Race Day Tales

The story begins when I signed up for the La Jolla half marathon a few months ago. I moved out to California last August and wasn't used to the dry weather here compared to the east coast, so I've been suffering from asthma. I thought I had it under control, but it continued to act up as I ran further distances. Le sigh. So anyway, that was problem numero uno. Next, I'll be honest. I slacked MAJORLY on my training. My training was nowhere near as intense as it was for my previous half marathon back in C'ville. I'm a grad student. I'm teaching. I'm DOING SO MUCH STUFF AHHH EXCUSES. Anyway, so because life got in the way, I neglected training...I did get up to 8.2 miles before the half, however. I was planning on utilizing the last week before the half, but then problem #3 occurred. Monday afternoon...I notice a toothache. I figured I had a wisdom tooth coming in further. Thursday afternoon...pain has not gone away and I find myself bawling in my room from pain (yeah yeah...). Thursday evening. I realize this is not normal so I go to an emergency dentist at 9 PM to have an infected (ew) wisdom tooth pulled (OW). Friday. I'm on vicodin and can't walk around without getting super dizzy. Saturday...on the mend...still in pain, but not taking vicodin. Then at an event all day until 3 PM, which after, I had to drive 2 hours in order to pick up my race day packet (mind you, before the expo ended. I made it. Barely. California has so much traffic). Sunday, RACE DAY. Wake up at 5:45 AM, take some Advil, get pumped...as pumped as one can be considering the circumstances. At the starting line, getting excited!! Run the race...miles 1-4 go well. At mile 5, I can see the biggest incline in the race--a 420' elevation gain, which lasted for about half a mile. See that little ridge that wraps up the hill? Yeah.

Anyway, so I make it up the hill at a nice steady walking pace. Mile 6-8 are okay. That's when the tiredness kicks in though. I struggle through the rest, but nonetheless finish the race at 2:45, which isn't awful considering the circumstances. I didn't PR, but I ran it. I'm still proud of myself and my boyfriend was there to help encourage me on the way. So the moral of this story? Train more and asthma less. Oh, and don't go and get infected wisdom teeth. :)

So now I've completed 2 half marathons. Time for a marathon? We'll see.

Stream of Consciousness

So tonight at the gym, I got on the treadmill without any high expectations for myself. I went to the gym because, well...I'm paying for a gym membership and not going, and I thought, "geez, what a waste." See, I've been doing these fitness classes instead about 2 times a week...yoga, Zumba and the like...but that's not "real" cardio like running is. Yoga is great for strength, but...definitely not cardio. Zumba is fun cardio, but not intense cardio like running is. So I decided it was time to lace up the sneakers again and yell curse words at the treadmill. So I was on the treadmill and I usually huff and puff for 3 miles. Truth be told, I haven't been running in probably a month...anyway, I've also been battling with asthma ever since I moved to Southern California. Something about the dry climate is what they tell me...so I've been afraid of running anything more than 3 miles--just scared to have another asthma attack and let me just tell you how freaking scary those are. So the inhaler seems to be doing the trick and I'm probably just getting used to the climate now. I ran 1 mile...felt great...headed into the 2nd mile really optimistic...finished the 2nd mile pretty tired, but was like TO HELL WITH IT and kept going. I hit 3 miles and I started a little mantra. In one of my running mix songs, there's a line that says,

"Nothing worth having comes without some kind of fight

Gotta kick at the darkness 'til it bleeds daylight."

So I kept saying over and over to myself, "nothing worth having is without some kind of fight. FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT!!!" you get the picture. And I stared myself down in the mirror with a look of determination that said, "don't you dare give up." Anyway, so I fought for it! And I finished out the 4th mile having taken only one small walking break (next time, I hope to lose the walking break). See, I've run a half marathon before, but I haven't actually ran more than 3 miles since...wait for it...May of last year. Geez, that's embarrassing. But there it is. So hopefully this is the start of a new running pattern.

I constantly tell myself that I'm too busy or too tired to go running...I started teaching this semester and have 11 grad school credits + working another job...so I've been great at talking myself out of running. No more excuses though. I know I can make time. I just have to fight for it. To help me in my fighting, I have signed up for the La Jolla half marathon in April, sooooo...I've gotta get my ass back on that treadmill. 13.1 is the magic number! And this time, I got the BF to run it with me. :) Yay. Ok, time to grade papers and read a crazy long paper for my class tomorrow.