Journey to the Half Marathon

Journey to the Half Marathon

As I reflect back on the past year, it is amazing to think how far I have come in my running. I remember the first month where running for longer than a mile straight seemed to be impossible, and now in 5.5 weeks, I will be running my first half marathon. I will be running in the Newport Half Marathon in Jersey City, NJ on Sunday, September 25h at 8:30AM.

As the date gets closer, I get more excited about completing the race. I've been following Hal Higdon's Novice Half Marathon Plan to prepare for the race, currently on Week 7. So far, I like the pace of the training, and unlike some of the other programs I had seen when researching, goes at a slow pace so it doesn't feel overwhelming week to week. 

If any previous half marathon runners have advice/tips, feel free to comment.

Westfield Pizza 5K

Westfield Pizza 5K

Last Wesneday I participated in the Westfield Pizza 5K Run. Sadly, Jessica has tendonitis, so only Veronica and I could go. Since we arrived about 1.5 hours early, we had time to look around. The environment was very inviting; there were a lot of freebies to pick up prior to the start of the race, in addition to water and gatorade.

The actual course race was slightly more difficult than other 5K's I have ran. There was a slight incline for the first 1.5 miles of the race, which when combined with the high temperature (about 98 degrees), made for a tough stretch. However, there were plently of water stops, which was much appreciated. 

I completed the race in 29:01.10. Overall, I was happy with my performance, and definitely feel like I am almost back to my normal self. No races on the horizon, and continuing to train to run a half marathon in the Fall.

If anyone has any race ideas, feel free to share in the comments.

Firecracker 4 Miler

Firecracker 4 Miler

So... the review on this race is a little late. I came down with gout a little bit after the race (very painful), which put me out of commission a few days. By the time I was better, I had forgotten to sit down and write the post; better late than never!

The race was held in Cranford in and around Nomahegan Park. My official time was 38:30.71, resulting in an average pace of 9:37.

The good:

• Given the conditions I was in, as well as the environment (extremely hot/humid), I thought I did exceedingly well. Pleased with my overall time.
• A lot of people were on their lawn cheering us on, and had their sprinklers on. Given how hot and humid it was, this was a nice way to stay refreshed throughout the race.

Areas for Improvement:

• Felt extremely nauseous about 2.5 miles in, probably as a result of not eating any food in the morning. Had to walk sporadically for the last 1.5 miles to keep the feeling of throwing up down. For future early morning races, going to have to wake up at 4:30-5:00AM and eat a medium-sized breakfast, that way by race time the food will be digested. The humidity might have also played a role here.
• I was starting to come down with gout before the race. I was not at 100% though I was not in pain while running. 

Besides the obvious problem of gout, the weather is something that I definitely will need to adapt to as we move to the hot summer days. Going to really have to make an effort to wake up early and go running before work. My next race is the Westfield Pizza 5K Run, so I'm sure whatever calories I run off tomorrow, I will be gaining it right back :)

Star Wars Re-imagined Brands

Star Wars Re-imagined Brands →

Star Wars makes everything more awesome.

June Moon 5K

June Moon 5K

 This past Friday, I ran my second 5K, the June Moon. It was hosted by the Central Jersey Road Runners Club (CJRRC), who also coordinate the Tuesday group runs I have been participating in. Results for the June Moon are located here - I finished in 28min 9 seconds.

My goal for this race was to improve on my faults from my last 5K. Overall, I was very happy with my performance.

The good:

• I made sure to not tire myself early in the race (even put two slow-medium songs at the top of my playlist to help). I ended the race feeling a lot better than on Wednesday.
• Regarding time, I finished around the same time as Wednesday, and I felt this course was slightly harder due to its slight incline (could also be I did two races with only one day of rest inbetween).

The bad:

• Felt a cramp/pain in my side right around the 4K mark. Hurt quite a bit, and ended up walking for 10 seconds while massaging the area, then went back to running. Talking to people after, it is most likely because I am not breathing correctly. They gave me some pointers, definitely will try them out in future runs.

Overall, it was a fun event and everything was well-organized. In addition, it was great to see people I know from the club during the race. Looking forward to my next race, hopefully in July.