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| Starting line of the San Francisco Marathon. July 27, 2014 photo: GameFace Media |
You know you're in bad shape when you decide to wait at Starbucks for the repair man to fix it rather than climb seven flights of stairs to your apartment.
Now, a year later, I just ran my first half marathon! Even raised money for a charity that helps wounded soldiers.
FROM HOLLYWOOD TO THE HAIGHT
On the flight from LA to San Francisco, I wrestled with fear of being escorted off the course on a stretcher. What was I thinking?! Maybe I could tell people my plane got hijacked...
Though the nerves never fully subsided, I finished the race in 2:12; fast enough to place in the top third of women in my age bracket and in the top half of all men and women.
Considering a year ago I hated climbing stairs, that's a miracle. Still, I felt post-race letdown from knowing I'd held back - partly because of the learning curve and partly because of fear of injury and failure.
Here are some lessons I learned, as well as products I used (unfortunately no one paid me) for other rookie runners.
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| Friends cheering me on at mile 6 of the San Francisco half marathon |
I decided to rely solely on the support stations for hydration. I don't carry water when I run in LA (my routes pass lots of drinking fountains) and the race was not the time to try to adapt to a bulky water belt (Geek alert: Google tips on how to run through water stations like a pro). While this worked for me, later runners complained of dry stations by the time they got there.
Also, volunteers had trouble keeping up with demand, meaning long lines. Runners impacted by the heat - the sun made a rare blazing appearance in a City famous for its summer fog - couldn't afford to skip stations. A runner in front of me collapsed a mile from the finish line.
No matter how many support stations, best to carry your own water - just in case.
2. Eat.
I ate a simple breakfast a couple hours before the race: trail mix with almonds, cranberries, raisins, a banana and an energy bar. Enough to prevent "hitting the wall" but not enough for a full stomach.
I didn't change my eating habits or carbo-load but I did carry a power bar during the race. Discovered about mile 7 why it wasn't the best choice - felt like swallowing pebbles AND made me thirsty.
While the course did have energy gel stations, I skipped those since I'd never used gels; best not to try anything new during a race.
Whatever you choose for fuel, make sure it's easy to swallow like gummies. Some marathoners on YouTube suggest baby food in tubes. Whatever works.
3. Pace.
Runner friends had warned me not to start too fast; don't want to hit the wall or be in pain later.
Unfortunately, I was way too cautious.
Big races are divided into waves, or groups, based on estimated finish time. Organizers put me in the last wave (about 3 hours) given factors like inexperience, age and gender.
I made a last-minute decision to move up a full wave as the race started but the pace was still slow for me. I wasted time learning protocol on the packed course: Is it ok to run in the grass to pass people? Do I need to stay in my wave? What if teams blocking the lanes won't move?
A lack of mile markers also caused problems. I was saving energy for the hills and last half, not realizing I was way further along than I thought. I usually sprint the last stretch so got ready to "kick it" - only to find I was literally crossing the finish line!
Talk about anti-climactic.
Make sure to have a good idea of your finish time. Training in the mountains, I focus on endurance (and avoiding mountain lions!) rather than speed so I had no idea of my race pace.
A smart watch might be a good investment; makes a huge difference knowing if you're at mile 7 or 10.
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| Melted my heart seeing "Go, Shay, go!!!" signs. |
4. Tunes.
Race Organizers didn't want runners wearing headphones - makes sense safety-wise for a crowded urban event - so I decided to skip my tunes. I did wear a fanny pack to carry my phone and keys since there was no place to check valuables.
I really wished I'd had my power jams (Jake Hamilton's top of my playlist) in the boring industrial areas. Running with music definitely helps but maybe use one ear bud.
5. Gear.
I'm not fussy about brands - comfort is key - but did upgrade a few things for the race.
One problem is finding good running socks for small feet. Scored with Experia Thorlo micro minis. Best $15 purchase ever. No slipping socks, no blisters.
While hot weather was forecast, it was cool and foggy at start time. I made a last-minute decision to wear the official polyester race jersey over my tank since I hate running cold.
If you do start out wearing long sleeves, consider something you can literally throw on the side of the road if you don't want to run with it tied around your waist (most races donate the left-behinds to shelters). Just know it'll cost time re-pinning your bib.
Also, a note on hair and makeup (diva!). Hair in the eyes is a big distraction but baseball caps make your head hot and sweaty. I wore a pinned up ponytail and dab of makeup (Lancôme Teinte Idole foundation, lip gloss, mascara).
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| Bubble! San Francisco Marathon. photo: GameFace Media |
Can't beat finish line food and beer! Coconut water, muffins, bananas and Sierra Nevada in the beer garden. Make sure to get a wristband at the pre-race bib pickup so you can skip the longer line to show I.D.
I was concerned about soreness as I could feel my quads straining on the steep downhills. Two days of stretching and rest and I was back on the trails.
I plan to run another race to push my limits. There's a verse that keeps me going: Run the race that lies before us and never give up.*
Good luck on your rookie race!
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So how did I go from hoarding chocolate chip cookies to running a half marathon? Read my weight loss story here: Feel Rich and here When Fat is Not Beautiful
*Hebrews 12:1
