Half Marathon #2

Today I ran (and walked, because hello I'm not Superman) my second half marathon.

I'm pretty happy with the results. I finished in 3 hours and 12 minutes, which was roughly 15 minutes faster than my previous time.

Sidebar: If you ever get a chance to go to Palmetto Bluff, you should. It's a beautiful, serene place and I'd love to go there when I'm not gasping for air while crossing the finish line. Just kidding, sort of.

Weather

But back to the race: It was a perfect day for running: nice and cold in the morning and it was warm in the sun, but not hot. Almost no humidity (compared to my previous one when I was sweating before I started) was a nice surprise for South Carolina.

Team

A friend of mine ran it with me, but she actually ran the whole thing (because she most definitely is Superman). But it was nice to have some camaraderie in this race, even if we only stayed together the first .65 miles.

In the Rock'n'Roll, I ran it by myself, but I ran and walked with a handful of different groups and individuals. That's the great thing about runners: we seem to be fairly easy to get along with... And we like to cheer each other on!

Course

For the most part, the course was flat and it was all paved.

However, unlike the Rock'n'Roll, which is apparently the royalty of races, this half did not supply any energy along the way. Luckily, a nice older woman found me before the race and randomly gave me some GU energy gel, which boosted me about halfway through. I was always taught to not talk to strangers, but when you know you'll need a boost, you just say thank you and take it.

Also, this race didn't have as many water/Gatorade stops. But they did have plenty of bathrooms for those who can't hold it all the way through the race (thank goodness I didn't have to stop for that).

Training

Unlike my previous race, I didn't really train for this. I knew it was coming, so I kept relatively in shape, but I really didn't set aside time to train.

So when it started, because of the lack of training and the 40° (might as well be freezing) weather, I got shin splints. (Now just to clarify, I'm not complaining about the weather, because let me tell you, I'd rather have freezing cold than scorching hot sun.) Luckily they wore off about mile 2 and after that, I was pain-free for the most part! (Shocking, since last time I hurt so bad I slept for two days.)

My feet, which were killing me last time, really didn't even start to hurt until mile 12, which conveniently seemed to be the longest mile of the entire race.

My goal for this race was to get in at 3:00. I admit, looking back, I probably could have done it. But I got distracted a few times and walked a bit too much.

However, you can bet your last dollar I sprinted that last .1 mile to the finish. (I'm nothing if not a finisher...partly because I try to impress everybody and look good for the cameras!)

Big finish

But the best part was having a cheer squad of my friends/coworkers/running buddies meet me at the finish line. It made all the difference.

Now if only I could walk to the freezer to get some more ice...

Welcome to the world of running: here are two sprained ankles!

A little over a year ago, I ran my first 5k.

And so began an addiction that I don't think I will ever shake. Luckily, my friends and family support and encourage it (and sometimes fund it, because boy, can it get expensive).

I trained for that first race for about a month. And then during the race, I managed to sprain both ankles. Just call me Grace.

However, glutton for punishment that I am, a month and a half later, I was up running another one. That time? Faceplanted my way through it. But I survived to run another day. Which, conveniently was about a month later.

And then I ran another one. And another one. And another one. And another one. Did I mention it's really hot in the summer in South Carolina? And in Kentucky? And in Georgia??

And then a few months later, I ran my first half marathon. I trained for that race. I mean I really committed to the training. I was running 5ks every other day with long runs on the weekends. And yet I still managed to hurt myself so badly I couldn't walk for two days.

I'm told that's normal...?

But I cut 25 minutes off my estimated time, though, so points for style, right??

And even after all that, I've decided to run another half marathon in a few days.

Glutton for punishment, party of one.

I say all that to say this: I've resigned myself to the fact that running will never be a painless (or inexpensive) activity for be (I have the x-ray bills to prove it). But the competitive drive I have has put me in the very difficult position of forcing me to beat myself. And it's working.

Find what works for you. Is it the half dozen donuts waiting at the finish line of the Donut Dash or the frozen goodness of the margaritas at the finish line of the Miles to Margaritas? Maybe it's the challenge of running over a bridge so you can get the perfect selfie in Savannah (while trying not to trip)... Or maybe you secretly wish you were a superhero and need a villain to chase.

Whatever gets your shoes to the pavement or grass or whatever, let it get you there. And then milk it for everything it's worth.