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Half Marathon Training

by Megan

Hey Shaper-Uppers! I bet you want to know who won the big Summer Splendor Giveaway, huh? Well it was Little Miss Amy B. She has been notified, so if there are any other Amy Bs out there, sorry for getting your hopes up! Congrats, girl! Enjoy all your crazy awesome prizes that I’m jealous of!

Today I’m reposting a guest post I did over at Kelly’s blog, about my half-marathon training. Read on to see how I’m doing! If you read this on her blog already, I’ve added updates!

Hey all you partiers! I’m here to tell you about what an awesome runner I am.

I’m not an awesome runner at all.

Have a great day!

Okay, I’ll share a little more! I started running back in 2007, before I had any kids. I was never a runner growing up, and I’m not really sure why I started! Maybe because I wanted to lose weight, or maybe because I’ve always been goal-oriented and I just wanted to see if I could do it.

Either way, I took up running again after having my two little ones. This time the goal was clear- get back some semblance of my pre-baby body!

I love you guys, but you ruined all this up in here!

Last Christmas, my husband based all my gifts on my 30 Before 30 list, including signing me up to run a 10k! I trained for 8 weeks, ran the farthest I had ever run (7 miles), and then ran the race! I ran the whole time, and I didn’t come in last, and those were my two goals!

Saying hi to the kiddos before the gun!

A few days later, I signed up for my first half marathon. Then somebody said, “Wow, you’re running a half marathon at the end of the summer? So you’ll be training all through the summer?”

Yeah…hadn’t thought about that. P.S. I live in southern Arizona… Update: Now I live in Phoenix, and I’m pretty sure if Satan himself visited, he’d be sweating.

But I’ve been doing it! I am exactly halfway through my training, and last Saturday I ran 10 miles, the most I have ever run in my life, by far! My next two long runs will be 11 and 12 miles, and then they go down to 9 and 8 in the two weeks before the race (which is 13.1, in case you didn’t know).

Update: I had to miss my 11 mile run due to moving, but I did my 12 mile run on the 4th. It was…difficult. Two weeks before, on my 10 mile run, I ran the whole thing without stopping to walk or get water or anything. This time, on the 12 miler, I had to get Daniel to bring me water around mile 8, and then I walked a lot of the last 4 miles (partly because of drinking said water- needed to pee!). I was really disappointed in myself, but my runner (and non-runner) friends assured me that I did well for how hot it was and how long a run it was.

Sometimes I take pictures while I’m running…

I wish I had some good tips to share, but like I said, I am not an awesome runner at all! I am very slow. Very, very slow. Let’s just say that in the time it took me to run those 10 miles, some people could have finished a marathon. But you know what they say, “slow and steady {finishes} the race!”

For me, running is a mental exercise as well as a physical one. I struggle more with my mind telling me to stop rather than my legs! I have found that if I stop to walk once, I will keep stopping to walk, often. So I try not to.

At my half marathon, there will be aid stations at miles 3, 6, 9, 11, and the end. So I figure I will skip the first station, and stop for a drink at the others, but run the entire time I’m on the race course. I’m going to think of it as just 6 miles, then just 3, then just 2, and then just 2 more!

I have been listening to audiobooks while running because when you are out there for hours at a time, even your favorite music can get old. When I find my mind wandering, I just pause the audiobook and just enjoy thinking for a while. I’ve had a lot to think about lately!

Now my training starts to taper, and my last two long runs are 9 and 8 miles, with my shorter runs all 3-4 miles. I’m getting nervous for the race, just because of how slow I am. I have to finish in 3.5 hours. My training pace is not that fast, but when I ran my 10k, my race pace was 4 minutes faster than my training pace (that’s per mile), so I ran it much faster than I expected. Here’s hoping that happens for the half!

You’ll have to check back after August 25th, to see how the race went! Thanks for reading!

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12 comments

Kristina August 13, 2012 - 2:52pm

Following from Mom’s Monday Mingle!

Good Luck on your training :)

Please come by & say Hello if you haven’t already. (And follow back) :)

Kristina

Reply
Nicole August 13, 2012 - 1:44pm

Congrats on training for a half!! I’m running one this fall and btw, you should always always give your body a break after 6 miles. Always rehydrate and even take in some sort of fuel- whether it be an energy gel or block. You can buy super lightweight belts that have pouches to carry your gels in! Your body will feel so much better and it is ok to stop for 30 seconds and re-fuel!

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Paula Hicks August 13, 2012 - 2:30pm

I am taking this as a sign that I need to start running again! I have been following this YouTube family for about a year and half now and he has dropped over 100 pounds and now has ran two marathons and a half marathon with his wife. It started me wanting to start long distance running again but I always pushed it to the back because I have two small children and finding time to run solo is pretty rare with my husbands work schedule. Well literally I have been seeing either blogs or friends on facebook that have started training or planning to run half marathons/10k’s/5k’s and I get so motivated. So after reading this (which I found your blog from Mom’s Monday Mingle) I am seriously going to start the path to train for a 5k/10k that I was invited to next month! who knows maybe I can reach the distance soon enough to run the 10k (though I am not putting any money on it haha)

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Jade Steckly August 13, 2012 - 4:23pm

awesome!! I just ran my first 20km race on Saturday, and I know what the gruelling training is like!!! Good luck, you can do it!

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AbsoluteMommy August 13, 2012 - 5:00pm

Any tips for runnin in the heat. I’m starting week 3 of couch to 5k. Last nights run left me with a headache. When I ran it was still 99 degrees out. Anything would help.
Xoxo
Megan

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Megan10e August 13, 2012 - 5:23pm

Here’s a tip for running in the heat: DON’T! Okay but seriously, I will not train for a run longer than 6 miles again in the summer (at least here in AZ). It’s miserable, and I’m definitely not doing my best because it’s so hot. The past two weeks have been over 110 degrees here.
But since we ARE running in this hot summer, I would say to drink lots of water in advance of the run. Not just before, but the day before or several hours before, so that your body is hydrated. Of course drink a lot after as well. As far as drinking while running- I have a hard time with this, because little sips just leave me wanting more, and if I drink a whole bottle, then it’s hard to run! Need to find a balance there.
You might also want to eat something right before you run, to give you a little extra energy. Sometimes I’ll have half a peanut butter and banana sandwich.
I also run my longer runs early in the morning (5am, as soon as it’s light enough), and if I’m going to run in the evenings, I time it so that I finish just as it’s getting too dark.
Other than that, just enjoy the fact that you are sweating and burning tons of calories, and maybe plan something fun for later in the day, so that you can think about how you just have to finish your run, and then you can have fun all day!
Hope that helps!

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Amy August 13, 2012 - 5:39pm

Good luck with your training. And I still can’t believe I won the giveaway. Thank you!!!

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RedRoseVintage August 14, 2012 - 5:02am

Good luck on your training!! ;) I’m following you from the GFC Hop. Stop by and visit soon,and be sure to enter my giveaway ;)
xo sandra
redrose-vintage.blogspot.com

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Ali ♥ August 14, 2012 - 5:13am

Good Luck! Newest follower from the GFC hop! Love your blog! Check mine out sometime. I’d love to have you :)

Ali
http://alizabethxoxo.blogspot.com/

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Veralynn August 14, 2012 - 6:38pm

Good luck mama! I am not by any means a runner but I definitely enjoy watching others meet their running goals! I’m so glad to have found you via the GFC blog hop and I’m your newest follower. Feel free to stop by my blog anytime- I’m currently hosting my August giveaway which I would love for you to enter for a chance to win products from Sibu Beauty! Happy Tuesday!

Veralynn
joiedeveralynn.blogspot.com

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Mom of A and a August 14, 2012 - 7:53pm

I think it’s awesome that you’re doing this! Best of luck!
Visiting from the GFC bloghop. Do visit my blog when you have time!

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Anastasia August 15, 2012 - 3:15am

Found your blog from the Tea on Tuesday Hop (my first)! I have just started running and am going to run my first race in Sept. (5K)! I never thought I would be able to do it but so far so good! Good Luck on the 25th!

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