The Louisiana Half Marathon (The 1st of my 12 in 2015)

Yep!!! I got the first one done! And it went really well. I wanted to run this race for 2 reasons.

            1. It’s a great race with lots of support.

2                2. It gave me a chance to visit a good of friend of mine who lives in Baton Rouge where the                     race take place.

It started out just my daughter and I going together.  Then my wife decided to join us. I was really glad to hear this news because she is my biggest supporter in my quest to run my 12 half marathons. In fact, she is the one who takes most of my pictures during trainings and races. She’s simply THE BEST!

Now, all was in place. I know I'm not trained for a 2 hour finish yet. So, I didn't have the added pressure of a goal time during this race. This allowed me to let loose and have more fun than usual during the race. I used it as a training run rather than another race, which proved to be beneficial.

As a heart patient, I try to keep my diet as natural as possible. Now, I don't claim to eat 100% & clean.  I don’t follow any specific diet plan. No Atkins. No Palio. None of that.  I mean, COME ON!!! I’m human!!! And I admit that I sometimes indulge in the occasional Fast food burger. God Bless Whataburger!! But, I keep these indulgences to a very minimum because of the saturated fats in them that contribute heavily to heart disease….Just me being real here…

But, I was looking for some alternatives to the chemical laced energy gels and other products like it out there that I’m not comfortable using while running. So, I found some alternatives online that are a little less chemicals in them. MARSHMALLOWS!!! I used Marshmallows on the run! Since I settled into the run as “just another training run” I felt comfortable toying around with my nutrition on the run. And the marshmallows delivered exactly what I needed. I popped a few every time I passed an even numbered mile marker along the race route and it worked beautifully.

I also toyed around my hydration. Using a race as a training run makes this easy to do since there are water stations along the race. So, I started thinking about my VO2Max. I wonder if there is any way to increase my VO2Max?  Hmmm….

For years I drank green tea sitting at my desk in an office job I remember it helping me get rid of that groggy feeling in the afternoons. Green tea is loaded with antioxidants and other key nutrients that help the process of getting oxygen to your body where it may be needed.  “I wonder if this includes muscle tissue?.” I asked myself. I made a batch at home before leaving to drive to Baton Rouge and put in my hydrations bottles. I sweetened it with honey (more energy providing carbs) and off we went the next morning.  

 We arrived in Baton Rouge in just enough time to pick up my race packet the evening before at the expo. We stopped & snapped a couple of pictures along the way (Thanks Deb!), and then went to our friend’s house for a nice evening with a gourmet pasta dinner and good conversation. And, as a bonus, our two friends have decided to join me for my last half marathon of the year at the Rock & Roll Half in San Antonio in December. Awesome!!! I love to inspire people to get out 7 get fit!

The next morning, I go through all the checks.

Clothes – Check

Bib - Check

Tomtom watch – Check

Pre- Race Protein bar – Check

American Flag – Check.

 Let’s Go!! Jason (my friend in Baton Rouge) decides he wants to be the one to take me in the wee hours of the morning to feed off of the atmosphere and get him kick started to train for the race in December.  But, as with most big races the traffic was horrendous. So, we agreed it would be best if he just drip me off near the starting line.

Off I go! I get several steps away from his truck when I realize I left the flag in the backseat of Jason’s truck. I looked back to see if he might be within sight. But, he was already gone with the traffic. So, I resolved quickly to run without the flag. I figured it would just make it so I could really get a feel for how the marshmallows and green tea work.

The race corral was packed, as you can imagine. I waited for my wave start to approach and off I went. I had my team RWB shirt on underneath my heart shirt in a show of support that only I knew at the start of the race.

As I approached mile marker 3, I almost took a spill on a bump in the road. It caused me to trip and lose my cadence but, I never went down in spite of dramatic stumbling that entertained those around me.  One guy patted me on the back as he ran past me say, “Awesome recovery man!”.  I was still a bit embarrassed even if I didn't hit the pavement.

The marshmallows and green tea were working great and I was feeling strong. Stronger than I've ever felt during a long run, let alone during a race. I was drinking my green tea when I felt the need and popping those marshmallows every even mile marker, it was great!

Then…The WALL! At mile 10, it happened. I slowed down and was feeling “That Feeling” you know the one. Where your legs are jello and still manage to scream through the pectin. I managed to keep running as I reached into my run belt to grab some more marshmallows. But, found that I was out. A miscalculation on my part had left me with no more energy resources to reach for. Now, all I have left is my 4oz of remaining green tea. “Let’s make it work!” I told myself as I kept running.

Mile 11 a couple approached me from my left hand side asking if they could take a picture of me and my heart shirt next to the 11 mile marker as inspiration for a friend of theirs who recently had heart surgery. I happily agreed to do so and proceeded to run with this couple for the next quarter mile of so until they sped up and ran ahead with a pleasant goodbye as they did so.

Afterward, I took off the heart shirt to reveal my Team RWB shirt and tucked my heart shirt in the back of my run belt so as to display the message but hang just behind my legs as I ran, then started the fellow RWB members cheering me on. I checked my Tomtom to find that I’m now averaging a 10:31 pace, which normal for me. My heart rate is low though. I’m hovering around 160 bpm when I would normally be around 165 or 170 bpm at my current pace. At that point I knew the green tea was working.

I made it over “The Wall” and got my second wind (somehow). But, not only did I get my second wind, now I feel great! I’ve can feel an abundance of endorphins kicking in. By the time I made to mile marker 12, I was rocking to my music and long striding to finish out the race. But I as I approached mile marker 25 where the full marathon and the half marathon routes came back together, I felt compelled to stop and have a bit of silly fun taking my picture next to the 25 mile marker as if to be running the full marathon. I was just me, acting silly. Which is a first for me during a race, I must add.  I got my silly picture and hit my stride again speeding (I’m using this word loosely) toward finishing my first half of the year.

Man!!! I felt great! My playlist was timed really well because right about the last half mile the song “Happy” from Pharrell Williams started playing. This is one of my favorite running songs and the timing couldn't be better. I DID feel happy. I’ve found a new energy source for my races, I found my suspicion in the green tea to be sound, and my Tomtom confirms it without having to wear the irritating strap that rubs on the scar from my surgery. The race is already a success and I’m still looking at the 13 mile marker up ahead of me. Awesome!!

As usual, my wonderful wife and daughter are there at the finish line videotaping me as I cross the finish line. Of course, because I didn't know where they were all they got was the footage of me checking & stopping my Tomtom as I crossed the finish line. Ha! What did I find when I looked? That even though I took time for a couple of photos and struggled to get over “The Wall”, I had still made normal finishing in 2:18. As, my friend Lee told me, “Consider that a win!”

 

Of course, you can't finish The Louisiana Half Marathon and NOT take advantage of all the tasty free food. The tag on my bib entitles me to 10 delicious samples of good cajun ole cajun cooking. Things like your traditional Gumbo, & Jambalaya. To more swampy edgy dishes like Gator Chili. I loved them all! Naturally! I've always loved cajun food! Oh yes! The 3rd reason I wanted to run this race. Haha!!! 

As my family and I roamed around the lawn where all the vendor were gathered, I noticed a tent that said, "Cardiovascular Institute of the South". I couldn't resist the idea of walking over to the ladies that were tending and turn around to show them my shirt. After the few seconds it took for them to read, one of them asked for a picture of my shirt. I told her we could trade favors. I'd pose for her picture if she would pose for a picture with me as my wife serves as photographer. My wife quickly obliged and we made new friends right there. 

Now, if I could only remember how to upload the video here. LOL

Remember folks,

Happiness is a Choice; Make it Daily

Newbie Mistakes / Failure is always an option

So here I sit, 5 days into 2015 reflecting on the Dallas Half Marathon and my running goals for the New Year and it makes me want to share all I have learned as a result of my failed attempt at a 2 hour finish at the Dallas Half.

First off, seek the advice of those more experienced runners. Don't be afraid to ask questions of those who are open to answering any. And those of us plugged into an organized running group already know that fellow runners (most of them anyway) are always willing to share with those of us who have recently taken up running as a lifestyle. There is a plethora of knowledge that they can share with us to train properly to achieve our goals in a healthy manner. We just have to be willing to ask. 

I've been running with several people who are more experienced and knowledgeable than I but was afraid to ask any advice other than the very obvious or superficial questions. I should have been bold enough to ask the more involved questions like those about proper nutrition before & after a race, the right way to taper before a major distance race, or how correctly use a pace plan when trying to hit a certain finish time. The last of these subjects is where I should have asked more questions. A pace plan should be used along the way in your training for a certain finish time. In my case, a 2 hour finish time for a half marathon. But being the newbie who doesn't ask enough questions, I fell short of my goal in the Dallas Half Marathon. I had an official finish time of 2:17, a new PR for me by a full minute, but not what I was aiming for obviously. 

Over the holidays I found myself watching an episode of Mythbusters and Adam Savage who is one of the scientists on the show said, "Failure is always an option". You can even find T-shirts online touting this phrase. It's a scientific way of looking at things. YES!! I'm a bit of a science geek (though I don't show it often). But, failure IS always an option, whether you acknowledge it or not. It IS an option. Not the option you are aiming for but always an option be default. It's an option because of the information you can gain from failure. In my case, I gained information from my more experienced running buddy Lee that a pace plan should something you train around and implement long before the race you want to achieve said pace in. I also learned in my failure that I am not a quitter. I didn't get immediately pissed off. I didn't hang my head in shame. I DID share with Lee through text messages that I was disappointed. But, I didn't get down on myself. In fact, I will use this new knowledge to press on and get my 2 hour finish this year.

Speaking of this year, I have new running goals. I hope you have some fitness goals as well and work hard to achieve so that you can feel the complete satisfaction that comes from the blood, sweat, and tears that go into achieving your goals. It's an awesome feeling!!! As for my 2015 running goals?? I want to finish 12 half marathons in 12 months. And one of those will be a 2 hour finish. MARK MY WORDS!! And hold me to them folks! If I accomplish this goal 12 halves in 12 months then I will qualify to join the Half Fanatics Club at the Saturn level.

http://www.halffanatics.com/are-you-a-fanatic/fanatic-criteria

It's gonna be a great year in 2015!! With my plans for 12 half marathon and my very first triathlon in March, I'm really excited!! I have so much to be thankful for and the rest of my life to continue learning. As my PawPaw used to tell me as I was growing up, "Son, if you're not learning; you're not living". Wise words from one of the smartest men I'll ever meet.

Happy New Year Folks!

and remember...

Happiness is a Choice; Make it Daily.