Carlsbad Half Marathon 2015 Recap
Here’s a little recap from the race that went down yesterday.
I haven’t been in “race” mental mode for a very long time. In fact, I can’t really remember the last time I actually was, but I did still get a little nervous the night before.
I set out all my stuff hoping it would help with my mindset.
My favorite racing gear:
Mizuno Wave Sayonara shoes, Jasmyn skirt, Mizuno tank, bright pink Halo headband, Polar RC3 GPS, Pro Compression socks, AURIA music belt and my trusty Handful Bra.
I couldn’t quite decide what gels I wanted so I set out all my options along with the purple potato that needed roasting.
Dinner was a salad and then a petite loaf of the whole wheat pane bread from Trader Joe’s that I made into garlic bread on the sandwich maker to dip in marinara.
I had run the Carlsbad full marathon the past 4 years in a row, so it was a nice treat to sleep in an extra hour and a half. The full starts at 6:15 am and the half starts at 7:45 am.
I had plenty of time to get ready and ask Mom to take my picture before my friend picked me up.
The race is relatively close by and since it starts and finished at Westfield Mall in Carlsbad there was plenty of parking.
I made a quick stop at the solutions table to make sure I was registered for the half and wasn’t going to cause any trouble running with a full marathon bib.
My friend Laurie and I hung out in the heated tent as long as possible. Then it was time to do the port a potty thing.
With the full marathon barely anyone is there yet and it’s really cold and dark. With the half I was really surprised it was as low key as it was. Gear check was even a breeze.
I made sure to double knot my laces since the last couple of races my shoe laces have come untied. IT’s only happened with the new shorter laces on the Wave Sayonara 2 shoes, but better safe than sorry.
The race started out a bit messy as right off the bat I was fumbling with my earphones and lost that darn cover just like I did in New York. I should really just stop buying expensive earphones since something always happens.
I started out strong. I felt like my pace was okay and that I had a lot of people and reasons to just leave it all out on the street.
I never really got focused though throughout the race. I just ran and wasn’t thinking about much except taking mental notes that I need to adjust my training and get outside more and stop stepping off the darn side of the treadmill.
I felt good throughout the whole race. I didn’t have any tummy troubles or anything which sometimes cause a bit of an issue.
I usually have a gel around mile 8 or 9, but decided to run without taking any since Coach Jason said I shouldn’t need it for a 90-minute race. In hindsight I wonder if it would have made a difference if I took one. Who knows? I never train with them so I’m not too sure.
My hip was sore going into the race. It’s been sore for a little over a week. Nothing too bad, just bothersome. IT started really tightening up around mile 10. I was just hoping that it would hold out until the end of the race. I could tell it was getting tighter and tighter.
I’m actually not sure if it’s the whole hip dysplasia thing or some unhappy groins/hamstrings. It’s a very similar pain though that I’ve had before so it’s a bit unsettling.
Right after I crossed the finish line these ladies came up and said they missed me and that I was the third marathon finisher. I had to tell them that they didn’t miss me, I only ran the half and to be on the lookout for the next full marathoner coming in.
It was a good feeling to cross the finish line. I’m trying to remember how I felt, but I don’t even know. It’s just in our nature to be hard on ourselves and I remember just kind of being disappointed, which is silly since I should be proud no matter what.
That’s just what we do sometimes though. Why do we do that?
I guess I could be a little more consistent. Ha.
The half marathon course is beautiful and most of it is along the water. There are a few rolling hills that sneak up on you a bit, but nothing too major.
The crowd support is nice and the weather has always been really great every time I’ve run the race.
Parking is easy for participants and spectators and they give you a little goodie bag at the end.
They had these cool Coco libre drinks this time too that I was pretty excited about.
I bumped into my instagram friend Alicia while I was standing there trying to figure out what hurt worse, my hip or my heel on the other foot that just randomly started hurting like crazy as I stood around after the race.
I went for my beloved Vega Sport recovery accelerator which I had in my belt the whole time.
I was glad my shoes stayed tied, but maybe I tied them too tight and that was the cause of the heel pain? Does that happen to anyone else?
And yes, those are goosebumps on my knee. It got cold waiting around afterwards and those darn space blankets didn’t d much for me. They make better magic shoe curtains. Ha.
I told you Mom wasn’t too successful at using The Stick, but luckily Joaquin has done it before and jumped in to show her a thing or two.
Ha.
I feel alright today. I’m a little under the weather which is really not fun, but thankfully it was a day off. I even got someone to cover my classes at the gym so I can be smart and rest. My hip feels a little better, but I’m not taking any chances. We’ll see how it feels tomorrow.
The Carlsbad Marathon is a fun one. I like the half distance better since it’s all by the water. Maybe next year I’ll be ready to jump back in the full though. I got first place in my AG last year and a PR. Things are a little different this time around.
Life is funny that way, huh?
I hope you had a great weekend and those of you who had a day off got to enjoy it!
Here are two quotes from today that I love.
The first one of course in in honor of Martin Luther King Day and was posted by Danielle, the CEO of NuttZo on instagram.
The other one was from a Runner’s World email.
