I done it.
I done it ten minutes faster than last time.
To drop the (wherever) accent, I did the race weekend half-marathon in two hours and twenty eight minutes. Let me tell you, nothing is sweeter than thinking you'll never make it to the end line, finding the one thing in your head that will keep you going, and beating your realistic deadline.
As usual, here is what I learned from this race:
1. Run your own race. Don't run it with anyone. I started running the race with three wonderful running buddies from the running room. However, during the first half of the race, I had to depart their company and do my own thing. Why? Because I was achin'. They had done all the work deserving of a 2:15 finish, while I had already admitted that I did not. After 10k, I stopped playing catch-up, and was able to win on my own terms.
2. Find one thought that will keep you going. At around 7km, I struggled and panted and wasn't sure I'd even finish in 2:30, or at all, from how my knee was starting to ache. I reached deep, and thought of one thing past this race to strive for: Army. I had my army bracelet to touch and fondle, and that really kept me thinking that, if I didn't finish this, I couldn't reach far enough in me to even try the army. That, and my boyfriend: What would he think if I fell out half-way through? (realistically, I'm sure he'd know I stopped for good reasons, but my knee was the only thing hurting at that point, and I had tylenol on me)
3. Tylenol, despite what anyone else may say, is your friend while you're running a race like that. Take it with you.
4. No matter how dead you are, how dragging-the-feet you feel, you have enough for the end. Ever since about 8k to the end, I had been picking up my pace - swinging my arms faster, thinking of the sweet beer reward, making smaller goals of getting past the 2:30 bunny, all these tactics played a part in my getting ahead of my previous time. Even when I was dragging my butt at 3km out, I would still pick up my knees and keep moving. I made a conscious decision to save myself between 300m and 100m out, but when I saw that end line, and the time counting down, I decided I would not be ending anywhere after the strike of 2:30, and picked up my aching knees and thighs again to make it in. I may have felt like collapsing after I crossed the line, but damn if it didn't add to the euphoria of finishing before my deadline.
5. Again: have people at the endline. It doesn't even matter who, anymore. Even if your friends are waiting for you outside the running area, look for a familiar face. It's well worth hearing their own endtimes and tribulations and sharing your own.
6. Do the work: For all that I'm patting myself on the back, and knowing I was busy, I know my time would have been better if I'd done more of the work.
That's all for now... If I can think of more, I will add them in.
