Another 13.1

I am the kind of gal who needs some serious motivation to run....sometimes its an upcoming race and sometimes its the piece of pie waiting for me on the kitchen counter.  

When I hit my summer running rut in June I decided to find a local race to help get me back in the grove of running.  I found the Niantic Bay Half Marathon and 5k in September and decided to set my standards high and signed up for the Half marathon.  

Training was basically non existent.  I forced myself to get out there for a 2 miler here, a 3 miler there,  I even hit 6 miles one day out of the blue.  When August rolled around and I had not run in a few weeks, I talked to my friend Stacie who had been training regularly and also signed up for the Niantic Bay half as well.   She had just come back from her 8 mile run.  Welll.... if you did so should I- so I laced up my sneakers for an excruciatingly slow (11 minute miles) 8 mile run the following morning. 

The next weekend Stacie and I had another conversation about our training habits.  She had just conquered a hilly TEN mile run.  Once again I started to feel guilty, so I laced up my sneakers and hit the road.   

I didn't even get out there until 8, and I had not eaten since lunch.  I was amazed at how easy this run felt.  10 miles came faster than I thought.  Once I hit that beautiful double digit I knew I was back in the game.  This was my first double digit run since my Half Marathon in April :)

Finally it was Half Marathon Weekend.  Instead of staying in and resting, I went scuba diving with my dive buddy Tom in Rhode Island.  While we had a great dive, this made for some very tired legs on Sunday morning.  

I went to bed at about 8:30 Saturday night after eating my bowl of boxed pasta and cold sauce right out of the jar.  Sunday morning I had some toast and peanut butter, took the dog for a walk, and managed to get a lovely swelling bee sting on my right ankle.  Just what an under-trained runner needs to start off her race.  I  loaded up on antihistamines and met Stacie and Tracey at the start line.  

Stacie and I ran the first few miles together and kept a pretty good pace under 9 minute miles.  After a few miles we went out separate ways so we could spend the race running at our own comfortable paces.  The first 6 miles I kept under 9 minute miles and I was feeling good.  Miles 7, 8, 9, and 10 ranged from sub 9 to 9:30, even after attempting to stomach a chocolate mint flavored gu.  11, 12 and 13 reminded me that I would never be able to run a full marathon as this was the half way point and I felt like I was crawling.  I truly felt like I had nothing left and my lack of training was rearing its ugly head.  I originally went into the race with the goal of just finishing, but the day before I decided I wanted to run a sub 2 hour half marathon....

Which I missed by 54 seconds. 

Photo credit to Island Photography 

I was super bummed about missing my goal by 46 seconds (going by watch time), but I then remembered that my last half marathon time was 2:07 and I managed a PR without really training.  Imagine what I can do if I actually train. 

Next 13.1..... Ill get you!  I guess I am hooked......

Anyone else PR when you lease expected it? Or run their best race after being VERY under-trained?