Nookachamps Half Marathon: The Ultimate Battle

Here we are with our fellow running group members
in the comfort of the gymnasium-- before heading
out into the elements.

I had really looked forward to the Nookachamps Half Marathon.  I’d been feeling faster and stronger; I’d noticed my mile times getting lower and lower.  For the first time in my life, my Runkeeper app was showing me mile split times on long runs of 7:42, 7:46, 7:48, and 7:54.  This was my chance to show the world that I’m getting speedier!  I was incredibly eager to get a time in the 1:40’s.


Here I am near the finish line.  I'm
trying hard to conceal my misery!

However, it just wasn’t meant to be.  I came to this realization as I heard the rain pouring and wind howling the night before the run.  As I got out of bed on race day, I felt very congested (yuck!) and became apprehensive about the adverse weather conditions.  I knew it wasn’t going to be pretty.

As we traveled to Mount Vernon, we got a false sense of hope when we saw a patch of blue sky … But it soon disappeared!  The race was undoubtedly the most unpleasant run of my life.  We ran into a headwind for probably about 95% of the course, and the winds were so strong that I noticed that the people ahead of me had an awkward sideways lean to their gait. Gusts of wind felt like they were body-slamming me as they reached 50mph, and I was soaked to the bone.  It seemed to take twice as much effort than normal to go anywhere.   I tried to engage in positive self-talk to convince myself that I was having fun, but I couldn't deny the fact that I was absolutely miserable.

With that said, it was still the best half marathon time that I have on record!  My official finish time was 1:51:31, which is 8:30 per mile  (my last half marathon time was 1:52:13).  I finished in 97th place out of 300 male/female runners.  In spite of being so cold that my teeth were chattering and so wet that my shoes had about a half inch of water at the bottom, I really did have a strong sense of accomplishment.

I am optimistic that all future runs will have more enjoyable conditions, and my fingers are crossed that I'll continue to make great strides with my running!

Girls on the Run

I was instructed not to post any pictures of participants
 online, but here I am at the start of the much-anticipated
 final 5K(in 23-degree weather, mind you!)!  You will
note that everyone who takes part in the run is #1.  Love it! 

I found a great way to combine my newfound love of running with a meaningful volunteer opportunity: Girls on the Run.  This afterschool program for girls in 3rd through 5th grade strives to “inspire girls to be joyful, healthy, and confident using a fun, experience-based curriculum which creatively integrates running.” 

My role as a running buddy was to serve as a cheerleader/encourager/coach for one girl during two 5K’s (a practice race and a big event with all of the girls/buddies from around the county).  It was fun to interact with elementary school girls and watch how they were able to motivate themselves to finish a full 5K.  It seemed so daunting at first!  It’s a great program with lots of important lessons for young ladies, and I enjoyed my small part in it.  The experience reminded me of the goal-setting, challenges, lessons, and rewards of my own running journey!

The Final Countdown!

It is difficult for me to fully grasp that I will be running the Portland Marathon in just 3 days and 17 hours from this very moment.   Wow!  Eek!  Yikes!  This ominous, futuristic, unknown beast is finally here.  I’ve spent the past several months building it up in my mind and envisioning what it might be like, and now I’ll get to experience it firsthand at last.  It’s time to meet the monster.

They say that you’re not supposed to set a goal time for your first marathon, as it’s impossible to know what your body will do on race day.  Your only goal should be to finish.  However, it has been very challenging for me to not play the number game.  I even have a running calculator saved to my desktop, and I often find myself crunching numbers and creating various scenarios: “What will my time be if I start out at 9-minute miles, and then slow to 10-minute miles at the half?  What if I run full-speed to 16 miles, then slow down to 11-minute miles?  What if I get completely burnt out and have to walk 3 miles near the end, then resume at a speed of 9-minute-30-second miles?”  It’s easy to make myself dizzy with so many numbers spinning in my head.  I am constantly reminding myself that the time on the clock when I cross the finish line is completely arbitrary and insignificant, but this seems to be a tough lesson for me to learn.

It’s also hard for me not to think of all of the horrible possible occurrences throughout the course.  I’ve read scary accounts of marathon runners with digestive problems (who aren’t able to make it to the portapotties-- yuck!), unforeseen injuries, bad chaffing, muscle cramps, dehydration, vomiting spells, etc.  I am coaching myself to push these negative thoughts aside and focus on all of the positive things of running these 26.2 miles.  This will be a goodtime! 

On that note, I’ve created non-numeric goal for myself: I’m going to find something “fun” on every mile of the course.  This could be an amusing sign, an enjoyable entertainment band on the side of the road, an interesting running outfit, a particularly enthusiastic supporter, an adorable child giving out high-fives, or a cute dog.  I will attempt to mentally take note of them all. The Portland Marathon is supposed to have one of the best crowds around, and this should greatly enhance my first marathon experience.  I’m going to try to appreciate every minute of it.

I also feel incredibly grateful that so many friends and family will be there to cheer me on throughout the way.  The support of my parents, aunts, friends, and co-workers (who are all traveling to the race) is very inspiring.   They will certainly make a difference for me.

I’m in the process of creating the final preparations for this event.  I have so many last-minute decisions that can stress me out (e.g.: Should I wear my water belt during the race or rely on the water stations?  What shirt should I wear?  Should I wear my heavier socks?  Should I wear rain gear?  What should I eat for breakfast before the race?  What should I eat to carbo load?), but I’m attempting to just take a deep breath and enjoy the rest of the journey.

Portland Marathon 2013, ready or not-- here I come!