I wasn’t really sure where to go with this post because I have so many mixed feelings about this past week. I am so proud of myself because I completed my second half marathon!
I took a lot of rest days and to be honest, I was exhausted. It’s getting dark so early I just needed a break. I’m not sure if it was the extra days off or something else, but I was just not on my game for the DRC Half Marathon on Sunday. Granted I can’t be too upset, because I finished, and not everyone can say that they’ve done one half marathon, let alone two.
My knee was hurting from the start and only got worse with each passing mile. I started the race in a pace group that I was not prepared to run with. I haven’t been training for speed all season, so I’m not quite sure what I was thinking trying to run faster than I was supposed to. I was super tired probably because I went way too fast in the beginning and I pooped out in the second half. I think maybe my body isn’t conditioned to running that early in the morning because I usually do my runs in the afternoon. I also think I just ran out of energy. Hindsight is 20/20, right? When I crossed the finish line I didn’t know whether to collapse or break down in tears. Everything hurt. I could barely walk to get my things, and none of the food looked good so I grabbed a banana and ran (ha!) drove to Einsteins for a bagel.
Here’s the good news: It’s the day after and although my knee is sore, the rest of me actually feels pretty good. Sore still, but normal sore. I plan on continuing my training for the full marathon, but I learned a lot last weekend and I need to make some changes. I am going to get over my morning issues and start running early in the morning so my body isn’t shocked on race day. I’ve never tried energy gels or pre-workout, but I know I won’t be able to run for 5hours on shear adrenaline. I think it’s about time to work that into my routine. Finally, I need to go back to my original training schedule, running 2 shorter, faster runs 2-3 cross trains, and 1 long run per week. I can’t do this without properly training. Cross training and short runs are just as important as my long runs.
Wish me luck! xoxo Kasey