Bethany Loses It: Race #12 : 2012 Rock N Roll Half-Marathon

I didn't have the highest hopes for this race, I haven't been training and I hadn't been feeling well either. Between calf soreness, migraines and cramps I hadn't been feeling the running lately. I didn't want to DNS this race though and was perfectly fine with walking the whole damn thing if necessary. I decided to try a run 3 min/ walk 3 min strategy to get me through the race at a semi respectable time and prevent me from dying or hurting to bad, so I thought.

Honestly, I managed miles 1-7 amazingly! I felt great, the race was zipping right along without any problems really and it reflects in my pace. The course was pretty hilly in those first 7 miles which I think is what lead to my downfall.

Mile 8 slowed me down and I lost the little bit of buffer I had on my time in this mile, my feet really started to hurt and all I could think about was how bad my feet hurt and how I didn't think they'd ever felt like that and I ran races, worked as a nurse, a waitress and a secretary. The pain was there and I kept trying to tell myself it was only 5 more miles and I ran 5 miles all the time but I just couldn't deal with the pain.

Usually the longer a run the more it becomes a mental game for me, I'm usually not hurting, just breathing hard and fighting my brain to keep moving. Not the case today, my brain was all, "Woo let's do this thing! I know you hurt but if you move just a little faster, the finish is that much closer, just run to that stoplight, sign, etc, etc." My legs and back kept saying no, but every now and then my brain would talk my legs into it.

I finished the race in a decent amount of pain and of course I reminded myself to add core and flexibility to the regime, like I tell myself after every race.