Saturday, March 31, 2012

13.1


8 Jennifer Johnson          152   58  30 2:10:27  9:58 Bowling Green KY
 

I did it!!!!  I am an official half-marathoner (not mini marathoner...that doesn't sound as prestigious)!   And according to the info above, I came in 8th in my age group (out of 17) and finished with a time of 2 hours 10 minutes and 27 seconds.  Not too shabby for my first half!!!

So let's break it down.  Obviously there was no running the day before.  Friday was a pretty chill day...I ended up eating dinner later than I wanted to, but it was delish!  Potatoes and carrots roasted in the oven and portabella mushrooms sauteed on the stove.  Top it all off with a bowl of fruit...delish! 


One of the reasons why we ate so late, is because we were trying to drive the race course....I say trying because I was navigator.  If you all know me at all, you know that directions are my strong point.  What I did get out of the part of the course that we did drive, was that is was going to be a little hilly.  Remember when I said "the course is fairly flat"...LIAR!  It wasn't crazy hill city, but there were definitely more inclines than I would have liked.  Anyway...on to race day.

My alarm went off this morning at 5:30- my dad was picking me up at 6:30 'member?  So I jumped in the shower and woke myself up (all the while noticing that my stomach felt a little off...).  After the shower I went to fix my coffee and protein shake.  The thought of eating or putting anything in my body kinda turned my already turned stomach.  I was a little worried about this shaky stomach thing :-(  I ended up using the bathroom (and by using the bathroom, I mean USING the bathroom) 4 times before my parents arrived. 

I glumly announced that we couldn't go anywhere until my stomach had calmed down a bit...but I knew that we were up against the clock.  Roads started shutting down at 7:30 and that's when racers moved towards the starting line.  I ended up going once more before we headed out.

The ride there I felt like a bundle of nerves...my stomach was off, I hadn't eaten hardly anything, I didn't feel hydrated enough...I was trying not to get down before I even started.  Remember, one of my goals was to finish physically and emotionally strong!  I used the bathroom at the race about 4 times (one time USING the bathroom) and excitedly made my way to the starting line when they called for us.

The race itself was pretty uneventful.  I prayed throughout the whole entire thing!  I had horrible side stitches during the first 1/2 mile to mile, and thank God He took them away!  I'm guessing those are related to USING the bathroom.  I had to reign my pace in during the first 2 miles, but after that I was good until we got toward the end of the race.  I enjoyed my music, I enjoyed the miles, I enjoyed the sun not shining and the gentle wind blowing (sounds like a country song huh?). Life was good...well as good as it can be running 13.1 miles.  Things were good until around mile 11.5...I know right...I was RIGHT there!  Totally the end in sight.  But my body was just plain 'ole TIRED!  My side stitches were returning, my sweat was turning to salt...literally, salt, and my pace was slowing waaay down.  I kept praying and kept telling myself that I had this.  I hate to admit it, but I did stop and walk twice during those last couple of miles.  I got my second (or third, fourth, or fifth) wind, and ended up finishing strong!

Do I wish I hadn't have walked at the end?  Yes.  Do I wish my time would have been closer to 2:00?  Yes.  Do I wish I hadn't had to USE the bathroom so many times before the race?  OH YES!!!!  But...am I proud of what I did?  Absolutely.  Am I convinced my hard training paid off?  You bet.  Am I proud as heck to be able to say I ran a half-marathon?  Yes 'mam! 





Wednesday, March 28, 2012

T Minus 2 days!!!

So guess what is almost here???????  MY HALF MARATHON, that's what!!!  I am so super pumped.  Actually I am feeling 9.2 MILLION emotions, and I have been this whole entire week.  I go from super cool, laid back, to heart pumping nervous, to scared, to doubtful, to confident in about 3 seconds flat.  Doubt begins to creep in my mind, and I have to totally SHUT IT DOWN! and remember how hard and long I have been training for this race.  My body is 100% ready for these 13.1 miles!  I know my hard work will pay off.  I have prayed and prayed countless time...God has not given me a spirit of fear, but of POWER and of LOVE and of a SOUND MIND.  I have put in the effort and the time.  Now I have to be confident and push through and know it will pay off.

Let's talk race day...because my parents are such great people, they are going to pick me up at 6:30 Saturday morning and take me to the race!  That way my hubby and the boys won't have to get up at the crack of dawn, and I don't have to drive myself there...aren't they great?  At 7:30 they start shutting down the roads and the runners start moving to the starting line...and then sha-BAM- 8:00 is show time!!!  It's an out and back course that is mostly flat (I say that, but I can't really truly remember...there might be some slight hills).
Here are my goals for the race:
1. To NOT get in my mind and stay there.
2. No negative self-talk.
3. To give 110%.
4. Run smart.
5. Finish strong (emotionally and physically).

So I don't know about you all, but my mind is like a bad neighborhood...it's a place I don't want to be a whole lot!  I can get into a LOT of trouble by staying in my mind...I begin to focus on the world, on me, on things that don't matter, and then in turn, #2 happens!  I've noticed that if the first minute of my run isn't perfect, I tend to begin the whole, "oh this is horrible." or "this is going to be a bad run.  when will it ever be over".  I want to run this race and enjoy every mile...even if my knee starts to hurt, or my pace is slower that I want it to be, or it is raining, or the sun is shining in my face...I WANT TO ENJOY IT ALL!

I do have a #6 goal that I'm trying not to to think about...I want to finish as close to 2 hours as I can.  This is a totally attainable goal for me IF I meet all my other 5 goals. BUT I don't want that time hanging over my head the whole entire race. 

Say a prayer for me y'all.  Pray for peace, for a strong body, good weather, and wisdom.  I'll see you on the other side of 13.1!

Sunday, March 11, 2012

 Remember that last post talking about how great my run was????  Well my long run on Saturday sucked!  I have to remind myself that yes, I will have runs where I feel super, fast, and light as the wind.  Where after 5 miles have gone by, I'm barely breathing hard.  But I will also have runs where 1/2 a mile feels like the devil, and I feel like my feet are in quick sand.  I had such high hopes for this run on Saturday...it is my last long, long run before my half on the 31st.  Of course, I had just come back from Louisville and might have indulged in some food I wasn't used to, and I was running on a lack of sleep.  So, yes it does make sense when I think about it.  If you don't take care of your body for a couple of days, how can you expect it to perform? 

But anyway...here are some lovlies from my phone.





So here's the rundown on the pictures above. 
#1- 2nd Annual Eagle Flight 5K was a success.  I placed 2nd in my age group...holla!
#2- My hubby, and friend, and myself went to a technology conference in Louisville and stayed at The Galt House hotel. 
#3- Does this even need an explanation????  It is me at like 5:30 in the morning getting my fitness groove on...thanks Kevin for snapping this delightful beauty...
#4- Hit the 400 mile mark on my Nike app.  Just to be clear, I have run over 400 miles since June 2011...569 to be exact.  I just didn't use the app in the beginning.
#5- My lovely sunburnt face after the 12.64 miler yesterday.

Have a good week friends!!!