Race Recap (Shamrock 1/2 Marathon)

Lucky Weekend in Virginia Beach!

Registering for and participating in an a race is a unique experience that everyone should do at least once in their life. Regardless of your experience and ability, or the distance of the event, simply committing to an event will bring you a sense of accomplishment that is unlike any other feeling. First comes the satisfaction of progressively being able to run a little bit longer and slightly faster during the training phase. Then comes the gratification of looking back at the hard work you have put in and maybe even the changes that have occurred to your body. Finally, there's the excitement of being part of all the weekend events associated with a race, from picking up your race kit, to making sure to load up on plenty of carbohydrates, to testing your physical and mental abilities in the actual race. No matter what the outcome of the race is, I guarantee you that at some point during this whole experience, you will have pushed yourself beyond what you thought you were capable of accomplishing. THAT is why everyone should sign up for a race someday and it is also the reason why your first race will likely not be your last!

On the boardwalk (Photo: Cheryl Young)

This past weekend, I ran the Shamrock Half Marathon in Virginia Beach, VA. The training leading up to this race was the most intense I have done in terms of effort and weekly mileage. There are often setbacks during training and this time it was a broken rib. Luckily, this happened late in the training schedule so I had already put in most of the important workouts. However, whether the injury would affect my ability to race or not was still to be determined. Going into the weekend, my rib felt fine and it seemed like it wouldn't affect the race (it didn't). I ran less in the last 2 weeks so I felt rested. Finally, the dreaded morning routine was perfect (if you know what I mean!): Breakfast in, dinner out, ready to go!


I finished the race in 1:30:17, a personal best for me in the half marathon. My previous best was 1:33:30 at the Navy-Air Force half marathon last year. Despite this new PB, I am most satisfied with my consistency in the race and my ability to push harder in the final miles, which has always been an issue for me. I knew my body would be able to handle 1:30 but my mind is what seems to often get in the way. Not this time!

This is why I run.

p.s. Thank you to Christina, Chris, and Travis for all your help during training! Training with faster runners makes a big difference.

Neptune Statue (Photo: Cheryl Young)

One Week Until Shamrock!

When I was in high school, I would play as many sports as I could and play as hard as possible. I would get injured, nurse it for a week or two, and then get right back at it. No harm done, no missed work, life goes on. Now, injuries have much more of an impact on everything else I do so when I get a chance to play sports, I try to be more careful cut back on intensity.

While focusing mostly on running in the past few years, I have managed to stay injury free. Running certainly brings about its share of injuries but these are usually acquired over time, due to over training, bad shoes, etc. They are not the Snap, Crackle, Pop injuries from high school that are common in sports like, say...football! 

Christina and I joined a flag football league this winter. We play every Sunday, on the National Mall, amidst all the famous DC monuments. It's great! Last week, in our second game of a double header, I broke a rib. Not so great! I am running the Shamrock Half Marathon next weekend. Shit! 

It's been a while since I've had to R.I.C.E.!

I took 2 days off any activity and then attempted an easy test run on the treadmill. The first 2 miles felt like someone was standing beside me, randomly stabbing me in the chest when I wasn't paying attention. He also kept saying "I told you so" in the voice of Christina Guzzo, Chris Sloane, and many others! Since then, I have opted for the Elliptical, which has been much more forgiving. Today, I was able to do 1 hour on it with no pain and I followed it up with 1 mile on the treadmill at a normal pace with very little pain. I am still planning on running Shamrock but am not planning on playing football again.

I would take a blister, chafing, or tight hamstrings over a broken rib right now.

This is why I run.

p.s. I sneezed for the first time today! Thank God I don't have seasonal allergies right now.