Last Sunday, August 7th I ran my 3rd half-marathon – the Providence Rock ‘n’ Roll Half.
I’ve been training for a while now and although I missed a few runs because of a crazy work schedule, I never missed a long run. I created a training plan off of the Runners World website – using Smart Coach. It is simple to use and the training plan was quite reasonable.
My long runs were on Saturday and my last run – 12 miles – was completed with little pain. I went into this race a little burned out from an intense summer school schedule (all of my projects were due the Thursday before the race) but overall feeling good after my last 12 mile run; my average pace for that run was 10:14. I was hoping to set a PR with a race time of 2:15.
The weather was less than ideal – to say the least. It was POURING that morning. My parents, who flew up from North Carolina to watch the race, braved the elements and snapped a few pictures before the race started.
I found the 2:15 pacers and followed them very closely for about 8 miles – they were never not in my sight and sometimes I was even in front of them. Mile 9 was where things started to go downhill. Fast.
The rain was heavy and my sneakers felt like 5 pound weights on both my shoes. It was mile 7-8 I believe that we were running in a few inches of water – that did not help my cause either.
At mile 9 the muscles around my left knee started to tighten up. A lot. I stopped to stretch and walk a little hoping that would loosen the muscles up enough to keep running. Unfortunately it didn’t help and I wonder if it had made it worse. For the next 4 miles I pretty much did a combo of walking, running and stretching – I was in some intense pain and nothing seemed to be helping.
These are the stats from my Garmin
And here are the race results:
I finished this race almost 5 minutes slower than my last half marathon which was a minute slower than my first.
To say I was disappointed was an understatement; I was crushed.
I know I need to get over it – it was a bad race and there were a lot of things out of my control. The rain especially and this weird muscle pain – I have never experienced anything like that before.
Tomorrow I am going to get back in the saddle and start running again – I bought a new pair of sneakers (those sneakers smell way to bad) and I need to lace them up and get out there again. There is a PR in me somewhere – I just need to find it.
I have been struggling with comparing myself to other runners while forgetting to realize that I just ran my 3rd half marathon. Just a few years ago, I didn’t even think I could run a 5k. I’ve come very far and need to recognize the milestones I have crossed.
Take that Providence Half Marathon.
I would like to say a big “thank you” to my parents and friends Maribeth and John who came to cheer us on for the race…Matt also ran too – it was his first half!
{ 8 comments… read them below or add one }
Congrats on finishing! I ran my third and slowest half that same weekend…and couldn’t help but feeling a little disappointed with my time also. But its okay because at least we got out there and finished them! You’re awesome!
i know how difficult it can be…to train and be ready and to have something like Mother Nature suck all of it out of you. its happened to me twice now and I am hoping for redemption in chicago AGAIN … its in there, in me, in all of us. We just have to keep on keepin’ on.
i’ve had to run a 10 mile race in the pouring rain before and then even this year, a half marathon in january where i almost had hypothermia, so i totally GET it. you finished though and you’re right…keep the focus on the progressiveness of your change of lifestyle, not comparing to other runners!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
wtg!
Congrats! It is so easy to compare yourself to other runners. I have only done one half so I don’t have much to compare. I was just happy I finished. But when I do another one, I know time will be in my mind.
I still think it’s a great accomplishment!!
Don’t be so hard on yourself – you finished which sounds like a great accomplishment with all those odds against you! I was cheering you on in spirit. Now you’ll be ready to rock it next year.
Congrats on finishing! No matter what your time was (which, you did a GREAT job) it is such an accomplishment to train and complete this!
GREAT JOB! Bad races/runs/conditions happen.
I am all too familiar! You still had an awesome run!
Congrats on the race!!!!! You can’t be too hard on yourself you finished right?!?!?! And while that may not be what you were looking for that in itself is an accomplishment =)
I know the feeling Heather! Races can really play on our minds but you just gotta look at it as a race and a huge accomplishment! You have come a super long way! So CONGRATS and I’m sure the next one will be so much better; that weather is horrible!