13.1 Tips for Your First Half-Marathon

  
I’ve been really struggling with how to recap this run.  I felt a mixture of pride, surprise and gratefulness upon crossing the finishing line.

I was astonished at how well I did for my first race and really don’t think I even deserve to have done as well as I did with the lack of training I completed.  It was super emotional and tough, but still fun and exciting at the same time.  It was also the third half marathon I signed up for, but only the first one I actually ran.

So with all of these feelings running around inside me, I thought I’d lean on the bullet point post I used for my first 10K race.

1.  Get EVERYTHING together the night before.  Or even the night before the night before if you’re going to be attending a wedding that evening.

I thought I had everything together but it turns out I was scrambling to get a couple of things together minutes before we had to leave.

2.  Plan what you are going to eat beforehand and don’t count on eating breakfast in the car…especially if your race is a mere 5 minutes away!

Also don’t think you will have time to pin your bib number on in the car for the same reason.  Also also, the name on your bib is what people will be calling on the sidelines when they’re trying to encourage you, or they might not call it if you decide to self-promote and put SemHealthNut (because the “i” couldn’t fit) on the bib.

(Let your ride know that they will be dropping you off and looking for parking…instead of walking in with you.  This was quite a shock for poor Dave.)

3.  It’s very helpful to go with someone who has been to the race, such as my awesome roommate Amber who had actually done this race 6 times before!

Not only did I feel like I was walking around with a celebrity (seriously EVERYONE knows Amber!), but she kept telling me, “You can do more than you think.  You can do this!”  This brings tears to my eyes now because she was so right!!

4.  Decide what you will be carrying with you and what you will leave in your drop bag.

5.  If you are attending a very large race and you don’t run at a 6 minute/mile pace, and they are sending off people in waves… you might not start for 30-45 minutes….so you could probably take that final restroom break you needed instead of having to stop at the first set of portapotties you see.

6.  You will want to run faster because of the cheering crowds, but it’s best to stick to a comfortable pace so you don’t wear yourself out.  The time to kick it up is at the end when you are SURE you have the energy to finish!  Remember, this is your first race…it will already be a PR so don’t stress too much about being speedy!

7.  Your jacket might become your kleenex.  Especially if it’s 40 degrees out.  You will also probably cry tears of joy when you see kids handing out tissues along the way!

8.  While you still have the energy, thank the volunteers.  (And high five the cutie pie kids who are cheering for you!!)  I bet those poor people were FREEZING out there but they were doing it for us runners.  I seriously can’t explain how much it helps to see cheering people and funny posters along the way.

This was on mile ONE…”you’re almost there.”  Cruel.

9.  Grab water when you can or bring your own.  The first water station we went to was completely dried out..this could happen to any of the stations.  Along with this, have a plan on when you are going to fuel.  The beans I took are recommended to take with water so I just took 2-4 each time I got water.  Also, don’t be shy about taking two cups, or feel bad about walking and drinking.  It might just be the break your legs need to push forward!

10.  Plan on a meeting spot afterwards!  Especially if there are thousands of spectators and runners and the race ends at Memorial Stadium.

I have no idea why we didn’t think of this before but it was a bit of a nightmare trying to find my people.

11.  You will be VERY cold afterwards if it is already chilly out.  Something about the sweat drying on and the wind made me feel like an ice cube and shake like a leaf within minutes of finishing.  Either bring a large coat or borrow from your dad or boyfriend. 😉

12.  Don’t forget to stretch.  It was a little chaotic afterwards, so I didn’t stretch as much as I should have.

13.  If you’re lactose intolerant, plan your post race fuel.  They had plenty of chocolate milk, but this tummy would not have thanked me for that even if my muscles did.  I really should have brought a protein shake or something.

13.1 Don’t forget to take pictures!  You will want to remember this!

Post race: remember to listen to your body, but it is also helpful to move a bit in order to keep lactic acid from building up too much.  This goes for the day of the race as well as a couple of days after.  It seems counter-intuitive, but my day after hobble and good stretch definitely helped me to wake up feeling awesome.

I am so thankful for what I have accomplished and for those who came and supported me!  Dave was awesome and drove Amber and I to the race as well as took a lot of the great photos in this post.  My dad also drove an hour to see me finish and my brother and his boy surprised me as well!

I am so thankful God gave me legs to run and allowed me to finish the race free of injury.

Yep, that’s the face..”I’m never doing this again.”

Although I specifically remember at mile 11 I told myself I didn’t have to do this ever again….I kind of want to!!

Oh and I got to run with Forest Gump.  Definitely a good day. 😉

Are you a runner?  What have YOU learned at races?

Check out some other recaps from friends!
Andrea  
Amber (not the roomie)

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