Rock 'N' Roll Half Marathon 2014: Round 2!
WE DID IT.....AGAIN! I had swore last year's Nola Rock 'n' Roll 13.1 was my last, and then I got roped into running 2014 race about September. But I am so glad I did! I was able to see dozens of Versus athletes conquer a goal they set! Last year, Versus Team No Excuses was only 8 people and this year we had 32 runners!! We had two athletes do the full! BOOM! As a coach, I was more excited about the finish line and seeing all our people cross it than I was about me actually running the race.
My race didn't go as I had planned. I had a goal to run under 2 hours. Me and Katie even trained on hills, knowing Nola was so flat. We thought if we can be fast on hills, we will be super fast in flat Nola! I took better care of my legs this year and didn't even have to wear my knee strap all through training runs! I was pumped!! Then on our last long run two weeks out from Nola, we decided to really go for it and see how fast we could run the hills. Bad decision #1, running fast down hill. Bad decision #2, trying to push past the pain I started to feel until it was too late. By mile 11 of that run my knee was DONE. The result was a strained patella tendon (knee cap area) and the only thing to do was rest it. The race was exactly two weeks away!! This was not how I envisioned starting my half marathon. The plan was just to "see how it goes" and Dr. Hubby Page and Coach Steve said "if it starts to hurt, don't push through it. Be smart." Well, I needed longer than two weeks of rest. :(
Me and Katie about to take off!
Race Day
I was feeling EXCITED to see all our Versus people about to rock this race! I was even more excited to see all our first time racers finish and if Katie Giust was gonna run under 1:50 (that was our goal)! I knew she could, but I was a little weary about my knee. I had already made up my mind, I was going to stop and walk it in if my knee was not up for the run. Sure enough, about mile 6 I could tell I needed to slow down a bit. It wasn't hurting much, but I could tell something was brewing. Katie finally went on ahead when I told her I didn't think I was going to speed up anymore —to make up lost time she ran a 7:41-7:47 mile pace for 4 MILES!!
Swallowing my pride
Then about mile 11 I decided it wasn't worth it and started my 2 mile walk to the finish. I just kept telling myself "you can either push through it and be out for a long while or suck up your pride and save your knee and maybe be out for a week. I can live with a week of rest. I probably need it anyway. Be smart."
Runners are a community
After I got over my initial pissed-off-moment and the burn of my pride, I started to notice things and people while I walked. Runners are incredibly encouraging people. Some were running for a cause, some run just for themselves and a goal, some had a running buddy, others were solo, but all were there in a positive spirit. So many would slow down and try to motivate me to start running again. One person handed me a jolly rancher said "the sugar really helps push you through to the end." (I ate the jolly rancher in case you were wondering.) I just kept involuntarily smiling because I felt like everyone running wanted EVERYONE to finish strong. Like we were a pack, a team, even though we all had different reasons for running. I saw so many acts of kindness and encouragement on my walk and saw how they made a difference to the one on the receiving end of it. That last mile was so tough for some runners, but every time someone would stop to walk, another runner was right behind them pushing them on ahead.
My mile 12 selfie, walking it in!
The right attitude
The difference between finishing and quitting is all about you mindset and attitude. Your attitude has a direct affect on your results. If you start out positive thinking, most likely you will see it to the end even if it gets tough. So many people give up at the slightest bit of rough waters. They start out the task already defeating themselves with negative thoughts. Your attitude affects your progress as well, even for those who have been at it a while. Maybe you don't push your self as hard as you can. Or you half-ass the squat or pushup or any movement. That will stall your progress. So what does that mean? GET OUT OF YOUR COMFORT ZONE and push ahead of what you think you can't do!! Force yourself to get BETTER. Try everyday to perfect the thing you slack at. Don't ever get comfortable!
The right atmosphere
Another important factor in your success is the atmosphere. If you have a goal, you need to surround yourself with like minded people. You need a group that understands what you are doing and why you are training and not ask negative questions. You need a group of people to pull you through those tough times when you will want to quit!! I doubt many of those runners suffering the last couple of miles would have ran it in to the finish line if not for all the people encouraging them. To reach a goal and stay focused, you need a positive atmosphere. Positive words, positive actions. Who cares what the others think! First they will ask you why you are doing it, then they will ask you how you did it!
Petal AT girls!!! Missing Rae :(
This is why I love the training I do. I am constantly reinforced with positive attitude when I step into Versus S&C. That is just the way things are around here. You never know how much an encouraging word or act can make a difference in an outcome. That is what I strive to do in all my classes, even the ones I workout in. I love it. I love the people. I love their stories. I love their successes, no matter how small.
My official finish time was 2:20. Not what I had planned, but on the flip side I learned yet again, not everyday is my best training day. And it is better to listen to your body when you know something is wrong. I still finished, got my medal and got to enjoy all the good vibes on my walk to the finish. Then I topped it off with excited, warm welcome from my VSC teammates, who were sad about my knee but supported me anyway!
Running is so mental. You have nothing but time to think about if your muscles hurt, if you are getting tired, when you might get tired, are you still running as fast as you think you are, your legs are feeling like lead, you should you stop and walk, will it be harder to start running if you stop and walk...a million and one reasons why it sucks. But as soon as that finish line is in site, nothing else matters except for the FINISH! I even did a hobble/run a short distance to the finish line and I had high fives and cheers the whole time! It was an awesome finish for everyone who ran that race. It did not matter how fast, but what matteres is that we finished! Katie did run 13.1 miles in exactly 1 hour 50 minutes!!!! Beating her last year time by 10 minutes. The founder of Team No Excuses, Jenny Boudreux, ran 13.1 miles in 2 hours 21 minutes, beating her last year time by 24 MINUTES!!!!!! #BB
So who is up for next year? #rnr2015
The BBs ;) missing Stephanie!
Bellegrass Ballers!
Me and My Bou for round 2!