So much of what we do is a matter of habits. When we create new habits, we are much more likely to stick to our goals. Thirty days of repetition is enough time to create the habits we want!
My plan is to begin this challenge on January 1st. Every day, I plan to exercise for at least thirty minutes. If I reach my goal, I will either color in a hexagon, or write what type of exercise I did.
Did I ever run a crazy race ten days ago! It was called the Run LOCO (short for Loudon County) Half Marathon. And yes, it actually was loco.
Running has become a pretty important part of my life. It helped me to lose weight two years ago, and now it clears my mind. I can absolutely tell a difference in my memory since I began to run regularly. It has really improved.
After I ran a couple of 5Ks, I decided I wanted to try long distance running. I ran my first half marathon with my husband this past March. While I did it, I was disappointed in my performance. I did the best that I could, but my knees just couldn’t handle it. After about ten miles I had to start walking and I ended the race in immense pain. I wanted to finish in under 2:30:00, and I came in around 2:33:00. This wasn’t far from my goal, but I was still disappointed.
After about a week, I realized it was silly to feel this way. I did the best that I could, and that’s what mattered. I knew if I tried the half marathon distance again, I would need a better plan. I would definitely make sure there was no gravel on the course (which is what caused my knees to become agitated). I also needed to begin strength training to help my knees become stronger. My knee problems stem from several injuries I had as a child/teenager.
I started some easy strength training with my body weight and light weights. I also decided that I would give Jeff Galloway’s Run Walk Run method a go.
This method helps your body to recover between running intervals which can prevent injury. With these tools in mind, my husband and I signed up for the Run LOCO Half Marathon this December.
A couple of days before the race, I came down with a cold. I rested a lot, drank a ton of water, and loaded up on vitamins. I was feeling much better the day before the race, but rain was in the forecast. I decided to give it a try no matter what. I knew rain wouldn’t make the race easy, but my only goal was to finish. In the back of my mind I was hoping to PR, but I didn’t knew if that would be possible with our planned walk intervals.
It was a warm day for December, and very foggy. We parked near the Tellico Dam and walked to the race start. I opted to wear a short sleeved shirt, and I brought along two energy gels and water with electrolytes with me. About thirty minutes before race time I ate half of a banana, and I had eaten two granola bars for breakfast.
We ran for the first fifteen minutes or so to get out of the starting pack, and then we began our walk intervals. We didn’t want to start a traffic jam! We set my timer for 45 seconds of walking for every three minutes of running. I was listening to a 180 BPM Running Mix on my phone, and when I wasn’t walking, I tried to keep my steps to the beat.
About four to five miles in, it started to rain. Friends, it rained the entire rest of the race! I just knew I would have multiple blisters to contend with, but somehow, I didn’t. We ran eight to nine miles with water squishing out of our shoes with each step and rain blowing in our faces. We were drenched. We could do nothing but laugh. It was definitely a memorable experience.
I don’t think I would have made it if my husband hadn’t given me his hat to wear. It kept the rain out of my eyes and helped me feel like I could keep going.
Besides the rain, there were tons of hills. I don’t know what I was expecting. We were in Tennessee, after all. About half of the run was on a road near traffic. It was wet and loud.
When we were about half way through, I wanted to be anywhere but there, ha! But we kept going! It made me realize I am tougher than I thought.
We ended up finishing the race in 2:28:55, even with all of our walking breaks. I was so pleased! After I got changed into dry clothes I was already thinking about when I could do it again.
There is just something special about pushing yourself and achieving goals you didn’t think you ever could. To be honest, I would love to run/walk a marathon one day. I’m not there yet, but maybe I can do it if I keep trying.
I am so thankful for my sweet husband who doesn’t care for long distance running at all, and yet he ran the race with me.
Thanks for reading my race update, friends. I would love to encourage you to take steps towards your goals, whatever they may be. I know you can do it!
About two years ago, I decided to take up running. I thought it would be something I could do to get in shape that wouldn’t cost too much money. After all, I had a driveway I could run on. No special equipment required.
I didn’t realize that I would fall in love with it! Running has helped my mind stay sharp and my emotions remain more in check. I think it is amazing. This is funny coming from someone who avoided running like the plague in high school.
This fall, my husband and I signed up for two 5Ks. I was hoping that my times would improve from last season, but to be honest, I hadn’t run very many fast miles. While I like running, I don’t particularly enjoy running fast!
And then we caught COVID in September. This really threw a wrench in my running schedule. It wasn’t a bad case, but I didn’t run much at all for a couple of weeks, and then didn’t feel as strong after I was better.
October rolled around, and I decided to try my very best at my first fall 2023 5K. I was really shooting for a time under 28 minutes. I had run a 26:00 5K in the spring, but that one was downhill. Literally running down a mountain will do wonders for your time, ha!
I was disappointed with my October time of 28:42 for just a little while, but then I remembered that I tried my best and that this was just for fun. I ended up placing second in my age category.
In November we ran another 5K, and two of my children ran a Junior Marathon at the same event. This time, I decided to not give it my all, and kept up a more comfortable pace. I ran it in 29:29, and placed third in my age category. I wasn’t expecting this at all and it was a pleasant surprise!
My husband ran it in 25:17. He is so close to breaking 25 minutes!
My girls had a fabulous time, too!
Next up is a half marathon in December. I decided I wanted to try to participate in one using the Galloway Run-Walk-Run method. I think this will be a great way for me to go longer distances without my knees giving me trouble. We shall see how it goes!
I would love to encourage you to find an exercise you love, and to get involved! I used to think that spending time exercising was selfish. Not anymore! I realize that it is much better for my children to have a healthy and fit mama than one who is sluggish. I feel so much better than I did two years ago in every way, physically speaking. I’m so glad I gave it a shot while encouraging my children to get involved, too.
My goal this fall and winter is to stay consistent and hopefully get in more of those fast miles that I don’t like too much. I also would love to add in some leg exercises to help with my knees. I had several knee injuries as a child/teen, and they catch up with me if I run too long.
I will try to let you know how the half marathon goes!
Thank you so much for stopping by today, friends. I hope your day is wonderful!
