How I Broke 2 Hours in the Half Marathon

This past weekend I finally broke 2 hours in the half marathon. It wasn’t expected because my training was less than ideal and I felt terrible in the 10 mile race I did 3 week prior. As I reflected back, I came up with quite a few factors that all came together to result in a PR.

1)      I weigh less. I actually weight 5-10 lbs less than I did pre-baby. Unusual I know, and please don’t hate me because it certainly isn’t due to good nutrition. I was so sick the first half of my pregnancy that I lost weight instead of gaining. Then after I had Cooper my body thought I was feeding triplets. I fed my own baby and donated more than 1000 oz to NICU babies. All that milk production really helped my metabolism. Since I stopped breastfeeding, I've kept the weight off because I'm so busy chasing an active toddler I don't have much time to sit and eat. Even though the weight loss wasn’t intentional, it helped. Lighter=faster (to a point)

2)       Training conditions were challenging. I did most of my training runs in some combination of snow, high winds, ice, and very early mornings. So even though I didn’t necessarily hit the distances or paces I wanted for these runs, they did make me stronger and fitter.

3)      I did speed work. I go to the track once a week and although I don’t follow a formal training plan, including faster running regularly made faster paces more comfortable mentally and physically. This was especially true in the last mile of the race. I had the confidence of knowing Id run fast miles at the track recently.

4)      I nailed my nutrition. I took in more calories than I ever have in a half marathon, but I took them in smaller increments over a longer period of time. It worked.

5)      The pressure was off. I did not go into this race expecting a PR. I didn’t even check my watch until mile 9. I just ran a comfortable pace. So not only did I set a PR< but I enjoyed myself.

6)      The weather was perfect- low 50’s, mostly cloudy, slightly breezy.

I enjoyed this race so much and was so proud of my PR that I immediately wanted to sign up for another race to see if I could go even faster. Luckily I managed to suppress this initial urge and realize that isn’t the best thing for me right now. I ran this PR because I wasn’t trying to. I was healthy, the weather was perfect, and I’d had an easy week work wise the week before. The chances of all that happening again are slim. Plus this training cycle helped me see that distance running is just not the right thing for me and family right now. So instead of spoiling this accomplishment by trying to force in another race, I’m just going to enjoy it.

Maine Coast Half Marathon 2018

Well hello friends! Guess what I did yesterday....... I set a PR in the half marathon and finally broke 2 hours! If that's enough information for you, great, that's all you need to know. If you want the long version, keep reading.

I signed up for this race on New Year's Eve (after several margaritas). I thought "I gave myself a year after having a baby and now I am finally going to break 2 hours in the half." I started my training feeling very motivated. Then we had a terrible winter/spring where the cold, snow, and ice just never ended. And trying to find time for long runs with a baby and a husband who works overnights turned out to be more difficult than expected. The final straw was feeling absolutely horrible at the Portland 10 Miler, which I ran several weeks ago. I resigned myself to the fact that my life was not conducive to setting a PR right now and prepared to just run the race for fun.

I wasn't able to make it to packet pick-up Friday night, and I'd been warned that the parking could be a long walk from the start, so I left my house by 6am so I was there at 6:30. I parked, walked to the start, and got my bib all within 10 minutes of arriving. Luckily, the race started at UNE and we were able to hang out in the student center while we waited. So I was warm and had real bathrooms to use! My college friend Jen (who had to chaperone a school dance Friday night and thus had to leave her house in MA at 4 am!!) arrived a few minutes later and we caught up on life while we waited for the start.

Even though the race had less than 2,000 runners, it was a wave start. The first wave (with Jen in it) went off at 8 and my wave started 3 minutes later. At the 10 miler I went out as hard as I could and then tried to hang on. This time I was smarter and made myself hold back and go out at a comfortable pace. I turned my Garmin to the clock, so I couldn't see my pace, and ran by feel. I decided to do 6 minute run, 30 second walk intervals. The run-walk intervals really work for me. It breaks up the time mentally, helps keep my heart rate in check, and helps limit fatigue from the repetitive motion of running.

The first half of the race went so quickly. It was an out and back loop. We ran right by the house my childhood best friend's family rented in the summer, so I was busy reminiscing about that, listening to podcasts, and admiring the scenery. The majority of the course was right along the ocean and it was stunning. I alternated between looking out at the ocean and at the crazy, fancy houses along the water.

The second half did not pass quite as quickly. I really wished I'd studied the course map more carefully because I didn't realize we did an out and back loop in the other direction before returning to UNE. It was much longer than I expected and I just kept wondering when the heck we were going to turn around.

I brought one packet of GU Chomps and took 2 at miles 5,6,7, and 9 (I totally missed the mile 8 marker when I was going to take my last 2). I also took water at every water stop, which was every 2 miles. The chomps seem to work great for me in the half. I found they aren't enough in a full marathon, but they keep me going in the half, without feeling like they are weighing me down. I also find they are easier to munch on while running than gels.

I kept running by feel, I peeked at my overall time at mile 9 and realized that sub 2 might be a possibility. From that point I pushed a little harder, but didn't let myself obsess over my pace. I truly wanted to enjoy the race and not spend the last 4 miles trying to do the math about exactly how fast I would need to run.

Just before mile 12 I turned my watch back to the time screen. I saw 1:51 and realized that sub 2 was a definite possibility. It was game on! At that point I let myself go all out and gave it everything I had. I was passing people and felt great! Once again, I wished I'd studied the course because it turned off when I didn't expect it to. We ended up approaching the finish from the opposite direction we started. Since I didn't know exactly where the finish was, I had to trust the distance on my watch and just kept pushing. I saw the crowds and knew we must be getting close, but you couldn't see the actual finish until you were there because they had us turn off the road and go into a field.) I crossed the line and immediately looked at my watch. 1:59:20. I'd done it. Looking back after the race, I ran that last mile at almost an 8 minute pace!

Thankfully no one was waiting for me right there because I was doing a very unattractive combination of happy crying and dry heaving. I was just so darn happy and proud of myself.

I got my medal and my water bottle and found Jen. We headed over to the finish party area to stretch and chat about the race. We both agreed that the water was perfect. They had been calling for rain, but it ended up being partially sunny and in the low 50's with a nice sea breeze. I am so relived it wasn't hot!

We grabbed some food, but skipped the free beer. It was only 10 am, and I needed to be functional the rest of the day. I'm pretty sure the post race beer at the 10 miler contributed to my complete lack of desire to do anything the rest of the day. We definitely used our free ice cream tickets though- its never too early in the day for ice cream.

I would definitely do the race again. It was well organized, the course was beautiful, and the after party was fun. My only complaint is that it was fairly expensive to not have the race shirt included.

My Mom had come down to watch Cooper and told me to take my time, so after the race I enjoyed a solo trip to Khols to spend a gist card from Christmas and getting to grocery shop at the fancy new Market Basket in Biddeford. For a Mom, getting to shop alone and not rush is a real treat.

A day later and I'm still basking in the thrill of my PR and finally breaking 2 hours.

Happy Mother's Day all!

"Normal"

He was so small, and I was so tired

Since Cooper turned one I feel like I’m getting a lot of comments from people about how I must be glad that life is getting “back to normal.” While things certainly have settled down from the sleep deprived, this is all so new and scary newborn days, I don’t know that I’d call my life back to “normal.”

Before kids, normal was:

• Getting to go to the bathroom alone. Now I either have to deal with Cooper banging on the bathroom door and screaming or I can let him in with me and trying to keep him from unrolling and shredding the entire roll of toilet paper and/or finding things to throw through my legs and into the toilet
• Being able to prepare food and eat all of it with both of my hands. Now meal prep is punctuated with frequent stops to engage Cooper in a non-dangerous activity. During meals I have to stop to pick up thrown food, cups, utensils, etc at least once a minute. And even if we are eating the same thing, he always wants what is on my plate instead of his own.
• Not having my heart walk around outside of my body. I love my little guy so much- a hug from him just makes my heart explode with joy, but at the same time I’m so aware of how little and fragile he is.

I made a human and now I am responsible for making sure he grows up safely and with every opportunity and advantage I can give him. I won’t ever be back to “normal”. I think it is unrealistic the way we expect women to act as if there hasn’t been this massive shift that affects almost every aspect of our existence . Our bodies, and our lives, are permanently changed.  There shouldn’t be this pressure to immediately look exactly as you did before. We may need accommodations in public and at work in order to breastfeed our children. We may need altered schedules or responsibilities at work. We definitely need more help than we did before from our partners, our families, and our friends. There is no normal in a life with children, because they are constantly growing and changing. As mothers, we should be allowed to grow and change with them. 

Never having a hand for myself is the new normal

I'm not sure where I'm going with this. I guess just please stop asking me about life getting back to normal. Please stop asking any new Mom. Don't give new mothers the false expectation, or pressure, that life will go back to the way it was before kids. This crazy life you are living now is the new normal. It's hard, but I love it.

Instead of brunch and naps, Sundays are now spend at the Children's museum