Volume 1 Article 3
My Big Takeaways From My 3rd Half Marathon
Sunday February 5, 2023
running
It is crazy to think that back in March of 2020 the world shut down and went in to lockdown. Like others, in lockdown I searched for a new hobby, distraction, challenge, and motivator to continue to be present everyday. Which I will say is hard when being in your home is the only place you can be. So with that, I decided to run in a half marathon. Picking running as my new hobby was perfect because it allowed for me to get out of my house along with distract me from what was going on in the world. Running allowed for me to focus on me.
Now many people have asked why a half marathon, because it seems crazy and a long distance to run. But what I have learned from now completing 3, is that completing a half marathon is more obtainable than what most people think. If you are looking for a challenge, go for the half marathon. In my training, I started off with being able to run a 5K, then a 10K, and before I knew it I started my half marathon training plan.
Back in December I ran in the BMW Dallas Half Marathon. From this race, I was able to notice a few differences from my previous half. These differences I believe helped me set a PR and improve my run.
My biggest takeaways from the BMW Dallas Half Marathon are:
Number 1: Pacing Yourself
As a disclaimer, I am new to the amateur running and racing world. As part of being new, I am learning how to pace myself. Learning how to pace is a lot harder than I though, but helps if you have a watch or are running with someone who is more experienced. In my third half, I had both a watch and my aunt to help pace me along. Having my aunt was beneficial because she is an experienced marathon runner and helped me calm my pace down.
At the beginning of the race, it is easy to get caught up in the excitement, you have all this energy and are ready to go. Not pacing yourself and going too fast at the start can cause you to lose sight of the big picture. I know “it is a marathon, not a sprint” is an overused saying, but it has truth to it. Even though I ran the half distance, it is still important to keep this saying in mind. About 3 miles in my aunt was like woah we need to slow down, because I was running at a pace I would not be able to obtain over time. If I wanted to complete the race with my average mile time being under 10 minutes, I was going to need to slow my pace down.
Sticking to your pace is key. Do not let other runners determine your pace, you never know how they trained, what their goal is, or past racing experience. For training, I used my Garmin Forerunner 255s which was helpful in pacing me. It showed me what my current pace was that allowed for me to adjust based on what I was trying to achieve. Having a watch and my aunt to guide me was great because they gave reality checks throughout the race.
Number 2: Finding a Training Plan & Sticking To It
When comparing my two races, I was able to notice a big difference in the way I was feeling. On race day for my second half, I felt tired, unmotivated, and came into the race with an attitude of lets get it over with. These feelings and emotion were completely different from my last half, where I was excited and looked forward to racing. I had energy and was wanting to achieve and hit my goal of my average mile time being under 10 minutes. Having these two different mindsets I believe correlates with the way I trained and prepared for these races.
For the second half, the training was slightly different. Prior to my second half, I unofficially ran in my first half marathon which I prepared for. In between my first and second half, I was planning on focusing on maintenance running to keep up the distance since there were 4 months between races. Well during these 4 months, I returned back to college became busy and did not keep up with these runs. My schedule was not consistent which I think caused me to have a drop in confidence coming into my second race.
After this experience, I was determined to be better about my training since I learned running a half marathon was more mental than physical. If I trained properly, then it would set me up mentally to compete and be present in the race. For my third, I followed the training plan better and did not take a break from when the plan ended and when my race was. Training this way allowed me to be confident in my preparation, which ultimately allowed for me to race my best.
Number 3: Bringing Water
Throughout both my trainings, I would carry water bottles with me on all runs. Having water I think is critical to both my mental and physical state while running. Knowing that I can have a sip of water when I need it helps me be in an easy state of mind. Not only did water have a mental impact that was not as obvious to me in the beginning, but it also helps physical to help keep me going.
In my second half marathon, I decided that I was going to rely on the course water stations. Not to long into my run, I started to regret my decision to not bring water with me. Although I usually do not need water until about 3 miles in, I felt like I needed water sooner. By not having water on me I had to wait until I reached a station. After this experience, I was not going to make that mistake again. For the BMW Dallas Half Marathon, I made sure that I brought water with me. Having water was nice, because it allowed me to take sips in between stations. Also, carrying a water bottle allowed me to skip stations and keep spilling to a minimal.
These differences from my second half marathon to my third helped me improve my average pace. In my second half, I averaged 11:26/mile where as in my third I average 9:54/mile. Going into this race, my target was to be under 10/mile which I was able to achieve by pacing myself, training properly, and having water in case I needed it prior to the water stations.
If you are considering running a half marathon, just go for it. You will feel beyond accomplished in what you achieved, but xoxo until next time!
BMW dallas december distance running forerunner 255 forerunner 255s garmin half marathon marathon training