This is my least favorite part of marathon training... the training series. I know that running in organized races is necessary to the training. Running in a race is different in the fact that you tend to get caught up in the excitement and run too fast. So these are necessary to get you used to running your own race and not run everyone else's.
I still hate them. At least the ones that we have in Houston. You would think that a city the size of Houston could find a better course to run. It's hard enough to run 13 or 15.5 miles without having to run loops on concrete.
Two weeks ago was the half marathon (13.1 miles) that is part of the training series. It was perfect weather and I did really well. I didn't feel good at all at the end but I ran faster than expected and ended up finishing in 2 hours and 12 minutes. This isn't a time to impress your friends with but it was respectable for me and I was quite happy with it.
That was right after I finished. Six hours later I was not so happy. I hurt so bad that I couldn't get comfortable. I took some ibuprofin and was able to sleep. I was really sore for days.
Yesterday was the 25K race. The conditions sucked! I think it was 70 degrees in Houston at 7am when the race started and I'm pretty sure it was around 80 degrees when I finished. I felt bad from about 5 miles to the end of the 15.5 miles that I ran. This course is three laps of the most boring running you could imagine.
I started out running 9 minutes and walking 1 minute. On my way in from the last loop, I started running 4 minutes and walking 1 minute. Let me tell you that this was the longest 4 minutes of my life every time I had to start running again. I really didn't know if I was going to finish. I did finish because you see, there was a jacket at the end. I paid about $40 so that I could run 15.5 miles for a jacket that I am pretty sure I could have bought for $40. I'm not sure I understand my own logic! Oh and the stupid thing doesn't fit. My husband will be enjoying it though.
I am happy that this part of the training is done. I dread these races but I run them. There is also a 30K race that happens 3 weeks from now but Houston Fit training program doesn't run it. I'm told it's worse than the 25K and even more boring. They run their own unofficial 30K which is a lovely course that takes us through parks and around the Rice campus.
My hubby and I may skip this one and do a trail run up in Huntsville, TX north of Houston. This race (Sunmart) is a 50K and 50 miler. We will not be doing the 50 miler. I think 31 miles of a 50K is plenty of abuse. I'm told that this will be much easier than the marathon because of the softer surfaces. I've wanted to do this one for years now and I think we will be signing up for it soon. Wish us luck and hope that we survive another day so I can add it to the marathon chronicles.
I still hate them. At least the ones that we have in Houston. You would think that a city the size of Houston could find a better course to run. It's hard enough to run 13 or 15.5 miles without having to run loops on concrete.
Two weeks ago was the half marathon (13.1 miles) that is part of the training series. It was perfect weather and I did really well. I didn't feel good at all at the end but I ran faster than expected and ended up finishing in 2 hours and 12 minutes. This isn't a time to impress your friends with but it was respectable for me and I was quite happy with it.
That was right after I finished. Six hours later I was not so happy. I hurt so bad that I couldn't get comfortable. I took some ibuprofin and was able to sleep. I was really sore for days.
Yesterday was the 25K race. The conditions sucked! I think it was 70 degrees in Houston at 7am when the race started and I'm pretty sure it was around 80 degrees when I finished. I felt bad from about 5 miles to the end of the 15.5 miles that I ran. This course is three laps of the most boring running you could imagine.
I started out running 9 minutes and walking 1 minute. On my way in from the last loop, I started running 4 minutes and walking 1 minute. Let me tell you that this was the longest 4 minutes of my life every time I had to start running again. I really didn't know if I was going to finish. I did finish because you see, there was a jacket at the end. I paid about $40 so that I could run 15.5 miles for a jacket that I am pretty sure I could have bought for $40. I'm not sure I understand my own logic! Oh and the stupid thing doesn't fit. My husband will be enjoying it though.
I am happy that this part of the training is done. I dread these races but I run them. There is also a 30K race that happens 3 weeks from now but Houston Fit training program doesn't run it. I'm told it's worse than the 25K and even more boring. They run their own unofficial 30K which is a lovely course that takes us through parks and around the Rice campus.
My hubby and I may skip this one and do a trail run up in Huntsville, TX north of Houston. This race (Sunmart) is a 50K and 50 miler. We will not be doing the 50 miler. I think 31 miles of a 50K is plenty of abuse. I'm told that this will be much easier than the marathon because of the softer surfaces. I've wanted to do this one for years now and I think we will be signing up for it soon. Wish us luck and hope that we survive another day so I can add it to the marathon chronicles.
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