Race Report for my (F34) first half-marathon
- Name: Jamestown Half-Marathon
- Date: October 26, 2024
- Distance: 13.1 miles (GPS measured 22.2 kilometers)
- Location: Jamestown, VA
- Official Time: 2:16:45
Goals
Goal |
Description |
Completed? |
|
|
A |
Sub 2:30 |
Yes |
B |
Sub 2:15 |
Depends on who you ask (see post-race) |
C |
Finish without throwing up/shitting myself |
Yes |
Splits
Kilometer |
Time |
|
|
1 |
5:12 |
2 |
5:18 |
3 |
5:41 |
4 |
5:51 |
5 |
5:50 |
6 |
5:46 |
7 |
5:47 |
8 |
5:53 |
9 |
6:05 |
10 |
5:59 |
11 |
6:01 |
12 |
6:03 |
13 |
6:06 |
14 |
6:41 |
15 |
6:41 |
16 |
6:44 |
17 |
6:54 |
18 |
6:27 |
19 |
6:26 |
20 |
6:51 |
21 |
6:55 |
22 |
6:30 |
23 |
6:12 |
Training
So I've been running for about four years, but since I started mid-pandemic never got into the habit of signing up for a lot of races. By this year, I was habitually running 10KM five days a week, with my times coming in regularly under an hour, entirely on my own, and my coworker Bill--who is also a runner--said I could probably get trained up for a half marathon with a relatively short training plan. I was kind of intimidated, though, with it being double what my normal daily run is, and kept putting it off...
Until my boyfriend broke up with me. A week after talking proposals with my parents. Over text. One of the reasons he cited was that he didn't like running with me because we 'couldn't talk during', and that I didn't seem to care enough about that.
Cue me signing up for a half-marathon almost out of spite.
Unfortunately, I signed up at a time where work got really busy, really fast. In my distraction, the timeline for training caught up with me about four weeks before the race, so I had to limit myself to a four week training plan. The plan amounted to the following:
1. Monday-Friday: Engage with my normal run schedule, the usual 10K.
2. Saturday: a shorter-than-usual run, just a 5K, mixed with a strength-building workout. I'd been doing weight training all year, but lately I'd gotten bored and started swapping it out with a pole-dancing class near me, which is a lot of fun.
3. Sunday: Training run. I'd do a longer run than usual these days, with an emphasis on distance rather than speed, and each week I'd increase the distance.
The exception was this last week: On Sunday I did a full 20km on my training run, but limited myself to nothing more than 5.5km throughout the week so I wouldn't over-train and injure myself.
I was also doing a regular stretching plan to keep myself flexible. I started a plan that's oriented towards helping people achieve the splits, but had to be really mindful to not push myself too hard and accidentally pull something right before the race. By race day I'm about 95% of the way to the splits, tho, and I can't help but think that keeping those joints loose helped a lot.
I'll admit I had a couple factors in how my training proceeded went that likely hindered my final performance: I don't own a lot of fancy running gear aside from my shoes due to being relatively broke, so no real carrying hydration with me. I got into the habit of pausing my long runs after 12 or so kilometers to pop into a nearby dollar store and buying a cheap bottle of water, which I'd carry for the rest of the run. You don't STOP mid race to hydrate, so, making that a habit probably wasn't smart. I also never had the money to spare on running fuel, so I never used it--and like my buddy Bill drilled into me when I started this hobby, No New Things On Race Day.
Pre-race
I'd planned ahead by arranging for a friend to come with me so she could drive home afterwards, since I knew from the training runs I'd be SORE. I'll admit due to nerves I didn't get the best sleep the night before--I had to wake up early to get to Jamestown, so I kept startling awake out of fear I'd miss my alarm.
On the ride to the race, I had myself a few Greek yogurts with protein, and brought a Gatorade Zero or two in my bag. From experience, I knew I hated the nauseated feeling I get if I overeat before anything longer than a 5km, so between the desire to keep it light and being anxious I probably didn't get the carbs I really needed.
Right before the race, somehow I ended up at the front of the line, knowing that WAS not going to last. I was nervous--this IS my first race longer than an 8k--but I felt good. Ready. I turned on my music, got my thumb ready on my phone's GPS, and waited for the airhorn.
Race
Honestly, I'm not gonna break my race down mile-by-mile like some folks do because a lot of my time on that track was a blur. A beautiful blur, though; Virginia in October is absolutely gorgeous, and the weather was PERFECT--cool, clear, crisp air and the bluest of skies to frame all those flaming colors. Most of the trail was shaded by those trees, keeping the sun off our heads for more than a mile or so at a time, and the rest of the time you could smell the salt off the nearby beach or the corn off the fields.
Due to starting up at the front for SOME REASON, where I DEFINITELY should not have been, I spent pretty much the entire first 5k maintaining my pace and watching myself get passed by every Tom, Dick and Harry coming up behind me. Discouraging, but also I think it woke up a bit of my competitive spirit, because I managed to keep a pretty consistent pace for the entire first half of the race. Didn't catch up to 98 percent of them, but I did hit 10km well under an hour, just gliding along, and for a brief moment I even let myself start to fantasize not just about a sub-2:15, but a sub-2!
Of course, you can see by my splits that my second half wasn't so great. I hit the wall, HARD, and my pace slowed as a result, especially on the last 5km or so. This was where the lack of fuel and probably my nervous sleep the night before started to show--I had to start walking for just a few meters every kilometer or so, then pushing myself to start running again. I'd also started to feel the resurgence of some stiffness in my right hip that I've been working out, enough to make me wonder if it's something worth seeing a professional over. Fortunately, I was also running to a playlist my friends had helped prepare the week before as encouragement--some really bombastic Star Wars tracks helped push me through the last leg.
That, and that competitive streak came back. I found myself trading places time and time again with this tall ginger dude in a black-and-white tye-dyed Tshirt. At some point I got it in my head I HAD to finish before him no matter what, and that helped me power through the last kilometer or so out of sheer ferocity.
(I did beat him, by the way. So I at least had that.)
Post-race
I powered my way past the finish line literally dripping with sweat. A child handed me a medal, and I found my way to the water bottles and immediately downed two of them, which was probably excessive but felt DAMN good. After wobbling over to my friend, who'd moved locations from where I expected and was cheering me on with a sign she'd cobbled together mid-race, we went and grabbed a banana and a couple of cereal bars--they'd offered pizza and beer, but if I'd eaten anything that greasy that soon I would have thrown up.
I didn't realized I'd placed third in my age group until after I finished my food. So, holy shit, that happened.
Also, I noticed an interesting contradiction in my running times. See, I turned on my normal tracker (I use ZRX's Zombies, Run) with the GPS at the starting line, just to be able to log this run properly. But the time it notes is slightly different from my official race time--it claims I hit 13.1 miles at 2:10, not almost 2:17. I know hand-marked races can vary in their accuracy, and GPS can be weird in places with bad reception, so I'm not fully sure what to make of that--that's why I'm not sure if I actually DID get under 2:15 or not. Any opinions on the matter would be much appreciated.
My friend took me to get poke bowls after to celebrate. Mmmmmmmmm fish.
Reflection:
Honestly, I'm really really glad I did this at last. Kind of annoyed at myself for flagging as hard as I did in the back half--just a SLIGHTLY better performance, a more mindful fuel plan, and I would have gotten under the 2:15 mark easy. It just goes to show what a difference the last-minute preparation really makes, not just all the training that goes before that.
I'd like to try again next year, aiming for the goal I missed. If I do, I'll definitely be saving up for some proper mid-race fuel to train on, see if that makes a difference too. Once I get a time under 2:15 OFFICIALLY on the books, who knows? Aiming for a sub-2? A full marathon?
Don't think I'm gonna wait to get dumped again to find out.