I did it. I finished the longest run of my life (to date). I completed a half marathon on 11/27/10!
It was cold yesterday. At about 8:20am, as I got out of my car and walked to the starting point it was about 20 degrees out! By the time I finished it must have been about 32 degrees out.
The first 9.5 miles were fine. Somewhere between mile 8 and mile 10 I started to feel my legs and back getting stiff though. I didn't think much of it, but by the time I hit the 10 mile mark I was struggling. My legs felt like bricks. The muscles in my back and lower body seemed to become very tight and this made running hard.
I was on pace to hit a 2:35:00 (approximately) finish time but the last three miles really screwed me up. I'm going to chalk it up to a lack of preparation.
My family and I attended a post-thanksgiving brunch at a friend/relative's house after the race on Saturday afternoon and a frequently asked question was whether I'd do it again. Heck yeah I said. I know there is a ton of room for improvement and the 13.1 mile distance is, now looking back, very manageable.
After the run I went to a party, then I went out to dinner at a Brazilian steakhouse and enjoyed a cigar after dinner. I was out until midnight. I woke up Sunday morning and felt fine. Yes, I'm a little sore but nothing serious.
I'm not running in any organized races in December 2010. My 2010 races are now done!
Now it's time to think about and plan for the races in 2011 which I will partake of. I want to put together a mix of 5Ks, 10Ks, 15Ks (10 milers) and half marathons!
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| This is at about mile 3.5 to 4 - that's why I'm still smiling... |
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