Shredheads

An Amazing Run

Yesterday I had an epic run.  It wasn't the farthest, and although it was fast, I've run faster.  But I felt so ridiculously good through the entire thing and at the end, it made it one of my top three best runs (up there with the Tiarathon and my first 5K ever).

Yesterday I felt like I figured out the secret to making running enjoyable.

Okay, maybe it wasn't THAT epic, but I managed to recreate something I'd done once just before the Tiarathon and then again during it.  Rather than focusing on speed, foot turnover, stride length, or anything like that, I simply focused on the relative effort I was using during the run.

(I know this explanation is dorky, but I run without music so I had to think about something!)  I pictured my legs as using batteries that run down as I use them, and my body as the generator, which isn't too far off from the truth I suppose.  My body can only recharge the batteries so fast, and if I pushed harder than that for too long I'll end up with dead batteries for a while.  I'd have to drop to a walk to recharge them a bit, but they'd never fully catch up.  But by keeping my batteries right near the middle of their charge, I felt like I could run farther and feel better at the same time.

It was amazing.

I started out at a very comfortable pace on flat ground, and focused on what that felt like.  Then as I continued on, I just tried to maintain that feeling.  If I was going uphill I'd slow down to keep my effort the same, rather than thinking about slowing down or taking smaller steps.  As the run progressed and I got a little tired, I just kept focusing on keeping those batteries right in the middle of their charge level.

It's a lot easier for me to say than to do. I stumbled upon it shortly before the tiarathon during the last mile of a 5K run, managed to do it during the tiarathon, and then again today.  So it's hard to figure out, but when you nail it, it feels so good, like you could just keep going forever.

It really reminded me of why I like running.

-Bill

New to running?  Check out our So You Want to Run a 5K series.  And for more running tips, check out our 5K Training Tips and our 10K/Half Marathon Training Tips.

What do to after you run a half marathon

Well, folks. It happened! The shredheads came, saw, and conquered the Disney Princess Half Marathon, and as far as I can tell, most of us lived to tell about it at the finish line.

I'd be remiss not to mention our awesome Shredheads gathering on Friday night at Earl of Sandwich, where we got to meet and squeeze @hellcat13, @elsewise, @wbgookin, @karidahlen, @ladyg8r, @lizinprogress, @nicurnmama, and a few lovely spouses and children. We all got our "official" Shredheads Tiarathon 2010 shirts, and our very cool Omron GOSmart Pedometers, which told me that the day before the half-marathon, I walked 10 miles.

(NOT SMART - well me, not the pedometers - they are actually very smart - but more about those from Bill later)

Make sure to visit all their sites to see pictures (some of which I hope folks load up on the Shredheads flickr pool - ahem) and hear their finish times and reports about the event. A couple of the ladies ran in the 5K on Saturday - a huge congrats to them as well.

Overall, the half marathon was an exciting event, that, due to the constant entertainment from Disney Characters and live music along the way, made for a pretty fast 13.1. I'm still a little confused as to why we had to arrive by 4am for a 6am (or so) start because DAMN was it cold. And I wish the course took the runners through more of the parks and less of the service roads.

But it was definitely a great half marathon, with lots of positive energy from the runners and the staff.

Unfortunately, I made the carnal mistake of leaving right after the race, so I ended up running another few miles back to my hotel and then onto the airport bus. And after waiting at the airport for about 8 hours to catch a flight, my joints and muscles were screaming at me.

So, while I ice my legs today and hobble around doing laundry, here are my suggestions for what to do after you run a half marathon:

Stretch

I have to say that Bill practices what he preaches. As we were both enjoying a post race bagel and banana, he hiked his leg up on a barrel and started stretching.

Hydrate

We both were drinking water and powerade after the race, but it's important to continue that throughout the day.

Massage

A few of the ladies scheduled massages later in the day which was super smart.

Walking and Resting

The combination of walking as well as getting some rest and relaxation is smart. I don't suggest just sitting around all day (see above) nor do I suggest you decide to walk another 10 miles. However, if you do keep moving, it's good for the muscles. And giving your body some rest will also help as well.

Celebrate

Sadly, I'm married to a non-celebrator, which sucks when you do stuff like this and they're texting you at Mile 12 about how badly the Orlando Airport sucks. Don't be a party pooper. You just ran 13.1 miles, damnit. Go out and celebrate, whatever that might be for you. I was so glad to see folks walking through the airport wearing their medals (pretty cool ones, I might add).

Meeting the Shredheads was the true highlight of my experience, and while I didn't meet my goal of under 2 hours (I came in around 2:13 and some change), the high of running with 13,000 other men and women, along with friends I met through this blog, was amazing.

We'll update with pictures as soon as we can. And we'll be back this week with more about what's coming next for the Shredheads.