Excited

I can honestly say that I do not remember the last time I was this excited for a race. My last big race was the Harrisburg Marathon back in November, which I dreaded more than I care to admit. The other races I did last year were either more casual races that I did not train specifically for or it was my first time at that distance so I was more nervous than excited.

The week leading up to a race is so important for how I do in that race. After the New York City Marathon got cancelled I didn't know whether I wanted to run a different marathon or not but I felt like I had to because so many people told me I should. From the minute I woke up on race day through mile 22ish I was miserable.

So today marks the first day of race week for the Nike Women's Half Marathon. I signed up for this race back in November a few days after finishing my first marathon. My goal for this race at the time was to break 2 hours. I had set my half marathon PR at the Baltimore Half Marathon in October, which was right in the middle of marathon training. I ran a 2:03:00 unexpectedly, giving me a taste of how close I was to running a sub-2 half.

When I signed up for the race I had no plan for how I was going to break two hours, I just knew I wanted to do it. I wanted to take a break from running while gearing up for finals and then focus on training once 2013 rolled around. I didn't plan to start working with a coach to train for this race, although I had been thinking about getting a coach for a little while.

Spotted in DC!

When the opportunity arose to work with Mike from Endurance Multisport in Lancaster, Pennsylvania I was elated. Being a swimmer for ten years conditioned me to listen very well to coaches. At the end of my swimming career I coached myself due to issues with my coach at the time and I loved having that freedom. I'm proud of what I accomplished without the help of a coach but I know in my heart I would have done even a little bit better if I had stayed with my coach.

Even after a few days of working with Mike I knew I was going to like having a coach again. Besides knowing so much more about how to train than I do, having a coach holds me accountable. I am conditioned to do what my coach tells me. So now after 15 weeks of training under Mike I am getting ready to see how we did.

I saw more progress than I ever imagined in both my speed and mentality towards running. Despite having my ups and downs during training, I learned so many invaluable things about myself as a runner and a person. Now it's time to take all this and channel it towards my race this weekend. I am excited to finally put all this hard work to the test.

Running in 2012

This questionnaire has been circulating the blogosphere and I thought it would be a fun way to look back and pay tribute  to my running in 2012

1. Best race experience: Hands down the Baltimore Half Marathon. I have never enjoyed myself so much during a race. It was the first time I actually felt like a runner and the first time I really raced a half marathon. I had no expectations going into this race and surprised myself with another PR. This is also my favorite race to do, period, and I will probably do it every single year.

2. Best run: Off the top of my head I would have to say the 10 miler I ran during my taper for the NYCM/Harrisburg Marathon. I ran it and my dad biked along side me. We talked the entire time and a pace that used to be fast for me suddenly felt easy. Another memorable run was my run in Central Park the day that the marathon was supposed to be held. That run made me fall in love with running and realize how amazing runners are. It also solidified my love for all things New York City.

3. Best new piece of gear: Probably the Oiselle Lesley Knicker. I have been looking for a pair of running capris since last year and haven't found any I like until these. I wore them for a hard run last weekend and didn't have to adjust them once. My road bike is also a contender but since it is a Christmas gift I'm not allowed to ride it until after Christmas. We'll call this 2013's best piece of new gear.

4. Best piece of running advice you received: I can't think of any thing in particular but everything that Robert said to me during those last 6 miles of the Harrisburg Marathon motivated me enough to run to the finish. My old swim coach use to say "do the little things right" and I think that apples to every aspect of life, not just swimming.

5. Most inspirational runner(s): Not to come off as some crazy blog stalker but I have never met her in real life.. Page. Not only is she a badass runner, she made the leap from runner to triathlete in one year by signing up for an Ironman. When injury forced her to withdraw from the race she stayed (mostly) positive and vowed to finish her journey to becoming an Ironman in 2013.

Baltimore Half Marathon 2012 Race Report

Yesterday was such an incredible day. Honestly. I didn't get to bed until 2:30 in the morning the night before the race and then had to be up at 6:30 to drive from my boyfriend's down to my apartment to meet my dad. I was exhausted and wanted nothing more than to just stay in bed and sleep all day but I knew I needed to get in a long run and so I forced myself out of bed. To make getting out of bed even harder, it was the coldest it has been all year :32 degrees. I'm glad I checked the weather and saw that it was going to warm up to in the fifties during the race.

I was planning on wearing shorts and a short sleeved shirt but due to the cooler temps I wore a long sleeved shirt instead. I bundled up with extra layers for before the race and by 8:15 my dad and I were on our way downtown. We hit a lot of traffic on the exit ramp due to roads being closed from the full marathon so we didn't make it to the race as early as we had planned. Initially I wanted to run 3 miles before the race and then 2 afterwards for a total of 18. I only had time for one mile before the race though. I then decided to make it a harder effort and only do 15 miles.

The corrals for this race aren't very well marked so I just hopped in when I saw a bunch of people who had numbers close to mine. After a minute or two we were off and running. I tried to remember as much as I could from last year about the course and what to expect. I knew there were some hills in the middle miles that were pretty brutal but I couldn't remember exactly where they were. My plan was to run the first 5 miles at a really comfortable pace so I would have energy left in the tank for the final few miles. I wore my garmin but didn't reset it after my warm up and had it set so it wouldn't give me my mile splits. I actually really liked not knowing what pace I was running at.

Last year I remember thinking that the first 3 miles took forever, but this year they flew by. I couldn't believe how quickly the race was going by. At the first aid station I thought I grabbed water but ended up grabbing Gatorade. My stomach has had trouble in the past with Gatorade but I was really thirsty and there was no more water so I drank it and luckily had no issues. I also experimented with eating Shot Bloks through out the race instead of taking a GU. I only had 1-2 Shot Bloks at a time and also had them right before a water station. I preferred them so much more than eating a gel and will definitely be taking them during the marathon. I also liked that I could take as many or as few as I wanted to keep my stomach happy.

I saw my dad at mile 5 and loved the burst of energy seeing him gave me. I picked up the pace a tiny bit but not too much yet. Between miles 4-7 is where the most/biggest hills are located. I went up the hills with the mantra even effort not even pace. I went up the hills at a pace that felt comfortable and then flew down them, taking as much advantage of the downhills as possible. I kept running along happy as could be when before I knew it we were entering the lake which meant that the hills were over. Already?! What hills?! I couldn't believe how easy they felt.

At about mile 8 I started to pick up the pace even more. I knew I was going to PR but I wasn't sure by how much. I just decided to run hard and see where it got me. I was blowing by people and loving every minute of it. I seriously don't think I stopped smiling the entire race. Once I hit mile 10 I really picked it up so I was running at a slightly uncomfortable pace. I was charging up the final few hills and riding the downhills. I picked out people who looked strong that I wanted to pass. Despite how hard I was pushing it over the final few miles I was impressed with how strong I felt. I would it was a 300% improvement over how I felt running this race last year as my first half marathon.

Once I saw the 13 mile marker I sprinted with everything I had to the finish line. I knew I was going to get a nice PR but I still didn't know by how much. After I crossed the finish line I waited in an insanely long line to get my medal and some food and drink. I soon found my dad and stretched out a bit. Then I went for a short jog around M&T Bank Stadium with hopes of loosening my legs up. I was already really stiff but started to feel a little better the longer I ran. After we went to Noodles for lunch and then back over to the race finish area to check my time.

2:03:00

A PR by 5+ minutes from the RNR Philadelphia Half Marathon 4 weeks ago. Last year I finished this race in 2:23:03. I can't believe how far I have come in only a year and am now itching for that sub 2:00 half.

Sorry there are no pictures in this post. My computer screen cracked & now I'm using my old one which is being very temperamental. Will add pictures when my computer is fixed.

The Return of the Baltimore Half Marathon

One of the things I have been struggling the most with training for a marathon is getting in my long runs. Normally I don't have much trouble doing longer training runs or even bike rides, but that is because there is a wonderful dirt crushed trail that runs for 40 miles into Maryland. Now that I am back at school though I am really struggling to find places to run that are safe.

After my disastrous 14 miles long run the other week I was wishing I could just use half marathons as long training runs like I did with the Rock N' Roll Philadelphia Half Marathon. Enter: the Baltimore Half Marathon! I absolutely loved running this race as my first half marathon last year and spent months wishing I could run it again this year. I am looking forward to not racing and just running for run.

The plan is to run 5 additional miles to make a total of 18 for the day. I always thought it would be difficult to run additional miles before or after a race but I actually really enjoyed doing a few warm up miles in Philadelphia. I have not decided how I will split up the miles but I will most likely run 3 miles before and 2 after. I am also toying with the idea of running the actual race at marathon race pace, which by the way I have idea what that would be.

I really can't put into words how excited I am to be running this race again. After each race my parents ask me which one is my favorite and I always answer with Baltimore. Everything I remember about this race makes me overwhelmed with happiness. This race taught me that I can overcome anything and to always love whatever you are doing.

Rock N' Roll USA Half Marathon Training

Today officially kicks off training for the Rock N' Roll USA Half Marathon, otherwise known as the National Half Marathon. This will be my second half marathon and I am hoping training goes much better than last time.

When training for the Baltimore Half Marathon I moved to Baltimore and started going to a new college. Subsequently, training really took the back seat as I was getting settled into my new surroundings.

I knew it was going to be really difficult to get in quality runs while trying to study for finals so I decided to start training after finals were done and I was home for the holiday break. I don't go back to school until the end of January so I will have already established a solid base before heading back to school.

And going back to school this time will not be a significant as it was in August. I already have a few running routes mapped out and I know when I am most likely to actually get my runs in.

I am really excited to start training again. I loved running the Baltimore Half and I know I can absolutely crush that time and have just as much fun with some real training.

A Few Pieces of News

I am sad to report that my 25K Swim Challenge is no longer happening. Due to finals and the Christmas break the pool at UMBC will be closing in a few days, which does not provide me ample time to finish this challenge.

I am still going to continue swimming as often as I can because I am really starting to enjoy my time in the water again. And I fully plan on retaking this challenge once I know the pool will actually be open for enough time.

In other news, I went for a 6 mile run yesterday during a downpour and it was incredible. It was so therapeutic to just run soaking wet while every one else is cozy inside. I felt truly unstoppable.

This run left me pretty sore and my IT band pretty angry but I needed those 6 miles. That is the longest I have run since the Baltimore Half Marathon. I was so proud of myself for just getting out there and running for as long as I felt like and as slow as I felt like.

Now I am off to finish the massive amount of homework I have to do and to start studying for finals!

I Don't Really Feel Like a Runner

I posted a while back, just after I finished my first and only half marathon, that I finally felt like I was a runner. Well let me be honest with you, I haven't been feeling like much of a runner lately. I have been really struggling to get motivated and it is making quite sad.

Running had become an outlet for me, something that I did to relieve stress and find my happy place. Lately, though, running has been stressing me out more than relieving stress.

As dumb as it may sound, I know a big part of my struggle is that I hate my current running course. You may suggest that I just switch my running route, but the problem is that I don't live in the safest of areas.

One of the reasons that I love running so much is that all you have to do is lace up your sneakers and head out the door. I don't mind driving to a local trail for some quality running, but I have a hard time justifying driving 45 minutes to go for a 3-6 mile run.

To add to this dilemma, the area I live in is sort of hilly. Hilly enough that my IT band is always angry after I go for even easy shake out runs. Frustrating.

And don't even suggest running on a treadmill. Despite how many problems I am having with finding a nice running route, I get bored on treadmills in less than 5 minutes. Not even worth trying.

I really haven't been very motivated lately and I hate everything about it. I decided to create my training plan for my upcoming half marathon and start training next week. Hopefully that will be the motivation I need to get my butt back out there running!

When I Am Stressed, I Forget to Run

Truthfully, I haven't been running as much as I would have liked to since running the Baltimore Half Marathon. Don't get me wrong, I have still been running 3-4 times a week. But I would have liked to run more consistently.

This time of semester is where I start to feel burned out though. Just about every week I have at least one test and paper or major assignment due. I love school and working hard, but it really drains me.

I have been having a difficult time finding the motivation to work out because I am always so stressed and tired. I know that working out will help combat these two problems, but I am still struggling.

I also like having something to train towards. My next real race isn't until March and I don't want to jump into a training cycle too early. Without following a training plan, I sometimes forget to run.

This weekend, though, I am going to try to create my training plan. I am thinking about including a pre-training portion that won't be as intensive but will still keep me on track.

I am currently just looking forward to the Thanksgiving break I get next week, and the semester being over in a few weeks once I get back.

What's Coming Up Next: Races

Ever since running the Baltimore Half Marathon a week ago (!) I have been planning all of the races that I want to do over the next few months. It is difficult for me to plan out everything but there are some races that I definitely want to do.

November 24, 2011- York YMCA Turkey Trot 5K
I am running this race with my dad, boyfriend, and possibly cousin. I have run this race with my swim team many years ago and absolutely love it. It is such a fun atmosphere and great local race. I am also hoping to set a PR at this race. I am using these next few weeks before this race to start incorporating some speed work into my training. I am hoping this will help me PR in the 5K and ultimately the half marathon.

December 3, 2011- Hot Chocolate 15K (Washington DC)
This is a race that I have been going back and forth about running. I really want to do it, and this girl is going to be there, but it is only a week after my Thanksgiving 5K and it costs $65. This seems like a lot for a 15K. We do get a super sweet jacket and lots of hot chocolate though. My main reason for not doing this race is that I would have to drive into DC the day before to pick up my packet and that may be difficult. I'll decided about this race in a few weeks.

March 17, 2012- Rock n' Roll USA Half Marathon (Washington DC)
This is my next big race. I am already signed up so I am doing this race, no questions about it. I am already working on a training plan for this race. I am really excited to be able to participate in another great race that is only about a 30 min drive away. I know a lot of people have done this race in the past, when it was the National Half Marathon, so I would love to hear your opinions. Anybody running it in 2012?!

May 6, 2012- Frederick Half Marathon (Frederick, Maryland)
I am not sure if I am going to end up doing this race but it is on my calendar for now. It is a great small half marathon that isn't too far away. The only issue is that I like my races to be big city spectacles and this race is pretty low-key. I want to get more practice running half marathons though so I will probably end up doing it.


June 9-10, 2012- Multiple Sclerosis 150 (Kent County, Maryland)
No, I am not running 150 miles. This is a bike event. No, I am not biking 150 miles either. There is an option to bike 150 miles over two days but my goal is to complete a metric century (65 miles). My boyfriend has been doing this event for a few years now and I have always wanted to try biking at an actual bike event. I may wimp out and just decided to volunteer like I did last year though. Even 65 miles is pretty far.


September 6, 2012- Rock n' Roll Philadelphia Half Marathon (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)
I really want to do this race. I have never done a race in Philly and I think it would be great practice for another race I plan on doing in Philly later in the year. I know the courses will be different but I want to use this race as a practice run for my other weekend in Philly. Primarily I want to look into hotels and navigating Philly during a big race.


October 13, 2012- Baltimore Half Marathon (Baltimore, Maryland)
I did this race this year as my first half marathon and I am absolutely doing it again next year. I absolutely loved the course and really everything about the race. I think I love everything so much because it has sentimental value for me. Plus it is only about 15 min away so I won't need to get a hotel and my family can come watch again.

November 18, 2012- Philadelphia Marathon (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)
Yep, you read that correctly. I plan on running my very first marathon next year in Philadelphia. I thought about running Baltimore as my first full but I don't really think I want to run all those hills in the middle of a marathon. Luckily the Philadelphia course is supposed to be very fast. And this race is most definitely going to be a big city spectacle.

As you may have noticed I don't have anything planned for the summer. I want to use the summer to focus on triathlons and give myself a little bit of a break from running. I am just going to do some local triathlons since I am just getting started. 

You may have also noticed that I don't have many short distance races on here. I fully plan on running some 5Ks and hopefully 10Ks but I will decide on which ones as they get closer. Most 5Ks don't sell out so I will add these to my schedule as I feel necessary.

Have you done any of these races? Any advice or suggestions? Anybody planning on doing these races next year?

Some Final Thoughts About the Baltimore Half Marathon

This will be my last Baltimore related post, I promise! It was just such an incredible experience I wan't to make sure I document as much of it as possible. In case you missed any other Baltimore posts, you can head over to my Baltimore Half Marathon page. You should read my review of the expo, my pre-race report, and my race report!

I wanted to recap some of the thoughts I have been having since Saturday so I can look back and use them for motivation and reference for other races.

Running a half marathon is painful.
I encountered a lot of unexpected pain during my race, in my knee and in both of my feet. There were a few times when I wasn't sure if I would be able to finish because the pain was so bad. I have never experienced either of these pains before so I was extremely thrown off by them. I didn't know what was causing them or how to relieve the pain.


Running a half marathon is not as hard as I thought it would be.
However, I was surprised with how fresh my legs felt throughout the entire race. I felt absolutely fantastic, minus the pain in my feet and knees. I knew I was undertrained but I was really surprised by how well I was able to tackle those hills and maintain a solid pace. I am not saying running a half is easy, I am saying it was easier than I had anticipated.


Doing long runs is really important.
As I mentioned above I was really undertrained for this race. The longest run I had done before Saturday was only 7 miles. I noticed that all of my problems really started to develop after mile 8, which I'm sure is a reflection of my poor training. I am hoping that with more long runs in my training I will not encounter so many problems at the end of a race.


Walking is absolutely okay.
I cannot drink water while running. I choke and end up spilling it all over myself. I made sure to walk through every single aid station and I had planned on walking some of the massive hills on the course. I only ended up walking through aid stations because I didn't want to stop running so I would be done sooner, but walking really helped me both mentally and physically.


Staying as positive as possible will help tremendously.
I have blown many races (swimming) because I psyched myself out. I never believed in myself and consequently I performed poorly in the pool. I tried not to let anything get me down on Saturday and as a result I stayed happy, calm, and relaxed. I ran the race for myself and didn't let anything ruin my big day.

I am a capable athlete.
I have never had faith in myself and I have let this belief sabotage many important things for me. I reminded myself many times throughout the race that I deserved to be there and that I was capable of finishing. Going into the race I wasn't sure if I would finish because I was undertrained but I made it my number one goal just to finish. Whether that took walking, and 4 hours. I wanted to finish to prove to myself that I could do something that so many people said I couldn't not do.

I love being an athlete and surrounded by fellow athletes. 
When I was swimming I was always surrounded by my team, which became like my family. Since going to school I have had a difficult time finding people who love running as much as I do and are actually friendly. Being surrounded by 25,000+ runners was such an amazing feeling and reminded me why I love running so much.

The Baltimore Half Marathon Race Report

You can ready my pre-race report here! And don't forget to check out my Baltimore Half Marathon page, with everything relating to the race!

Crossing the start line was the most exciting but scary thing I have ever done. The hardest part was staying calm mentally. I had to keep reminding myself not too go out to fast because this was going to be running for a long time. 

I realized not long before the start of the race that I forgot my Garmin at my apartment. Since buying it, I have never run without it. I was super nervous about running without it because I normally go out too fast and I wouldn't be able to monitor that.I did have my regular stop watch so at least I would be able to monitor how long I had been running for.

The first three miles seemed to take forever. There were no mile markers for the first three miles so I had no idea what pace I was running at. I started to get nervous about the lack of mile markers. I was hoping that the miles would be marked later on the course.

I was so happy when I saw the mile marker for mile three, solely because I knew exactly where I was in the race. There was also an aid station so I grabbed a cup of water and walked while I drank it. The water felt so nice because it was starting to warm up at this point.

My dad had told me that was going to be at mile 5 so I knew I was only two miles away from seeing him. I also knew that miles 3.5 to 7 were all uphill. I was feeling really good so I didn't stop to walk up any of the hills. I made sure to go really easy on the hills and stay at a comfortable pace. 

I was really surprised with how easy the hills were feeling. I could see that a lot of people were struggling on the hills but I felt strong the whole way.

Before I knew it, I was at mile 5 and saw my dad. It was so great to see him. I was feeling so good then and he just gave to more energy. I slowed a little to talk to him but I kept running.

The hills kept coming for another few miles until we got to a beautiful lake. We ran a mile around the lake, which was luckily completely flat. The downfall was that it was really windy here. It was also pretty warm. 

On our way out of the lake at mile 8 I started to feel some pain in my right knee and in both my feet. The hills were pretty much over so I was hoping the pain would subside some.

Once I got to mile 9 I was really in a lot of pain. Knowing that I would see the boyfriend and my mom at mile 12 through really helped. Only having four miles left was also comforting. 

The last few miles of the course were almost entirely downhill, with a few uphills. I realized that it was the downhills hurting my knees and that the uphills actually felt amazing. I debated walking but I really didn't want to. 

I made sure to walk through every aid station through out the course and doing this really helped. At the end of the race I was getting really anxious about where the aid stations were so that my knee could get a break.

For the last 3-4 miles the crowd support was really helpful. There were so many people with signs cheering and blaring music it was impossible not to be inspired to give it your all to the finish. 

Despite how much pain I was in I kept trying to smile, knowing it would help me stay calm and positive. I was so happy the whole time, regardless of everything. 

Throughout the entire race I had to go the bathroom, if you know what I mean. I wanted to stop but the lines were always really long. And there really aren't woods to sneak into in Baltimore. The last three miles were terrible though. I needed to go badly. I debated running into a store on the side of the road but thought I would get yelled at.

So between the pain in my knee and my feet and having to go to the bathroom I really wanted the race to be over. I was so happy when I got to mile 12 because I was really in need of a pick up from my boyfriend. I was looking everywhere but I couldn't find him anywhere.

I heard my name being called and was confused at first because I knew it wasn't my boyfriend's voice. But I quickly realized it was my dad. I was so happy to see him. It was great having the extra support so close to the finish. 

All of the spectators kept saying the finish was right around the corner but the more I ran the more frustrated I was becoming because I was not seeing the finish line. With about a quarter mile left I finally saw my mom and boyfriend. I was in too much pain to stop running and say hi. Plus the finish was so close I just wanted to keep running.

Crossing the finish line was so surreal. I was flooded with emotions and couldn't wait to meet up with my family. First, I needed to find a bathroom. After that was taken care of I picked up my race medal and a bottle of water, and then found a spot to sit down and stretch.

After a little wandering, I finally found my family. We bought some smoothies and sat down to relax for a little.  Then we headed back to my apartment for some lunch. We ordered takeout since I was in far too much discomfort to actually go anywhere. After everyone left, I stretched for a little and then fell asleep for the night.

Running this half marathon was such an amazing experience. It made me so much more excited to train for my next half and see what I can accomplish when I train properly. 

The Pre-Race Report

Today, I ran 13.1 miles. This was one of the best experiences of my life. It was such a long day but it was worth every minute of it. I learned a lot about myself and what my body is capable of today.

Yesterday was a really great pre-race day. I went to the expo with my mom and spent the evening relaxing at my apartment with the boyfriend. We made ravioli for dinner and I was asleep by 11:30.

I had my alarm set for 6:45 this morning but I woke up around 5:30 and had trouble falling back asleep after. I was pretty frustrated but I slept really well through the rest of the night so I wasn't too bothered by it.

I was super tired when my alarm finally went off this morning but I figured the race atmosphere would wake me up some. I put a bagel in the toaster, changed into my race clothes, washed my face, and got ready to leave. My dad came to pick me up right at 7:15 and we left soon after to head to the race.

Traffic was surprisingly not bad going into Baltimore. We struggled to find parking at first but then we found a garage nearby. We debated going to watch the start of the full marathon but decided to hang out inside the Convention Center instead. It was pretty cold outside so waiting inside was really nice.

Another major benefit of hanging out in the Convention Center was unlimited access to clean bathrooms. My stomach never cooperates in the morning, especially on race days so not having to frequent the porta potties was definitely a plus.

We decided to head over to the starting line at 9:15 for the 9:45 start. The first two waves went one direction and the last three went another. I was in the third wave which meant I got to watch the full marathon while waiting to start.

I hung out with my dad until the very end, which was really nice. I was so happy that he was there with me. I have a tendency to get overly nervous before races but he helped me stay calm today. It was starting to warm up a little then too, which made me glad I was only wearing a short sleeved shirt and a pair of shorts.

We ended up starting about 15 minutes late but I wasn't too bothered by the time problem. Finally, around 10, we could start to the hear the announcer saying that our wave was about to start. He did a nice little countdown followed by a burst of confetti.

Soon, I found myself crossing the start line, getting mentally ready to run for the next two and a half hours...

Baltimore Running Festival: The Expo

Today I went to my first expo. It was insane but I loved every minute of it. I couldn't have been happier to pick up my bib and swag bag. I knew going into it that I wanted some official race gear but other than that I had no idea what I wanted to do while there.

My mom met me down at my apartment at around 11:15 and we left almost immediately to catch the 11:50 light rail into Baltimore. We arrived at the expo and I was able to pick up my bib and swag bag with no problem. I was so happy to see that it wasn't very crowded there. After picking everything up we decided to wander around to see what was there.

We walked around a few times since it wasn't crowded before I decided what I wanted to get. I got an Under Armour light weight long sleeved tech shirt with the Baltimore logos and info on it. I wanted to get the capris too but they only had extra small and extra large yet.

As we were walking around I found a stand selling car magnets. I have always told myself that I would buy a 13.1 car magnet when I finally ran a half marathon. So I got my magnet and can't help me get excited every time I look at my car.

I also decided to invest in a nice pair of sunglasses. I have tried a few pairs of cheap sunglasses from target but I have hated all of them. But I thought it was worth getting a nice pair that I could both run and bike with. I am honestly so happy I got them.

We didn't want to spend too much time there so after I got what I needed we decided to head out. Overall I would say that the expo was really well run and had some great vendors there. It really got me excited for what is to come tomorrow!

Goals & Some Last Thoughts About the Baltimore Half Marathon

I really cannot believe that I am running my first half marathon in two days. That's 13.1 miles people! I have been surprisingly calm this week, but I am starting to get a little nervous. I am also starting to get really excited. I had a stressful week with classes this week which was definitely distracting me from my upcoming race.

There have been a lot of things running through my mind today, some good, some bad. Mostly I have been wishing I put more into my training and fearing I won't be able to finish. I have been trying to think positive thoughts and just focus on my excitement for Saturday.

On that note, I have been working on what my goals for the race are going to this whole week. Because I had some hiccups in my training I feel that I am unable to create certain goals for myself. But there are still some things that I want to try to achieve.

1. Soak up every moment of this weekend
This is such a big weekend for me. The longest race I have ever done is a 5K and my first one was only in May. This is my first race with an expo and 25,000+ runners. I want to absorb every possible second of this weekend. I don't want to miss a minute of this wonderful madness.

2. Cross the finish line with a smile on my face
I want to cross the finish line proud of myself for what I accomplished. I know I am undertrained for this race but I don't want that to matter at the finish line. I want the only thing to matter is the feeling of success and accomplishment that is flooding me.


3. Finish under 2:30:00
I know this is not a fantastic finishing time but as I have mentioned many times I am undertrained. I would love to tell you all that I want to run this race under 2 hours or some other fast time but I simply cannot do that. I know that in order to cross that finish line I am going to have to walk some. And as simple math tells us, you cannot walk a 2 hour half marathon.

4. Be proud of myself
I have struggled for the past twelve years with really low self esteem. I have always felt that I was inadequate when it comes to physical activity. This does not make a whole lot of sense since I was a very successful swimmer through my high school years, even qualifying for nationals multiple times and swimming and a D1 school last year. This is the goal that I most want to achieve.

It's Race Week!

Today marks the first day of race week! In less than a week I will have completed my first half marathon. There are still some things that I need to get in order before the weekend rolls around though.

I still have to figure out my race outfit. The weather is supposed to be in the mid-60's and sunny but that could change by Saturday. As of right now I am planning on wearing shorts and a short-sleeved shirt but I have no idea what else I need. It is going to be chilly in the morning so I probably will need some warmer clothes to keep me from getting too cold.

I still have to talk to my parents and my boyfriend about our game plan for race day. My mom & boyfriend are only going to be there at the end of the race but my dad is going to be there the whole time. I want to find a great location for him to stand so I can see him when I need him most. We also need to figure out what time to get there. The marathon starts an hour before the half which means no parking.

On Friday I ventured out to find the nearest Safeway in hopes of buying some healthy eats. I bought bananas, peaces, lots of frozen fruit, almond milk and coconut milk, slices of cheddar cheese, and more! I am trying to get more calcium into my diet so I have been snacking on the cheese slices throughout the day. I am prepared to eat healthy this week and fuel properly.

My goal for this week is to enjoy this experience and learn as much as I can. I want to know what worked for me and what didn't. What I can improve upon. I don't want my nerves to get the best of me and ruin this race for me. I am going to stay confident and make the most of this week.

Last Long Run Before the Big Day

With my first half marathon nearing I have been trying to do everything I possibly can to help my race. Yesterday I set out for an easy three mile shake out run and surprised myself by how fast I was running. When I saw my pace I thought about slowing down but I felt like I was going very easy already so I figured it was fine. That run really boosted my confidence about next weekend. Lately I have been running much faster and I haven't been struggling as much with all the hills nearby.

I wanted to get in a long run today but I really wasn't sure I could manage to run 10 miles all at once. I decided to split up the run into two 3.5 mile runs and one 3 miles run. I spaced them out about an hour and a half apart so I had time to refuel and ice my legs in between. This also allowed me to get a break from the sun and heat.

The first 3.5 miles went by quickly. I kept telling myself to run at a stupid easy pace so I would have enough energy for the next two runs. It was also nice to split up the run so I could minimize the amount of hills. I made sure to run as easy as possible while going uphill. The first have of the run felt great and I hardly broke a sweat. The second half of the run was primarily uphill and right in the sun so it was a bit harder. I felt good at the end though and definitely not too tired to get back out there in a few hours.

The second 3.5 miles went so much better than the first though. I felt strong from the start. I was surprised by how much faster I was running despite how much warmer it was than earlier. My goal for this part was to try to run a little faster than the first part but I ended up running it significantly faster. Again, though, my legs didn't feel too tired afterwards to run another 3 miles later.

I decided to wait until the sun was setting to go out for my last 3 miles of the day. I left just as it was getting dark and the air was so much cooler than earlier. I set out to try to run at a 10:00 min/mile pace and ended up running well under that. I was so happy with my run, especially because of how I felt. I got stronger with each leg that I ran and I was smiling from ear to ear the whole time.

I am so excited for this coming week and to celebrate running a half marathon next weekend!

With Rain Comes Puddles

Yesterday was a super rainy day here in Baltimore. It was raining when I woke up at 7:30 and rained all throughout the night. I really wanted to get a run in yesterday but was pretty hesitant because of the rain. I have never run in the rain before and really wasn't sure if it was worth it.

But I decided to lace up my sneakers and venture outside anyway. My motivation was the thought of rain on race day. I don't want to be any more unprepared than necessary. I decided to aim for 4 mile. Not too short, not too long. At first the rain felt very strange while running. I was cold and just wasn't sure how this run was going to turn out.

But then I discovered puddles nearby. At first I tried to jump over the puddles but then I realized that my jumping skills are way below average and I was going to land in a puddle regardless. After encountering my first few puddles I really started to embrace them. It actually ended up being a really nice way to cool off.

In addition to running in the rain, I also knocked out some hills. The Baltimore Half Marathon course is pretty hilly, but luckily for me Baltimore in general is pretty hilly. I can barely avoid hills while out running. I am starting to feel much stronger and faster going uphill though.

After yesterday's run I am actually hoping that it rains on race day. I know that might sound a little crazy, but I REALLY enjoyed myself yesterday and I never felt overheated for a change. My other hope is that the weather cools down some. It probably won't be so awesome running in the rain when it is 50 degrees outside but I will take that over sunny and 80.

Getting Back Into the Groove

Despite my recent struggles with sticking with my half marathon training I have been running more regularly lately. On Sunday I was hoping to get in 8 miles but with the knee pain I was having I only managed to bang out 6 miles. I was able to keep a decent pace of 10:20 though, considering this was the longest I had run in about a month.

However, I didn't let this set back keep me down for long. On Monday I went out for a run with the running club. I was really hoping to love this club but that was not the case. The group ended up being waaay too fast for me, and they ran on a very rocky mountain biking trail. Despite all that, I still managed to get in 4 hilly miles.

Light night I did my first yoga class in over a year. It was so wonderful and really helped stretch out my sore body from the trail run. The class was a mix of yoga and pilates and I was loving the variety of exercises we did.

Tonight I did an easy 3 mile hill run around my apartment complex and around campus. I really enjoyed this run, except for all the hills. My pace was slower than normal due to trying to figure out where was safe to run nearby, but overall it was a good run.

Tomorrow I am going to do my long run of 9 miles!

Some Catching Up

This week has been so crazy! I had my first quiz, and of course it was in my Russian class so that made it a million times harder than a regular quiz, I have been preparing for two more tests this weekend (online class), and have been trying to get some solid training in on top of all the homework and classes I have to go to.

I went out for a run on Wednesday but was rather unsuccessful because my knee was bothering me on the hills and I didn't want to push it. It kind of feels like it is going to dislocate when I go up the stairs or uphill so I am trying to keep that under control and avoid hills like crazy.

I am going home this weekend so I am going to knock out my long run and hopefully a short tempo run on the nice, flat trail near my house. I really miss running there, actually.

With my knee bothering me I have been unable to go to any of the runs put on by the running club but I am hoping that next week everything will be feeling better and I will be able to go out with them a few times.

I am looking forward to being able to swim some more next week even though the temperatures are still supposed to be on the cool side. The outdoor pool is heated so I am going to take advantage of that for as long as I can.

I got an email from the Baltimore Running Festival reminding me that my first half marathon is now less than 30 days away. I have been working so hard toward achieving this goal and I am getting more excited than ever. I really think once I get back into a running groove that I will get even more excited.

I am trying to really pay attention to my nutrition too now that I am back at school. I don't want a repeat of last year where I gained 10 pounds because of the all you can eat dining hall. I am trying to make healthy choices at every meal and only eat junk food in moderation. I have been doing well so far but it is only a few weeks into the semester.

I will be reporting back sometime this weekend with how my long run went so be on the lookout!

A New Running PDR!

Vote, vote, vote! I would love for all of you wonderful fellow bloggers to vote for me to become a member of the Refuel With Chocolate Milk team! 

I know I should have written this post on Saturday but I have been super busy with school starting and all so my blogging has been really taking the backseat. My training plan called for a long run of 7 miles on Friday but due to horrible storms I moved the run to Saturday. I have never run longer than 6 miles so I tried to make sure that I spent Friday preparing for my long run. I know a long run for some people is 14-22 miles but this was a pretty long run for me. I made sure I ate healthy foods, drank enough water, and didn't exert too much energy throughout the day. I went to sleep a little later than I had wanted (1 in the morning, yikes!) but I decided to sleep in until 8:45 before I went out for my run. I fueled with yogurt and granola and then headed out to tackle this run.

I didn't want to run with a water bottle so I decided to do two 3.5 miles out & backs. I ran the first one in 36 minutes, stopped by my car to grab some water and then headed out for another 3.5 miles. The second half was faster than the first and I was feeling great until the last mile when the heat started to get to me. I learned I really need to get up early to get my long runs in to avoid the heat. I finished my run in 1:12:42 for a 10:19 pace. I was so happy with this run because I felt strong and fast without running very hard.

I am not logging many miles this week because I have my very first triathlon on Saturday and I want to be well prepared. Half marathon training continues next week though!