Tuesday, May 5, 2009

Are you half proud of me?

This past weekend I was able to run a half marathon with some of my friends here in Ohio. It was a great experience that I really enjoyed! I decided on behalf of the marathon I will write 13 things that I learned while running or training for a half-marathon.

1. Good shoes really do make a difference. Unfortunately I didn't have good shoes. By the time I discovered this fact it was too late to break in a new pair. Needless to say I have one huge blister/callus and some smaller blisters.
2. You may loose toenails. One of my toenails has gone blue and I am not sure if I am going to lose it or not (great look for summer the toenail-less wonder).
3. Hydration is definitely a great idea. My training buddies and I went on our 11 mile run when it was really hot (86 degrees when we finished) and ran out of water before the last 3 miles. Needless to say it was a really hard run and we were lucky we did not get heat stroke.
4. Throwing up is not the worst thing that can happen when running. If you are wondering what this means go online and look up runners gut.
5. Don't eat a Chipolte burrito the night before you run 10 miles (refer to the previous online search if you need further details).
6. Running with someone makes the time go by much faster. I trained with some great friends and when I was with them I enjoyed my time a lot more. Thanks Ariel, Kristina and Angie.
7. It is amazing how much you can run and still not lose much weight. I really think this needs no explanation.
8. Even if you miss a few runs in your training you can still feel good running a half marathon.
9. Cheering with the crowd during the marathon helps your energy level exponentially. We cheered with the crowd at each mile and whenever they would clap for us and it helped with our motivation. Several people told us they wanted to run by us because we had all the energy.
10. Replenishing the calories you burn with a night at the Olive Garden is a must. My friends and I did just that the night after the race.
11. You can run the race with a cold and survive. I was not feeling very well the morning of the race. I have had a sinus cold and I carried tissues with me for the whole race. It didn't have as much of an effect on me as I thought it would.
12. My husband is a wonderful supporter. He made Carson a shirt that had our pictures on it and said, "My Mommy is Fast. 13.1 miles way to go Mommy." I thought it was so cute he also had a gift for me as well. Thanks Honey!!

13. Running a half marathon can actually be fun. I now see how people can get addicted to running. It actually is not as bad as you think it may be. I do have a little soreness, but no pain no gain.
.1 One more, 70's basketball shorts make a great running short. Eddie HATED my shorts but I love them. I got them from North Cache when they were getting rid of old basketball unifroms. They are one of a kind and great to run in. No school like the old school!

17 comments:

Hey, It's me...Jessica said...

You Rock Michelle!
Way to go!

Unknown said...

I am more than "half" proud, I'm a WHOLE proud! and WAY impressed! I remember Angie announcing the run in RS a few months ago... and look, here you are, all grown up and running half marathons! Great job! and thanks for the tips. How do you know if you are purchasing good shoes or not? and keep us posted on the toenail.

{Layla} said...

Congrats on the half marathon. That is SO cool. I just started running about 2 weeks ago and run between 3.5 and 5.5 miles a day. I've considered training for a half marathon but I am too nervous! Did you train outside or on a treadmill? I'd really like to accomplish running a race ONE DAY. You're a brave woman!

Tami said...

Congrats!! I hope you're planning to do another one. Top of Utah half is the end of August and you'll be here for that. :)

Sheena Larkin said...

Way to go, Michelle!! I am so proud of you, and how cool is it that now you can say you ran a half a marathon. I love that you wore your SV shorts. I remember when we got them and I can't believe you are still wearing them:)

I'll be your running partner next time!

heather said...

Way to go!! I'm glad you had fun running it!! It's definitely a goal of mine next year ... I did the SLC half a couple years ago and wish I had done better at training this spring with you girls! Congrats - I love the pictures!

cheeks said...

way to go! I'm always impressed by runners.... maybe you've inspired me!!

Heide Gentry-Kemp said...

That is so great that you did that!!! Congrats and by the way I love those shorts and your little boy is so cute and getting so big!

Prosper 1st Primary said...

Yahoo! Team girl power forever! That was so much fun and I am kind of sad it was all over. I had fun running with you and you were my rock! Thanks for pushing me to keep going. You are awesome!! PS I loved the old school shorts!

Rebecca Leigh Hall said...

Michelle I'm so impressed. I'm going to run a 5K next month and I'm dreading it. But if you can run a half marathon, I can do a 5K. :)

Ariel said...

Go TGP!!! I loved training with you. Let's keep it up. I hope you never let the old school shorts die. I'm pretty sure they are my motivation to keep exercising. I hope I look as good as those shorts when I'm 40!

Andy and Mallory: said...

Good job Michelle! I absolutely hate running but I would love to be able to run a race some day. Way to go!!!

Melissa and Jesse said...

I am way proud of you!!! What an awesome thing!!! WAY TO GO!! Tell Eddie to take a hike (not really)... the shorts ROCK!! I love love love them, and always will!! :) I am proud of you! If you didn't live so far away, I would want to run with you!!

Julienne said...

I'm very impressed with the half marathon. I started to train and then realized the marathon was full so I quit. Yeah I'm really motivated as you can tell. I did hear the good news that you guys were moving back. That is exciting!

DJ and Kristin said...

Nice job! That is awesome but I think the best part is you are still supporting those bobcat soccer shorts from high school!! WAY TO GO!!

DJ and Kristin said...

ok so I just read some other comments and apparently I am not the only one that enjoyed your shorts!

Kari said...

Way to go! I have to agree with the 'not losing weight' part. I trained and ran a half marathon after I had Madilyn - not much weight came off. However, it DID start coming off after the race... go figure...