Not quite a half marathon…

This weekend I was meant to be running my first ever half marathon. I started training for it back in October of last year, and have dedicated a large amount of my time this year to training and increasing my endurance.

Alas, it wasn’t meant to be.

For a long time now I’ve been bouncing between sickness and injury (calf and achilles). I wrote about it in July, and in June…and even as far back as April. I’ve barely been able to run during that time. I fit in a couple of 5k sessions here and there, and did a walk/run one day of 17km to try and get some mileage down (when I was still convinced I could be healthy for the half). But that’s it. Nothing at all like what my training plan had been asking of me.

As the time for my half got closer, the pressure on me grew substantially.

Finally with 2 weeks to go I had to admit that I just wasn’t going to make it. I was still coughing and struggling to breathe, and with a 3 hour cut off for the race there wasn’t even an option to walk the race if I needed to. I didn’t want to get kicked off the course.

I was gutted.

Not just a run

The reason why this half marathon is such a big deal for me is that I’m so great at saying I’m going to do things, and then not going through with it. There are so many examples come to mind. Weight loss, healthy eating, events with my family (admittedly one of them I had fallen pregnant and had a newborn baby, but still), even new hobbies or skills.

I wanted this to be different.

The half marathon is so much more than just a run to me. It’s lets me prove to myself that I can do what I said I was going to do. It means I can prove that I can stick to my word, and commit and execute a long period of planning, and training.

This run was about teaching me to believe in myself.

I wanted that feeling so bad.

Replacement plans

Originally I was going to pull out of the run altogether. However I finally started to feel better again this week. I ran a 5k and I could breathe properly (still a few coughs in between). This morning I did 10k (running 7.5 and walking the remaining 2.5 to just take it easy still). I feel a bit fatigued, and my muscles are sore, but on the whole I feel good.

So I’ve decided that I’ll do the 10k event instead. I have already paid for entry anyway, and I didn’t want to let that money go to waste. If I wasn’t feeling healthy I was going to give it to a friend at work, but on the whole I feel good.

Plus I need the mileage….because…..

My new half marathon is only 4 weeks away!

Thanks to the power of Twitter (thanks <@TheOtherTara) I’ve been able to find another half marathon that’s on this year that I’m super keen to do!

Sorry Logan and Springwood but you just weren’t doing it for me for my first ever…especially when you market yourself as “The Most Affordable Running Festival in Queensland”. Mm….yeah I think I want something fun? Or scenic? Or…anything other than just signing up for a half marathon because it was cheap?

I’m running at the River Run 100 in Brisbane on September 7th instead. It’s actually turning into quite the weekend! I’ll stay in a hotel the night before so that I only have to walk 5-10mins to the start line, compared with a 1.5hr drive from home, or a 40min drive from my in-laws house. With a start time at 6am I didn’t want to be doing that on my own, especially since my husband will be staying at home with my son (it’s too early for him to be up and being dragged into the city). I definitely wasn’t going to catch a train either (I don’t think they even run that early anyway).

I’m hopefully my husband and son will be able to come cheer me on, but it’s unlikely. In fact, it’s unlikely that anyone will be around. My family will be overseas on holiday, my in-laws are away that weekend, and one of my closest friends is so busy with work right now I don’t really know her movements.

There’s nothing better than hearing your loved ones cheer you on, but I’ll just have to be that voice for myself.

Plus….a night away in a hotel the night before sounds pretty darn good. I’m thinking about getting it for a second night so I can go and soak at the hotel room before we head off for another event later that day – an important one for my friend and her family….I’m hoping that I can sit down though!

I’ll only have 1-2 hours from the time I anticipate finishing to the time I have to be at the next event, which doesn’t leave much time for nursing my poor feet, and I don’t want to spend all of that in the car driving to the next destination!

So….here’s hoping for a fun 10km this weekend, and for a healthy and injury-free 5 weeks (4 + 1 for good luck).

I’m so close…I just want that feeling of crossing the finishing line so bad!! Did I say that already?