The Aftermath

Hey guys! Well, since we finished the NWM I haven't been doing much running--I took the week after the race off, and since then I have pretty much been sticking to chugging away on the elliptical trainer ~5 times a week. I don't think I'm going to be able to run much anymore until after I have my baber. I'm so glad the race was not any later in the year! I think he had a lot of fun, though--after the race he was doing all kinds of flips inside my belly, and for the first time I was able to see him moving around from outside. Pretty cool!

The race itself was, obviously, spectacular. I was extremely pleased with my time--I think it was about 2:26--especially considering I had been training exclusively on the treadmill, had done zero hill training, and was almost 6 months pregnant. I think it was the hills that really had the biggest impact on my time--I ended up walking a portion of the two largest ones, which definitely cut my time. But I don't think I walked more than 1/4 to 1/2 a mile total, if that, so I still feel like I can say--hey, I RAN A HALF MARATHON! Around mile 12 I actually got that amazing runner's high/flood of euphoria, which lasted until we hit the gnarly inclined track around the soccer field or whatever it was. I do NOT enjoy running on uneven surfaces--I think it really messed up the outside of my left foot! Luckily it was a pretty short track, and as we exited the field they handed us a bunch of delicious Ghirardelli squares. Overall, I found the run remarkably easy except for the hill challenges--and what I hadn't anticipated was that although the uphills were hard, the downhills were freaking KILLER. Me trying to hobble up and down Powell Street later that day was a real spectacle--my knees were audibly clicking, my hips felt like they were grinding in their sockets, and my feet--oh my goodness. My feet are the one part of me that are still not 100% recovered. This is definitely where I noticed the biggest consequence of not training outside more--my body was not well-conditioned enough for the extreme impact of the constant pounding, especially on those downhills. I actually woke up in the middle of the night on the night after the race because my blisters were burning so bad. Yowch!

On a more positive note, what an incredible experience the race was in general. This was my first ever race, and for my first to also be the biggest in the country I think is going to set me up for a real letdown in future races! Just being surrounded by all of these women working toward the same goal--cheerfully!--the energy and camaraderie was unbelievable. Karen and I saw one woman running with her baby in this huge bulky carrier contraption; I saw several women in their 60's to 70's who probably ran the race faster than I did! Even after Karen and I got separated around mile 7, I never felt like I was running alone--there was just a pervading feeling of community and togetherness and support that was really energizing and inspirational. The day after the race, when I got home, I saw a girl come out of the building next door wearing a half-marathon finisher's shirt and I got super excited and yelled HEY, I HAVE THAT SHIRT! She wasn't as excited as I was. Oh well...haha.

With all that said, I'm on the fence about running another half. It is so hard on your body--but after you recover, it sure feels good! And pretty much the next day I was already grumbling that I could have gotten a better time--so who knows. My ultra-self-competitivess may ultimately prevail; just like childbirth, the memory of the pain will probably fade enough that I'll be willing to do it again sometime :) But for the most part, I'm planning to stick to 5-10K "fun runs"--definitely much more doable and enjoyable on a regular basis!

So anyway--like I said, I haven't been able to run much lately because it's just not too comfortable anymore with the baby, which makes it not all that fun. I really do miss it, though, so I'm going to try to run an easy mile or so tomorrow morning just for the fun of it. Now that fall has arrived in Sacramento I can finally get back out on the streets!

Congratulations to everyone who ran on 10/19--what an awesome achievement! All those months of training paid off--we did it!