That First Half Marathon
3 tips to help you thrive on race day
I remember buying a bagel and a latte for breakfast that morning. The counter at the second floor window overlooked the race area and I could already see runners wandering in the start corral. The sun had yet to rise but the street lit up as lamplight bounced off reflective strips of runners’ shoes, jackets, and running shorts. I ate but didn’t feel hungry. I felt my heart pounding in my chest and it took deliberate effort to slow my breathing and relax. The race couldn’t start soon enough for me.
When I committed to training for a half marathon (13.1 miles), I had just completed my first 10km (6.2mi) race and I knew I could survive the Half. But I didn’t want to just survive — where’s the challenge in that? I wanted to thrive. So, I set a goal to maintain my 10km pace for my first half marathon and finish in under 2 hours, a respectable goal for an amateur runner. And thus, my endurance journey began. I got guidance from a pro, maintained accountability, changed a few eating habits, and did a whole lot of work. I’d like to share a few final tips that helped me thrive on race day.
Tip #1: Bring a cheerleader (or two or four)
For race day, I had enlisted my number one fan to take time off from work, travel across the country, wake up before dawn, and cheer me on throughout the race. During the welcome speeches, he kissed me good luck and sent me off to navigate the crowd in search of my pacers. Conversations around me blended together as I heard friends remind each other not to start out too fast and others talk about how they performed in last year’s race.
Finally, the race gun went off and we started to move en masse towards the start line. After crossing, my trot quickly turned into a jog and soon a full-on run. I kept to the side, preferring to deal with uneven sidewalks over the congestion of the pack. I cried. All morning I had managed to keep the tears at bay, but once I started running, my eyes would not stop watering. I wanted to do well—I really wanted it. I breathed deeply, attempting to get my nerves under control.
I heard someone tell her friend they were running a 7:30 pace and needed to slow way down. This felt a little faster than my usual long runs but certainly not that fast. I slowed down anyway reminding myself I only needed to warm up during the first mile. Running with the same group of runners, I settled into a steady rhythm and kept within sight of my pacers. Keeping up with them meant I should make my race goal. But after mile 4, the course had a long and gradual downhill. It felt easier to let gravity do its work, so I let go and flew downhill, passing my pacers, other runners, and scores of bystanders cheering us on.
After the descent, just past mile 6, we crossed the river and I leaned into a turn when I heard my name. I looked up and made eye contact with my number one fan. In slow motion, I felt all the little muscles in my face work into a huge smile as I registered the familiar sight. We exchanged a few words, a wave, and for a split second I thought about stopping for a hug but realized an abrupt stop would have caused serious accidents with runners behind me.
Our exchange lasted mere seconds but seeing my husband, my cheerleader in this race, boosted my spirits so high that I ran 40 sec faster than my target pace for the next 2+ miles. I didn’t expect to see him given the multitude of runners and bystanders, but when we made eye contact, his moral support and encouragement carried me through several miles of running. When I started to tire or my legs felt heavy, I mentally replayed seeing him at the river bend over and over again for a surge of positive reinforcement.
Tip #2: Set multiple race goals
I trained for weeks, months to run this race and didn’t want to walk away from the big day frustrated or upset—I wanted to remember my first half marathon with joy and success. The only way I could do that was by setting multiple race goals. If I couldn’t meet my first goal then perhaps I would achieve my second one. My primary goal was to run the Half in under 2:00 hours. All my stats leading up to race day showed it was possible but could be close. With this uncertainty, I set a secondary goal to be content with any finishing time which would still be a personal record.
Around mile 9, I had just finished climbing a hill and my legs felt very heavy. My run slowed to a trot and several runners passed me including my pacers I needed to follow. They kept going strong until I could no longer see them in the distance, at which point I reminded myself that everything I had done had gotten me here. Any finishing time would still be significantly faster than what I could have done without that arduous training. With that in mind, I soaked in the supporting cheers of bystanders and bobbed my head to the rhythm of live music along the course.
I reminded myself that even if I didn’t finish in under 2:00 hours, I would still have run 13.1 miles, my longest distance yet. In peak training, I had only run 11 miles; so completing the Half would be an achievement in itself. Having the sub 2 hour goal kept me focused on a solid training program, which enabled me to run faster and stronger than I ever would have if I hadn’t trained with that goal in mind. So whatever my finishing time, I would honor where my training had taken me.
Tip #3: Race like you train
Among the many words of wisdom my trainer shared with me, the one I thought about as I got dressed on race day was race like you train, train like you race.
Race like you train. Race day already comes with a number of stresses outside of one’s control like aggressive runners, unfamiliar terrain, and the pressures associated with a timing chip. I didn’t need any additional stress of troubleshooting something new. So, I approached race day like any other long run day, using only gear I had already tested and proven would work. I wore running clothes and shoes I knew were comfortable. I used headphones I had run with before and carried familiar nutrition chews I knew wouldn’t upset my stomach.
Train like you race. To prepare for the elevation change in the Austin Half Marathon, I included hills as part of my endurance training. I learned to love hills and the variety of effort and pace they provided. I increased my effort uphill to maintain speed and then slowed down once it leveled off at the top for an active recovery. I grew to enjoy these intervals and always looked forward to the reward of a fist-pump after reaching the top.
Around mile 11, I got a second wind and picked up pace again. Bystanders cheered supportive phrases for the big one up ahead. I psyched myself up. I saw the hill ahead and pictured one I ran frequently during training. In my mind, I pictured running on the trail, first passing the tennis courts and then starting the long, gradual climb: I passed the tree I used as a halfway marker, I dodged the trench on the right created by runoff water, and finally I reached the big tree at the top of the hill. I trained for this—piece of cake.
I looked for my cheerleader again around mile 12. We hadn’t been as specific about the details of this spot and I rounded each corner with the hopes of seeing him. After another turn I saw the Capitol straight ahead, my cue to finish strong. The crowds had thickened and the encouraging cheers from the multitude of strangers thundered in my ears. I could sense the tears wanting to start again but managed to suppress them. With my eyes on the finish line, I adjusted my form, pumped my arms, and kicked. I passed several runners, keeping my stride on the course’s edge and sprinting well into the finisher’s chute.
Catching my breath, I haphazardly walked down the finisher’s chute and accepted the fruits of my labor — a water bottle, a banana, and a finisher’s medal. I wandered to the side to put down my bounty and stop my timer. Initially, I stared at my phone in disbelief and looked for the official race clock for affirmation. It seemed that with the guidance of pacers, encouragement from strangers, and the support of my own dedicated cheerleader — whom I finally found 30 minutes after the race — all that training had paid off. I had crushed my sub 2 hour half marathon goal and finished in 1:56:23. #winning
