I am still bummed in a way that I wasn’t able to set out and accomplish the Chevron Houston Marathon. I really thought this would be my year to add that accomplishment. But at the same time, I knew that I just wouldn’t have the time to give to the training and a load of stress was lifted when I switched to the half marathon.
After not having the best day on Saturday for the ABB 5K, I was a little unsure how the half would go. I woke fairly early that morning since the race started at 7 and takes about 30 minutes to get there. Also I had no idea where I would be parking because I wasn’t fully sure where all was blocked off. Turns out I was about 1.5 miles from the ending at the GRB. Gotta get closer next time, especially when walking by myself…
I was in Corral D because lets face it.. I am not fast.. I have not been training..One of these days I will move up…
The race started at 7, but it took Corral D 30 minutes to get to the start line….I did fairly well the first 4 miles. I was able to keep a steady pace which really shocked me with the way the 5K went the day before. I felt ready and with enough energy. This race was the first one that I did stop at about mile 7-8 to potty. Needless to say it was one of my longest miles. If I hadn’t stopped I could have PRed.. haha But the stop was necessary.
Around mile 10 my brother surprised me and was on the side of the street to cheer me on. That meant the world to me for him to come out and support me. I was also able to get a pic of me passing the The Rockets mascot Clutch 🙂 Well I passed him, he passed me again, then I passed him again.
The last couple of miles were tough. My calves hurt!!! I have been having this problem the last couple of races along with my shin at the base of my knee.. No fun, but I was able to walk/run enough to pull through with a time of 2:48:59. Sure was a bit of a letdown seeing marathons runners finish in that time. Granted I am not a professional runner, but sure would be nice to knock some time off! That is something I want to strive for this year.
Like most races, there was nothing but fruit and yogurt to eat that was gluten free. One of these days I will actually use bag check to have food ready for me that I know won’t make me sick. They did have coffee and chocolate milk which were fabulous!!!
Starting that night my calves were in pain, so after my shower I went for some compression therapy with Bio Skin’s® calf skins. My calves are at about 14″ so I went with the large size. They were super tight, but it was what my legs needed. Now these sleeves can be worn during running, but I have tried that before and I have learned that it is best for me to use compression socks/sleeves for after I run. Over the next couple of days I wore the sleeves off and on to help my calves recover. I will be using these more after my next races.
Bio Skin’s® Calf Skins™ give excellent compression to ease the pain in injured calves or shins. The thin, breathable material allows perspiration to evaporate to keep you cool. The unique SkinLok™ feature of the Bio Skin® material mean the sleeve won’t slide down the leg, even during vigorous activity.
Thanks Bio Skin for supporting me during and after this race. I can’t wait until the next one!
Leave a Reply