*Apologizing in advance for my long post. You'll understand why by the end of it*
Hi guys. If you really don't mind me posting here, I'll give a training update and a bit of advice that I learned the hard way last Sunday during my first half marathon.
Training update: Because the half marathon was last Sunday, I skipped my normal Monday run (which should have been four miles) and bumped up my normal Wed/Thurs b2b runs to Tuesday and Wednesday. Tues I did six miles and Wed I did four. This morning I got in 13 miles. I plan to do some yoga tonight to stretch out my muscles. My right calf tightened up today during my run. I was able to complete the run and I spent a little extra time stretching it out after but I think that I'm going to have to ice it down for the rest of today.
Advice that I learned: I'm a new runner. I've only been seriously running since mid August. I had no intentions to sign-up for the Mickey, I wanted to do the Donald. The Donald was full so I wasn't going to sign up at all this year but wait until 2011 to do the Donald. Several weeks pass and the Mickey is still open for registration. For some crazy reason I felt compelled to go for the marathon 2010 week-end. So, that's why I'm doing the Mickey. All of this is to explain that I'm a newbie runner w/o much experience under my belt. Last Sunday was my very first race ever. I was ready for it. I did 11 miles the week-end before with no problems and I wasn't nervous at all about doing a half marathon. I was treating it as a training run vs a race. I knew that most people start out too fast so I decided to tag along with the 2:10:00 pace group (averaged out to be 9:55 minute miles). That was a little slower than I normally run so my plan was to pick it up later in the race and come in at a better time.
Starting out was great. There was about 3,500 - 4,000 people in this race. Being my first race, I had to quickly adjust to all of the slower paced runners - or even walkers! - that lined up wrong and were in front of the faster runners. I easily kept up with the pace leader and going into mile 4 I wasn't even breathing hard. It didn't even feel that I was running since I was at a slower pace than normal. My mistake was this: Everyone talks about hydrating and the dangers of being dehydrated during a race. Hardly anyone talks about over-hydrating which is just as dangerous. The water stations began in mile two ( I think. Now I'm fuzzy on this!). They had water and Gatorade. I was using Cliff Shot Blocks so I stuck with water when going through the stations. As we entered a station the pace leader was yelling things such as "Hydrate! It's going to get hot!" Full cups of water would be thrust out toward me. You're only in the water station for seconds. I'm grabbing these full cups of water and trying to down them before I cleared the station. Fast forward a couple of miles and I've drunk way too much water way too fast. My body didn't need this. I should have relied on my training - I didn't drink like this during my training runs. I was just overwhelmed by the confusion of the water stations and the advice from the pace leader so I drank more than I needed to and I washed out all of my electrolytes.
Going into mile 5 my stomach cramped up severely. I was in serious pain. I had to move off to the side and walk some. For most of mile 5 I managed to keep up with my pace team but then I had to make a stop and I lost the pace group at that point. I tried to run again and I had no idea of where on the course (pace wise) I was falling by this point. Suddenly I couldn't breath and I was still in serious stomach pain so I pulled off to the side once again. A woman (runner) stopped to check on me, she thought I was about to pass out. I kept walking so she walked with me. I took some more of the Cliff Shots and some of the stomach pain slowly began to ease. The woman wanted to run again so I joined her at her pace - which was a lot slower than my normal pace so I was able to stay with her w/o any problems. I found out that she started out with the 10 minute mile pace group but was ahead of them. I was happy to hear that. We did about 3 - 4 miles together. I was still taking water at the water stations but only sips this time. Unfortunately, I took one sip to many and the stomach pain came back even more severe than before. I couldn't even power walk at this point, I was in too much pain. The woman slowed down with me and walked a bit. She wanted to run again but I just couldn't. The 10 minute pace group finally passed us and I told her to go on with them so she did. I will never forget her act of kindness that day.
By this point I'm around mile 9 - 10. At one point I just have to stop. I stand there in pain wondering if I'm going to finish this course. It hurt to move. At mile 10 /11 I finish my Cliff Shots and make another stop. Going into mile 11 I'm starting to feel somewhat normal again. By mile 12 I'm able to run/walk to the finish. I came in at 2:27:36 and beat in the last official pace group out on the course. I'm happy that I finished the half marathon under 2 1/2 hours but I was still disappointed in myself for making such a rookie mistake. Honestly, I'm lucky to have finished the course at all. I could have easily been hauled off in an ambulance because of what I did to myself. Being a new runner I understood the cause: I drank way too much water way too fast but I didn't really understand what it was doing to my body. I didn't understand that I had washed out my electrolytes and this is why after I'd take some more Cliff Shots I'd begin to feel a little bit better... that is, until I'd accidently put too much water back into my body again.
I had posted my recount on Sandy's PTR and she suggested that I post it somewhere over here. Since I think there are some newbies (like me) posting on this thread I decided to post this story here for advice of what not to do. But for advice of what to do: Trust your training. Training runs are so important for more than just building up distance. You're also learning how your body works and what you need to do in order to keep it functioning. In January, trust the training.
Don't do anything on the course that you didn't do during your training runs.
I haven't checked on this thread in a while. I started the 10-week program liznboys posted earlier this past Monday. 
I'm slow as hell though, so I need to work on that. I got new shoes and socks on Sunday and they are a dream. 
I already feel the difference in my knees and hips.
but sadly I did not see him (or maybe not so sad because I was a hot, sweaty mess.)
I'm so excited because that is a little under 11:30 minute miles and I have never run 8 miles that fast. (And this will be my 3rd half.) I'm not quite sure how I did it, just glad I did! I'm doing another 8 miler next weekend and watch that one will probably take me 2 hours
Anyway, for now I'm feeling good about things. I hope everyone elses runs go just as well
I also think its great that you are going for the FULL marathon!! 
) I hope everyone does mail a request to Tracy - I cant believe how beautiful the tags are - and in a plastic sleeve that has a safety pin - I was expecting a peel on peel off name tag - these are just AWESOME!! Thank you 
But dh is an emotional support nonetheless!!)
