Half-Marathon Report

Yesterday I ran more than 13 miles on a training run (13.3 to be precise). It's the first time I've run that long ever. I did not hit my target time of sub-two hours, which was strangely disappointing. In fact, rather than feel proud of the distance I covered, I found myself thinking such a goal was impossible. Any other time I've exceeded my maximum distance I was thrilled by the simple fact of covering the miles. Why this time was different, I'm not sure.

After wallowing for an hour, I was finally able to get over myself. It's funny how easy it is to lose sight of an underlying goal by focusing solely on the outcome. Six months ago the notion of walking 13 miles would have seemed laughable, so to get pissy about not running fast enough seems distinctly childish. It reminds me how easy it is to focus on outcomes and to find the negative in what was largely a positive experience. It reminds me that I can sour any experience if I forget that things don't always turn out precisely the way I had planned.

With a bit of perspective I can say the following:

Good

1. I didn't go out too fast. Usually on long runs my excitement leads me to sprint the first three miles and then suffer through the rest. This time I paid attention to my overall effort and kept my pace in line.
2. I felt great until mile 11, when things went suddenly down hill (cramping in my calves and new pain in my inner thigh). In the past, I never felt good for that long.
3. The weather was mild - sunny and no wind (I really hate wind...) - so much of my run was an appreciation of the beauty around me.
4. I remembered to eat the gels frequently and drank water (often I skip both and suffer for it).
5. I was able to run 13 miles a month prior to the actual run, which gives me quite a bit of time to finesse my time.
6. I didn't feel guilty for taking the time to run.

Things to work on

1.  Motivational self-talk definitely suffered. Doubt crept in around mile 10, which made it difficult to keep going.
2. Find a route that does not involve a huge hill at the end. I think I ran at pace for most of the run, but that hill really killed me. (The course route is flat, so running hills on the long run makes no sense.)
3. Focus on endurance and putting in the miles, worry less about the overall time.
4. Remember how lucky I am that I'm able to even cover this distance and that I'm still (knock wood) injury free.