Walking the Miles ...: Run Like Hell Half Marathon

Today I walked in another half marathon! It was like a big costume party and lots of fun! I couldn't "run like hell" but I certainly tried to look like it.  ;)

I started the walk and within minutes my shins were SCREAMING at me. (Kinda goes along with the theme though, right?!)  This has occurred before but never has it been quite so painful. I can usually walk a mile, stretch it out and be done with it. Today, I stopped to stretch three different times without any relief. After more than two and a half LONG miles of slapping my feet because I couldn't walk correctly with the pain, I actually started to think this was going to be my very first time to drop out of a race. I knew I couldn't continue much longer and didn't want to severely hurt my lower legs, having no clue why they felt SO badly. It was VERY painful and obviously, it was slowing me down! (That doesn't fly too well with me!) We came upon the Mile 3 water station and I stopped to use the good ol' porta potty. Surprisingly, just stopping for that very quick moment cleared up whatever was going on with my shins! I had no more pain! N-O-N-E! Strange, I know. Very strange.

Now let the race to begin! (Three miles late but whatever!) I was able to pick up speed and knew there wouldn't be any dropping out. Thankfully. I would have been terribly disappointed.

It wasn't until we were around Mile 6 that I actually started to hit my stride and didn't have to work so hard to keep moving forward. I finally felt pretty good. We climbed a loooong gradual hill until a little past Mile 8 and by then I knew it was going to be a "walk in the park" from there until the end! haha! (Okay, that's not quite how it went but it was certainly better for me than the first few miles!)

For the last five miles, most of it was downhill back into the City so we were able to really pick up the pace and "shuffle" our feet quickly (shhhhhh.... I was NOT jogging... not me! Nope!). In all honesty, I really don't lift my feet high off of the ground when jogging thus there is less pounding going on. It truly is more like a shuffle. Uh-huh. It is. ;)

For the first time in a very long time I had to take pain medication before going to bed last night. I took it again this morning knowing my back probably wouldn't be too agreeable today. As a result, my back felt pretty decent for most of the day. As to why those same meds didn't even TOUCH the pain in my shins is beyond me! My right foot "fell asleep" and was somewhat painful (like in the Portland Marathon) but I handled it well and didn't bother to loosen my laces knowing it has something to do with my back. (Doc and I will have to discuss that.)

Anyway.... I did it! Today I completed my FASTEST half marathon to date! I completed 13.1 miles in 3 hours 3 minutes and 52 seconds, beating my previous best record by 1 minute and 5 seconds!  WOOO-WHOOOO! I averaged 14:02 minute miles, even with a very rocky start! EVEN WITH TWO HERNIATED DISCS! I am truly proud of myself and amazed I can actually do what I do. I am very strong-minded and though it isn't always the case, today that was a GOOD thing! It is amazing what your mind is capable of doing - how you can overcome your own physical obstacles when you really put your mind to it.

This walk finally wraps up my marathon-packed month of October!

          October 9th - Portland Marathon (26.2 miles) - 6:17:24
          October 16th - Girlfriends Half Marathon (13.1 miles) - 3:25:47
          October 23rd - Run Like Hell Half Marathon (13.1 miles) - 3:03:52

I am happy I did it ALL but really happy it is DONE and behind me. It was a lot of work and a bit exhausting. (I slept 15 hours straight a day after the Portland Marathon!).

I am going to sit for awhile now and relax... but not for too long...

I have exactly 35 days until the Seattle Marathon! THANK GOODNESS we are ONLY doing the HALF!! ;)

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"Perseverance is not a long race; it is many short races one after the other." - Walter Elliot