Prior preparation prevents piss poor performance

[ms1600]

(Or how I ran a half- marathon with only 3 weeks training).

My sister was planning on visiting us in Anchorage to see our daughter (4 months old) and to run the Big Wild Life half-marathon. My sister didn't want to do it alone though. I got roped into doing it too (to prevent my 58 year old overweight/out of shape father from having cardiac arrest on the run).

I haven't been running in a few months (we have an infant) but I have been walking the dogs on a regular basis. So I increased my mileage to do at least 3-5 miles every night. I did about a 10k (6 miles) 5 days before the half marathon (13.1 miles).

My plan to survive was to jog for about 5 minutes and then walk for 10 minutes to keep up a steady pace but not hit a wall during the race. This worked pretty well. I stopped at all of the water stations to down some gatorade and goo. I stopped about mile 11 to water the local fauna and my legs started to cramp, so I had to keep moving (same walk run pace). I finished in a little over 3 hours.

When I was in high school (I did cross country running and track) I had done a half-marathon in 1:50 and a hilly 16 mile race in about 2:45. I'm a little heavier and older now. My wife is a massage therapist, so I got massage after the race and the next day. Two days post race I was back to normal.

Next time I'm actually going to run more for training (time and distance).

Oh, and thanks to the APD officers who were controlling traffic along the course and cheering the runners on.

[lewisipso]

Good job. The mere mention of a marathon to my short ass makes me want to take a break.

[pgg]

I'll be happy to go on a marathon, just give me a minute to grab my atv

[Car 4]

PGG....if you ran a marathon, you would need a 16 course meal at the halfway point.....and beer.



Car 4

[pgg]

PGG....if you ran a marathon, you would need a 16 course meal at the halfway point.....and beer.



Car 4

That sounds like a good idea

[MacLean]

I run when chased, or chasing.

I'd consider it for beer, though.

[ms1600]

I run when chased, or chasing.

I'd consider it for beer, though.

Here you go:

Hash House Harriers - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I may or may not have run with groups like this in the past or currently...

[ms1600]

PGG....if you ran a marathon, you would need a 16 course meal at the halfway point.....and beer.



Car 4

My parents and wife did provide dixie cups of beer at mile 11 and at the finish; had to get some carbs.

[Jks9199]

You know they make things with wheels to cover long distances with much less effort... The best of these items is a car or truck. Motorcycles aren't bad, when the whether is friendly. Bicycles are good alternatives, too. Hell, even those friggin' wheelie shoes beat just plain running!

Kidding aside -- good job! Way to be there for your sister, too.

(We used to do a kid's fun run, about a mile give or take, maybe... One year, I ended up doing it in full uniform when I tried to help some stragglers that showed up late catch up to the group.)

[Cidp24]

I have a buddy that just retired from here who runs a lot of marathons. He is training for one right now, in August... in Mississippi.
I tell him he is nuts quite frequently.


Good luck to you!