2019 Maine Coast Half Marathon

On Saturday I ran a 1:55:07 half marathon, which is a 4 minute PR!!!!

But let’s back up. Last time I posted I had a possible stress fracture. I meant to post an update soon after that, that the imaging didn’t show evidence of a stress fracture (yet). So, with the doc’s approval, I decided to try for the race since I was already through the bulk of my training. However, I focused primarily on my 2 remaining long runs and cut out most of the shorter runs and cross trained instead. In that same time span, our family was hit with several nasty colds followed by spring allergies. And it was basically cold and rainy every day.

All of this to say is that I had low expectations going into this race. I threw out my hopes of lowering the PR I set last year and just wanted to finish. This year they moved the full to be on the same day as the half, where is previous years it was the after. I left my house the same time as last year, but this year I sat in traffic FOREVER waiting to park. I was feeling frustrated and rushed by the time I finally parked. Luckily bib pick-up was quick, but I still felt rushed trying to get to the bathroom and ready to run. I managed to get myself together and ready by 8 am………. And then I waited and waited. The race started more than 20 minutes late. I always expect a few minutes delay, but almost half an hour is not okay. I had taken my caffeine (still going with the caffeine pills instead of coffee to lessen the bathroom trips) and fuel expecting an 8am start.

Finally though we were off and thankfully, I was in the first coral. The amount of runners around me felt just right. After the first ¼ mile or so I had plenty of company, but it never felt too crowded. My plan was to just run by effort. I set my watch for 6 minute run, 30 second walk intervals. I missed the first walk break, but took all of them after that. I realized about 2 minutes in that I had forgotten to use the inhaler I had spent a lot of time trying to get in the week leading up to the race (my lungs had never fully recovered from a nasty chest cold I had in April). Oh well, too late now. Luckily my lungs felt okay as I settled into a comfortably hard pace, but my legs just had no pop. They never hurt, they just felt flat from the very beginning. What did hurt however, was my right foot. This was entirely my fault because I was wearing new shoes. The Wednesday before the race I did an easy 6 miler and my feet hurt so much at the end. As I took off my shoes, I looked at the soles and realized they were so worn down. I hadn’t been paying attention and totally forgot to switch my shoes this spring. I was running in shoes that were almost 6 months old. I chose new shoes over the completely worn out ones, but ended up feeling a hot spot under the ball of my right big toe less than a mile into the race. I’d just finished Meb’s new book so I tried to think about the time he raced with a Breathe Right strip in his shoe.

I had also worried about the weather. I did all my training in weather under 40 and race day was 60 and sunny. But between the shade on the course and the sea breeze it wasn’t too bad. It was a strange race, nothing felt terrible, but it also didn’t feel good. I just kept plugging along, occasionally glancing at my mile splits, but not looking at my overall time until mile 10. At that time I realized that, as long as I didn’t implode, I’d set a significant PR. Last year I felt so good in the last 2 miles of this race and really pushed hard. This year I just hung on. I did take a couple extra short walk breaks because all the hills are in the last couple minutes. I crossed the line in 1:55:07, which is way faster than I ever expected.

Post race I immediately took off my shoes, enjoyed the free gelato, and then headed home to an overtired and over-hungry toddler who was in full meltdown mode. #Momlife.

This race was such a reminded to never count yourself out. A hard training cycle can make you tougher and stronger.

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!