Lessons from my first 13.1

While we're reviewing progress on my current training cycle, why not relive the beauty (and the misery) of training for my first 13.1?  I like to think that I learn from my mistakes, but maybe you can learn from them, too.  If you've never tackled 13.1 before, read on to learn the highs and lows of my first attempt at that distance:

Find a plan that works for your life and stick to it.  A simple Google search for half marathon training plans will yield an unfathomable number of results. Some have you run 5 days a week while others help you get by on 3. Some include speedwork, others rely heavily on cross training, and yet others focus on time rather than mileage. Find what works best for you and make it happen.

Train with friends. I had the pleasure of training and racing with my neighbor, and the friendship and accountability she provided was invaluable. The long runs seemed less hard with her alongside me, and I couldn't blow off a cold, early morning workout knowing that she would be out there waiting for me. I also trained virtually with a terrific group of ladies through Strava. My BRFs, both physical and virtual, made the training a wonderful experience. 

Log all workouts, both runs and cross-training. I'll admit that I'm a super nerd and a data junkie, and I love checking off boxes to mark my progress. Seeing the vast number of workouts at the beginning of a training plan feels overwhelming, but slowly checking them off feels gratifying and serves as a reminder of how far I've come.

Look at all those boxes to fill and check off!

Recognize an injury early on and seek immediate treatment. I lived in major denial for the three weeks preceding my race, believing that my body was cranky rather than injured. Seeking help after the race, I learned how pain-free running could be! If only I'd admitted injury sooner, I could have enjoyed race day more fully.

Learn the difference between niggles and serious problems. The aforementioned injury was of the serious variety, but I treated it like a niggle. Now I'm more keenly aware of what is an acceptable level of discomfort and what requires a call to a professional. 

There will be crappy parts of the training cycle. There will be workouts you don't want to do and days when sleeping in sounds better than lacing up. When those moments hit, know that it won't last forever. Do your best to ride the wave and hang on until you make it to the other side. Like all things in life, running and training are all about ebb and flow. Without the crappy runs, we couldn't fully appreciate the good ones. Embrace the suck.

A training plan doesn't just train your body; it also trains your brain.  During the training cycle, you will encounter moments of doubt when the magnitude of 13.1 miles seems overwhelming, to say the least. Doubt is part of the process. Knowing that doubt will come and dealing with it constructively is a huge piece of half marathon success.

Hold on to the finish line feeling.  After crossing the finish line, my feeling of pride and accomplishment was indescribable.  I chose to do something hard, I worked my tail off, and I made it happen.  How often in life are things so cut-and-dried?  In the months since my race, I often reflect back on that day and the finish line feeling.  I call on that strong, confident, badass version of myself when I need a little extra push to get through life's current challenge.

Courage, strength, resolve: a perfect recipe for 13.1 success!

If you've raced 13.1 before, what other tips or lessons would you add?

Strava: GPS app and running community

During my (brief) running career, I've used several different apps to log my miles and track my workouts.  I began using MapMyRun because I liked the mapping tool on its website.  As a new runner in 2011, I didn't own a smartphone, so I carefully plotted routes using the MapMyRun desktop site.  I loved looking at my maps and watching the calendar function fill up with my mileage.

Once I upgraded to a humble smartphone (or as my sister called it: a phone that got by with a C average), I wasn't thrilled with the functionality of the MapMyRun app.  Its interface seemed clunky, and though I still loved the desktop version, the app wasn't cutting it for me.  At my husband's suggestion, I switched to RunKeeper, which worked wonderfully as a GPS app.  It had a slick, streamlined interface, good voice feedback, and my husband and I could link up as friends through the app.  I liked the encouragement and accountability of connecting with his activities in the app.  But RunKeeper's website was seriously lacking...

Not completely thrilled with either of my options, I was intrigued when I heard about Strava.  I tentatively took it out on a test run last December and ran down my laundry list of wants for a GPS app:

Clean interface?  Check

Regular voice cues (at mileage or time intervals)?  Check

Social component?  Check

Website with maps and calendar showing progress?  Check

Without even trying, I accidentally stumbled into my ideal running app.  The interface is extremely intuitive, making it easy to start and stop the app even with a carb-starved brain at the end of a long run.  The app has a built-in autopause function that takes into account the time I spend stopped at traffic lights, which is pretty slick.  Strava's website provides endless amounts of data (especially if you upgrade to a premium account), and nerdy, Type-A runner in me loves to check and recheck my stats.  I could even switch the voice from the annoying Rita to a reassuring Aussie (I've named him Al).

And the social aspect of Strava is absolutely unparalleled.  I've found dozens of mother runners to follow and cheer on.  Watching their accomplishments and encouraging them to push their limits has been phenomenally inspirational.  Likewise, their encouragement has kept me going on days that my internal motivation was lacking.  I'm reluctant to admit how much time I've devoted to studying my friends' stats, giving out kudos, and posting motivational/inspirational/silly comments on their workouts.  Checking in with the ladies on Strava has become one of my favorite parts of the day.

I love Strava and plan to stick around, but I must admit that it is not without fault.  Much like the vanity sizing at most clothing retailers, I think Strava gives me a false sense of my own speed.  When my BRF and I run together, her with a Garmin and me with Al the Strava Aussie, my distance usually comes out longer and my pace faster.  Admittedly, GPS is not a perfect science.  My iPhone, which I use for the Strava app, was not built as a GPS device and therefore the data is only as good as the device.

Al the Aussie and I have logged many miles together, and I plan to take him along for many more.  Do you have a preferred GPS app?  What are your must-have features for running apps?

A Naked Run

A racy title, but it feels like an apt description of the runs I've taken lately.  Since I've chosen to run without my RunKeeper app, I feel quite naked during my runs.  Without that voice (I call her Rita, the name we give all computerized voices in our lives) telling me my total mileage, elapsed time, and average pace, I feel totally exposed.

Cutting the technology cord feels both liberating and terrifying.

I'm going naked these days because I'm refocusing my running.  Since I started running, I've been striving to improve my pace and increase my distance.  Right now, however, I'm more interested in achieving and maintaining a pregnancy.  Though I've never said it aloud, I wonder if my high-mileage month of June in part lead to July's miscarriage.  I've never had very high body fat, and I wonder if the intensity of that month's running tipped the scales just enough to make my body unable to carry the pregnancy.  Maybe, maybe not.  But I can't get the thought out of my head, so I've cut back my mileage and altered my running goals.  No races on the horizon.  No milestone mileage or pace.  I'm running to clear my head and build a strong body that can hopefully carry another baby someday soon.

While I know this is the right choice for me for now, it is a difficult one for my severely Type A brain to accept.  I crave data and love seeing measurable progress and achievements.  I also feel more accountable when I have the app charting my workouts.  I love to see the mileage add up and the pace go down.  Running naked is a tremendous personal challenge, but one that I want to follow for the greater good of my family.

As I've said before, I want to run for life, but I have only a relatively small window of opportunity for expanding our family.  If family goals mean that I cannot run a fall half marathon, then so be it.  There will be other races.  I have plenty of time to set and achieve my running goals.  At this moment, the non-running goals take priority, and I'm okay with that.

So long for now, Rita.