookies and beer on the course
• Scenic course with water views and a tour of Selby Gardens
• Music – over 20 bands and most of them you passed twice
• No injuries. Nothing hurt.
• I finished.
• My second fastest half Marathon time without trying

The Bad:

• Colder than normal temps for this time of year
• Ran over that Bridge twice (the biggest hill of the race)
• I wasn’t sure how much I should push myself so I walked..too much

The Ugly:

• Windy windy windy

So there are many more positives than negatives!!! Overall, a great race!!

Would I recommend this race?

Definitely.  If I lived in Florida, I would do it again and again.

I think I preferred this one to the one in Sarasota that takes place in March (First Watch Half Marathon). Though it started and ended in the same place, I liked this course better.

Final Stats:

This shows that I was on pace for a PR at the halfway point.  Who knew?

And I definitely walked more and slowed down (as usual) during the 2nd half of the race.

I was thrilled with the results.  Even though, my time was 8 minutes slower than my PR, it was 12 minutes faster than my last half marathon!!

It was a confidence boaster, for sure.  My ankle, the bridge and the weather conditions definitely impacted my ability to run faster. I was not disappointed that I didn’t go for a PR. I actually felt that I could have maybe if I pushed it and didn’t walk so often. That feeling itself made me happy.

And nothing hurt.  My ankle pain left after 5 miles.  Every time, my lower back started to ache, I fixed my form and stopped hunching over my shoulders.  And my awful feet only received some minor blisters.

Since it is Thursday,  I’m linking up today with Amanda for Thinking Out Loud Thursday.

Happy Running!  Have you ever run a redemption race? What has been your favorite Half Marathon? What are thinking about today?