I look back at the young Shay in 5th grade who would cry at the thought of having to run a mile & am still stunned that today, I have ran my first half marathon! 13.1 miles baby!
The Idea
The PR/marketing team for the 1st Annual Bay Bridge Half was clever to release tickets on January 1st aka New Year aka when most people are deciding on their New Year Resolution. Thomas & I (along w/ Juliet & Kelvin) were amongst the first sign-ups that day “#fit2019”! $118 total each, committed.
The Training
5 months to train? No problem! … or so we thought. Life & common excuses got between us – birthday events, weather not ideal to run outside, Vegas, Coachella, I cancelled my gym membership, etc & etc – next thing we realize, it’s 3 weeks before the big day.
We did what made the most sense – we started running! 3 weeks before the race, we set a goal to run a mile, then 2 the next, then 3 the following day. The week after, we pushed ourselves to run 6 miles (I did this for one day, Thomas for 2 days). And that was just the running. I scheduled in a few pilates and Barry’s classes in between which helped my body endure more.
The Preparation
Preparation is key! I stayed away from alcohol, heavy sweets, and ate a healthy balance of salad & protein the week before. Additionally, made sure my outfit was run-ready.
Below are my outfit details:
– Lululemon Train Times Pant 25″: not once did I have to adjust my waist bands or my legs during the run. this pair of tights also grabbed onto the right places for – the mesh details on the legs are a bonus.
– Forever21 Active Cropped Tank: lightweight, breezy, & no fuss.
– Forever21 Active Hooded Jacket: again – lightweight & no fuss. love the thumbholes on the sleeve & since the jacket is cropped, it was less bulky when I had to tie it on my waist.
– Nike Roshe Run: I normally run with my Asics but the pair I have was getting a little small so I ran with my Roshe instead & they were great. The impact from the concrete started hurting my feet at mile 11 but overall, great shoe.
– Phone Running Belt: lifesaver here. I no longer had to hold my phone and this waistband did not once ride up onto my stomach or bounce uncomfortably.
Race Day!
I admitted to Thomas that I didn’t know how I was feeling: anxious, nervous, excited, all of the above? Feeling the sense of unity w/ all the runners gave me such a thrill. You have people w/ all different physical capabilities & all ages, cheering each other on, & running for a common goal. The first 1-5 miles were about getting my body used to the running, the 6th mile was filled with anticipation as we reached the turnaround on the Bay Bridge, miles 7-10 was filled with runner’s high as we were making out way back. Mile 11-13 was ROUGH & this was where I became more aware of the hunger, exhaustion, and pain on my legs. But once that Finish Line was in sight, I blacked out of the exhaustion & thought in disbelief that I ran a HALF MARATHON! The experience was 100x worth it! Would I do another one? … ask me again later.
