My first half marathon

 In July of 2020 I ran 7 miles, in August I ran 8 miles.  Guess how many I ran in September?  Yup, 9.  Prior to that I hadn't ventured much past a 10k, just an occasional 7 miles.  I wanted to see how many miles I could do.  There was no training plan I would just do at least one run each month that was one mile more than the prior month. If I go through the full year then I could do a half marathon, right?  

I honestly don't remember much about those long runs though I do recall being proud of how much I had run.  December was tough as it was getting cold and I had to fit it in around the holidays.  

I continued adding one extra mile in January of 2021 with the goal to run the half marathon at the end of February.  Although I did some additional runs throughout the week there was not strategy to my training. I figured that the long runs would get me through.  I completed 14 some time in February, I have a vague recollection that it was around my cousin's neighborhood as I was house sitting for her. 

I did not map out my runs, I had a little Timex watch, no GPS.  I figured that I was running at a certain pace and that was close enough.  A good friend of mine who was a seasoned marathoner gleefully listened to my stories of running and encouraged me to keep running.

I chose a race on Cape Cod to test my endurance.  The race had a half and full marathon, back then the runners could run the full and qualify for the Boston Marathon that year!  Many of the runners were training for Boston or another spring marathon.  The night before I stayed at my sister's and had a hearty dinner of potatoes.  

I woke up in the morning to a winter storm, as luck would have it the cape was getting the brunt of this storm.  I drove to the race and went in to the hotel to wait for the start.  I remember seeing Dick and Rick Hoyt, legends in the Boston running community.  I would be running among them, so cool. 

I toed the line bundled up and my hood placed over my face as the sleet was pelting me.  The gun went off and so did I, this was the start of my first half marathon!  I was excited, nervous and angry that the weather was so bad (because New England is known for it's mild winter weather?). A friend of my running friend saw me and we chatted for a while, I tried to keep pace with her but she was a bit too fast.

While I remember parts of the race and certain moments, like the horrible wind.  What I remember is struggling, and being really disappointed, and embarrassed. I had to walk some and was passed by someone I knew who encouraged me.  I had trained for this, I should have done great.  Right?  Wrong!

Now I know that I did everything right, even the stuff that I did wrong.  I didn't train properly, I went out way too fast and I didn't set realistic expectations nor did I adjust for the weather.  Classic first-timer's mistake and that is okay.  I attempted a goal and I ultimately achieved it, albeit not in the way that I expected.  I was guaranteed a PR, I just had to finish.  

Having run about 20 or so half marathons, a handful of marathons and a zillion shorter races I am better at training, preparing and setting expectations.  I have failed and I have succeeded and I have learned a lot, oh and I have had fun doing it- even in the stormy weather.   

I ran the race again the following year.  The weather was a warm, I was not trained and I don't think that I did much to improve my time.