Fourth half marathon this year, second while pregnant (although I didn’t know the first time), three bathroom breaks.
Pre-Race
Training for this half marathon was rough. I have been absolutely exhausted throughout my first trimester, so running after work was out of the question and running early in the morning was hit or miss. I have consistently run 1-2 minutes per mile slower during training and occasionally walked in the middle of short runs, either because I was winded or worried about my body temperature rising too high. During long weekend runs, I have taken between 2 and 4 bathroom breaks and I never made it past 10 miles after the first month or so of pregnancy.
Needless to say, I had few expectations for this half marathon. I knew I could probably make it 10 miles, so it would be easy to walk the final 3.1. I was not opposed to walk breaks throughout the half marathon (as needed) and I wanted to make absolutely sure I stayed hydrated throughout. I also knew I would be taking bathroom breaks because my bladder can’t seem to make it 20 minutes most days.
Women’s Half Marathon
This was my first Women’s Half and the atmosphere was much different than other races I’ve participated in. Overall, there was less of a sense of competition and more of a sense of accomplishment for trying out new distances.
I arrived at the start line just as the race kicked off because – you guessed it – I was in line to empty my bladder in an effort to get me through the first few miles. I had studied the course for hydration and portalet details before I began. I ended up stopping at approximately miles 3, 7, and 11 for bathroom breaks.
The weather was excellent – mid-60s, windy, and cloudy, and the race course was creative, taking us to areas of St. Pete that I rarely run through, which was refreshing.
I ended up running the entire 13.1, albeit much more slowly than usual, but I was generally comfortable throughout. I finished at 2:32:58. I did, however, spend the rest of the day absolutely exhausted (but what else is new these days).
Best Husband Ever
Eric has been extremely supportive (and patient) with my running efforts over the past few months. Although he wasn’t racing during the Women’s Half, he wanted to make sure I stayed hydrated and comfortable, so he spent the morning biking around St. Pete and hanging with the Running for Brews cheer station (best cheer station ever). He met me at 5 different locations throughout the race with gatorade and a smile (and a sweet sign at the cheer station). It was everything I needed to stay motivated.
Reads: “Tired? Don’t Worry, That Extra Kick Will Get You to the Finish Line!” with a picture of our 9 1/2 week sonogram (wearing vibrams).
While I will likely continue running throughout my pregnancy (at least for a while), I am officially finished running distances for a while and I couldn’t be more excited about that.
Team CASA
I registered for the Women’s Half Marathon a few months ago when I began working at CASA (Community Action Stops Abuse), the domestic violence center for South Pinellas County. I wanted to represent my organization, so I joined the team that had already been formed for this race.
If you happen to want to support my run, or my organization in general, all you have to do is visit http://www.casa-stpete.org/events,the-2013-womens-half-marathon, choose “Click Here” to make a donation, then in the box that says “How did you hear about our site?”, write my name in the box, instead. Many thanks in advance!
For more information about CASA, visit http://www.casa-stpete.org/.
