My first Half-Marathon

So it's been a little bit and I haven't been updating as much as I should be. It's been a pretty crazy couple of weeks and I'm just trying to keep up. My run mileage has increased, but my weekly mileage has decreased. I and trying to really focus on getting out and running more. That marathon is not going to run itself, and I need to keep the pace up if I want to see it ever happen. I went out for a 7 miler today and I actually got worn out. My diet has been slipping, I'm not getting out enough, and I'm not sleeping enough. That said, I have the rest of this week to step it up and then next week I head back into an easy week.

There is a lot of noticeable improvement in my long runs. My form is looking good, and I'm not dragging at all. I have found some good options for mid run refueling: fresh fruit; this odd concoction of pinole, chia seeds, and honey; or a Clif Bar. I am doing much better at staying properly hydrated, too.

I had every intention of running 12 miles last saturday, but when I logged on to Endomondo and started to plan my route, I couldn't find a good 12 miler. But I could find a 13.2 miler. I got excited and went for it. It's not total caution tossing, but it was a bold move. Here are the results:



Ok, not bad. You can see the dips at 28:43, 46:38, 51:20, 57:39, and 1:03:53. All of those are me walking! That monstrous climb, starting at 26:40 @ 440ft and peaking at 1:03:53 @ 1069ft was a bastard. In that incline there were some really steep inclines and I really felt like I was going nowhere, so I stepped it out instead, and it still whipped me. Needless to say, I am not the best at hills, let alone this thing. However, this thing turned out to be a really nice run, very scenic, and minus the down pour, I truly enjoyed it. The return was down hill, and I managed to maintain control and finish up with a good time that I am very proud of. This Saturday, I am going for 15 miles. I would like to see a sub 10 minute pace like the 13.1 I did last Saturday, but I am not going to push it. The course I'm taking has some hills in the beginning, so I will just have to see how it goes.

In the meantime, I have gotten some barefoot running in, and it's amazing how well it snuffs out any imperfection in your form. Once again, bare feet are the Cadillac of running shoes, it is the absolute perfection of running. The 7 miler I went on today sucked, I was tired and miserable, and then I took my shoes off for the last 3 miles and BAM! I'm full of life and enjoying it again. It really is my center and I can venture out from it to do different things, but I always need to come back to it to get everything on solid ground again.

Anyways, I hope the life pace slows down, and the running pace speeds up. Thanks for reading. Keep running.