That day, for no particular reason, I decided to go for a little run. So I ran to the end of the road. And when I got there, I thought maybe I'd run to the end of town. And when I got there, I thought maybe I'd just run across Greenbow County. And I figured, since I run this far, maybe I'd just run across the great state of Alabama. And that's what I did. I ran clear across Alabama. For no particular reason I just kept on going. I ran clear to the ocean. And when I got there, I figured, since I'd gone this far, I might as well turn around, just keep on going. When I got to another ocean, I figured, since I'd gone this far, I might as well just turn back, keep right on going.
So I didn't run across Alabama, or any states, and I'm pretty sure I could drive the distance I ran in about 10 minutes or something, but I am damn proud to share that I have officially finished my first half-marathon. I am especially proud because if you would have asked me this last year at this time if I would have run five K, I would have laughed at you. Not because I couldn't run, or had never run (I was running 5k every morning for awhile there when I lived in London), but because the idea of a race seemed so far away from my mental space. If you would have asked me six months ago, back in October, I might have told you sure, 5k is doable, but only just that. Because I was not a runner, I had no time to run, I mean who has the time or energy to do these things after such long days at work?
And then right around that time, my friend W shared that she had registered for the Berlin Half Marathon during her birthday weekend, and since we have been celebrating her birthday together over the past few years as time/location allowed, I should join her. I think she was half-joking, half serious. Or maybe she wasn't. But for some reason, I said, ok sure, I'll do it.
Time for some truth. When I signed up, I did it knowing that I might back out. Actually, I was about 75% sure there was no way in hell I was running any such sort of half marathon anything. I remember checking the time to see if I could walk it, or what would happen if I just stopped at some point and took a taxi back to the hotel. I had all sorts of contingency plans. You all know me, I always have a back-up. But I sent off my payment, and added it to my calendar and got on the Nike+ running app, and started trying to exercise each day. I think the first program it put me on was a beginner's 10k, which involved a lot of walk/run at the start. I remember those first couple weeks. It was hard. I would walk a k, then try to run one, and it was brutal. I remember thinking - how in the hell did I do this every morning, and more importantly, why did I ever think this was fun?! The walk/run gradually changed to jog and then run, and before I knew it had done a 5k all the way through running. The time was abysmal - I think maybe 36 minutes (I used to be able to do 26 or 27 on a really, really good day)- but it happened. And I began to have just a tiny bit of hope. I was inconsistent with the program due to travel, but one day in a hotel gym I was running and not getting super tired and so I decided to see if I could keep going. I had to stop a couple times along the way, but I ended up clearing 10k. Didn't break any land-speed records, but I got the distance in. I kept up some sporadic training - running when I could - up until the Christmas holidays and my trip to Costa Rica. I even tried a bit of running then, but mostly I didn't. I also ended up getting really, really sick with a terrible sinus infection that wouldn't have let me run even if I tried.
My Nike+ training for the marathon was scheduled for 11 January, a date that was burned into my memory. After I got back from Costa Rica, and got over (finally!) my illness, I decided that I couldn't half-ass this thing. I took a long hard look at my diet. No more alcohol (although after my illness, I couldn't stomach the thought for some reason). No more white carbs - and very, very little of the brown ones. Up the protein. Keep the good fats. Tear up the delivery menus. And stick to the training - no matter what. I promised myself that barring an injury or some sort of apocalyptic weather pattern, I was running. Traveling? Hit the hotel gym. Find a path. No excuse.
I'm happy to say that for my 12 week plan, I only missed one day. That was in week 10 when my body was like TAKE A BREAK DAMN YOU, TAKE A BREAK. I've learned from my friends who are more experienced runners to "respect the rest". Sometimes your body just says no - and not the Saturday morning "no I don't want to run 15k no no no let me sleep please" no, but the "I'm about to collapse, don't you dare" no. So I took a day off, and found I felt better and it paid off later. I'm also happy to say that I've drastically overhauled my food and lifestyle choices. I've had some drinks since January, but NOTHING compared to my life before. Strangely, I no longer crave wine. I used to LOVE wine. Now, I like a half a beer or so - or if I'm feeling really adventurous, a vodka tonic. I am not anti-alcohol, and I do still enjoy a drink or two - but I also know that those drinks have a "cost" to my body, and so I should make those choices wisely.
I've seen great changes in my body. I don't know exactly how much weight I lost, but I do know that at some point around week 7 or 8, my running pants began to literally fall off me while running. I was running in my size 10 Lululemons - which I had previously loved for their expanding qualities ("ate a whole pizza? No problem, fam. We got you!" - these pants). I had pulled the inner string as tight as I could and triple knotted it and they were still too loose. Given that I plan on running and most likely will probably lose more weight, I didn't want to invest in more Lulus at this point, so off I went to TJ Maxx on a work trip to DC. Imagine my surprise when what fit was a size small. I bet if I were to weigh myself the actual pounds wouldn't be so much - but I've lost flab and gained definition. I've also lost a lot of what I jokingly call my "biscuits" - aka muffin top gone crazy. I really hadn't realized the extent of said biscuits until I saw some pictures from Turkey and then Costa Rica. (CR was better, but only by like one biscuit or so). I also realized I'm a master at camouflaging myself in clothes that probably shouldn't no actually don't really fit. My closet hasn't changed that much - but the way the clothes fit definitely has. Things are loose or too loose. Dresses seem way longer now that I don't have the baker's dozen of dough holding them up. Shirts fit altogether differently. The other day I was able to tuck a shirt in and not even think twice - something that is an amazing feat when you've struggled with your weight your whole life.
I should add that I didn't do this to lose weight. That wasn't on my mind as I pounded the pavement. I was thinking about a goal, and proving to myself that I could do it. I changed my eating to fuel my body to achieve that goal. The change in my body has been a very, very nice side effect - and one that will of course encourage me to keep going.
Running the actual half marathon was harder than I thought. For starters, there were 30,000 of my closest friends nearby. Seriously, the place was jammed. Start time was 10:05, but that was for the elite groups apparently. We had to wait around for 45 minutes to go (I was in the last block, which was for super slow and/or people with no prior recorded times). By the time we actually started running, I was tired and wanted a nap. I couldn't get a pace - people were jammed so close to me and in front, on the side, in back - so it was like a constant zig zag. When I run, I like space and I like to set a pace and keep it. My times were all over the place, going from like 05:15/km the first km, 06:45 the second km 06:10 the third km, and so on. I think my official time of 2:25 shows me at around 07:20/km - which factors in my bathroom break (and queue for the porta potty) and three times I had to stop. Once for shoe tying, once because I was sort of run off the road by crazies behind me and once because my knee decided it didn't want to be a knee anymore around 14km. I think it had goals of being a wet noodle instead. So I had to stop, do a few stretches, have a long talk with the knee, and then get back in the horde. My Nike app has me more at 2:15 for the race, which would not take into account these little detours. Either way, I'm pleased with my time. I wanted under 2:30, and I got it. I wanted to make it, and I did.
Races are different than road running. I had run the 21km distance twice already leading up to my training - one as part of the training and once by accident when a GPS calibration issue meant I exceeded my 19km run by a bit. I didn't have issues then. I finished tired - and the bottoms of my feet hurt hurt hurt - but I wasn't achy or anything. In this race, I found my knees started to really hurt around 12km in - I think from all the evasive running action. You don't just run straight in big crowds - its like a sideways run, constantly on the alert for obstacles. I didn't train for an obstacle run, and so I don't think my body was ready for the constant speed up - slow down - dance to the left - dance to the right, weave around - that is a huge run. We also ran on the road, not on the sidewalks - and I think the consistency is different. I also think there was a mental factor for me - I was still horribly tired from jet lag. Note to self: DO NOT TRAVEL THE WEEK BEFORE A HALF MARATHON. Just don't. I was off my schedule, eating differently, sleeping differently. I arrived back in Germany Thursday morning, only to have my run be on Sunday morning. DO NOT DO THIS, PEOPLE.
I also had a waist pack that I use to hold my phone for music. I need to find a better solution for music and time tracking. Anyone know of a watch that holds 2h+ of music and can track time and doesn't die? I tried my iPod nano in training (I think that's what it's called) and it died after 5k. It was super comfortable and clipped right on to my shirt, but a dead battery takes all the fun away.
My biggest learning? Just do it. Seriously. As a marketer, I love Nike's slogan for it's simplicity. As a newbie runner, I love it even more for telling the truth. Just get up, go out there and do it. You run a 15 min kilometer? Great. A 20 minute mile? Great. No one cares. Just. go. do. it. You work and have kids and no time? Do you watch TV? If you have 30 min for Real Housewives, or Sons of Anarchy or whatever the hip kids are watching these days, you have 30 min to train. If you watch 2 shows, you have an hour. You make time. My first long run, I was all haterade 100% of the time. By my 3rd, I looked forward to it. The sun was getting up around 6:30, I was out the door around 7 - and back by 9 or 10 to have a full Saturday anyway, one complete with the good feeling that exercise brings.
It will suck. You will have days when you think you just cannot. I had a day in Thailand on the treadmill where I was like - nope. I was supposed to run 11k. I got to 8 and just could not. So the next day I added in 1.5 and the following another 1.5. I got to my distance goal. I've had to switch out rest days for running days due to travel. I had to get through 16 boring-ass kilometers on the treadmill during my vacation (that was SO boring, thank goodness I could watch Across the Universe on TV while running). I ran in the rain. I ran in the snow. I fell on black ice (not recommended). I then bought grips for the bottom of my running shoes, and a solid running jacket that repels moisture. I learned about eating too soon before running (most runners know about having to make the quick run back to the house to get to the bathroom!). I learned about drinking too much water before running. (Oh, hello there cafe, no I don't want to buy anything, just using your bathroom, ok thanks bye). I learned about not eating enough before running - you feel like a car sounds when it is almost out of gas. I learned about splits, and reverse splits and strides. Mostly, I learned about ME. About my body, and about what it is capable of. I have learned to love and appreciate my body, because it can be powerful and do great things. I have learned to feed it well, with the right things, because in doing so, I care for myself and enable myself to be successful. I have learned to take time for ME - time that isn't sitting on a couch reading, or watching TV, or anything else passive.
This journey has been amazing. Do I think I will ever be a fast runner? Probably not, but who knows. Will I ever be elite? Again, without robot parts, probably not. Will I ever become one of those uber-obsessed runners with the weird muscles and legs? Definitely not. But am I, undoubtedly, now a runner? Yes.
And so, despite the fact that as I'm typing this, I'm well aware of the throbbing from my right knee and of the fact that walking down stairs is not really a possibility right now and that my legs ache and my arms ache and all of me aches - I have already signed up for my next running adventure. Reykjavik Half Marathon, here I come!
Huge thanks to W - who got me on this path, to my friends and family for being so supportive, and to MS for the daily countdown emails that kept my mind right!
