The Race
I woke up at 4:30am the day of and got down to Indy. It had snowed Friday night and Saturday morning was not warm. I tried to warm up by jogging around, but my knee was sore the whole time and I could barely eek out a jog.
How am I gonna run a half-marathon with this?
I hate drugs, but I downed a few [more] ibuprofen to try and dull the pain in my knee and kept stretching as we waited for the starting line to start to fill up. I wasn’t seeded so I squeezed in where I could by the 9 and 10 mile pacers. As the race started, it took a few minutes to get to the starting line, but once I did, I set off. Immediately, my leg starting hurting. Every time my left foot hit the ground, I felt a pain shoot up through my knee. Not good. About a quarter-mile in I tried to convince myself that the pain wouldn’t last that long. After realizing that 13 x (however many steps are in a mile) is a much more discouraging number than I thought, I gave up my math efforts.
My knee kept hurting the entire time, but I tried my best to stop focusing on the pain and just focus on the mileage. It helped that I had some distractions. For the first 10 miles, I was literally asked about my shoe, at least once a mile. As people ran up next to me to ask, I riddled off the canned responses:
- Yes, I wear Vibrams
- Yes, it takes time to get used to them
- Yes, I like them [or why else would I be running a half-marathon in them?]
I’m usually more gracious when people ask me about Vibrams. I get that people are intrigued and want to ask questions, but I was so focused on not dying during the race, that I was probably not the best conversationalist. If you saw me during the race and asked questions and I was jerk, I’m sorry. Next time ask me when I’m not in the mood for amputation my own leg.
As we passed, the 10 mile marker, the questions stopped. I think everybody started to focus more on running than spotting the the latest fashion trends from their fellow runners. I tried to convince myself that I only had a 5k left. Simple. The mile markers seems to get farther apart [a direct result of my pace slowing], but I kept going.
11th mile…
12th mile…
13th mile…
As I passed the 13 mile marker, I began to round the corner of the block for the last 1/10th mile. As I did, I noticed the crowd started to roar:
Wow these people are really encouraging.
My time was slower than most and I was pushing the 2 hour mark. I know people are awesome, but I was really becoming impressed that people were cheering so loudly for someone so far back in the pack. As I began to enjoy the roar of the crowd, I started to look around. As I glanced to my right I notice a Kenyan [Leonard Muchero] sprinting past me with an vehicle escort. It was then I realized the crowd was cheering for the first finisher of the full marathon, and not me.
*cue sadness*
I tried to kick a little more so I could finish up before him, but he was moving way too fast. He finished to a round of cheers and I finished a few seconds behind him.
Technical note:
I still “beat him” since I started a few minutes after he did:
My Time: 2:14:18.2
His Time: 2:17:58.4
You can see the full results here. Feel free to disregard the fact that he ran a full 13.1 miles farther than me =)
Overall, The race wasn’t “hard’ in the typical sense. My slower pace allowed me to run all 13 without getting overtly tired, but my knee hurt a lot more than I expected. Bum knees and extremely fast Kenyans aside, I’m very happy with the race. I ran it for me. Even though I didn’t train for this half marathon like I should have, I still was able to do it, bum knee and all. I wasn’t FAST, and my time isn’t a PR I want to keep for a long time, but I’m happy with it. There were lots of times I wanted to just stop running, give up and go home, but I kept going.
===
A Short Video
Thank you guys for your encouragement. I got lots of messages and emails about the race and I really appreciate all of them so I shot a video right after the race for you guys. Sorry if I sound a little incoherent, I was a little tired.
[Click here to watch the video]===
A Small Milestone
This weekend, last year, I ran my first race ever. I’ve mentioned before that I’ve always been an athlete, but I’ve never have been a runner. If you’re a non-athlete, that might sound odd, but it’s very possible. I played basketball for 10 years and the majority of our running was spent doing suicide sprints. Even when I competed in Track & Field in College, I purposely threw javelin in order to avoid running events.
So November 1st last year, was my first race ever. A friend asked me to do it, so I signed up. It was a simple 5k and the first time I ever ran farther than 2 miles. This weekend I ran 13. There have been faster progressions, no doubt, but last year I would have never imagined being able to run 13 miles in a month…much less consecutively.
Sometimes, it’s amazing how your perspective can change in a year…Where are you going to be in a year?
Goal conquering! Righteous! Glad you did it in the Vibram’s. I threw away my traditional sneakers last year…
Congrats on your accomplishment. Keep knocking em’ off the list.
ap
Thanks man. So many advantages to running in my VFFs. Really been enjoying them.
Joel, I like to think that they WERE cheering for you. I mean it’s not every day you see a guy with a bum knee completing a half marathon. Congrats on completing the race, bum knee and all.
I think they were too. I’ll just conveniently “forget” about the Kenyan to my right 🙂
Congrats on the finish and for beating that Kenyan! I’m going to check out your posts on the Vibrams, since I’m very intrigued and I’ve never tried them out. I’m thinking of trying out the whole minimalist running thing after my marathon next weekend, when I can run and relax at the same time.
Now you know that the only logical next step is a full marathon. If you can run a half, you can run a full! Ride the momentum…
They take a while to get used to, but I really enjoy them and I know a lot of people who swear by them.
Marathon is the next step….thinking next year sometime…stay tuned 🙂
Great stuff, man!
Thanks Nate! Can’t wait to talk soon!
Congratulations Joel! I assume that now you’ll move into the full marathon ;). Let me know! I’d be happy to join you in a race that is the joy/pain that is 26.2.
Chuck
That’s one of the next things on the list!
Where are you located? Maybe we can get a race together?
Your runner’s “cape” makes you look like a baked potato. 🙂
Nice job on beating the Kenyan!
Quick question to you and all the other Veeeebram wearers out there (that’s how the company pronounces it. I still stick to my upstate NY accent and call them “Vibe-rums”): How do you keep them from becoming too stinkified? I wash mine bi-weekly, and have gone weekly also, but it seems like only after a day or 2 of wearing them they reek like a hot pile of garbage once again…
Maybe that’s TMI, but I gotta find the answer to this one! 🙂
– JC
Joel,
Congrats on the 1/2 marathon. I recently ran my first race as well (much like you, athlete growing up, but no runs of longer than 2 or 3 miles EVER)and I had some feet pain I had to finish the run through (it was only a ten miler, but 6 miles in, just ow).
Here’s to you moving up to a full marathon (and, who knows, maybe an ultra marathon or two).
Congrats!!
Congrats on starting running. They’re sort of addicting…in a painful way :).
Thanks for stopping by Anthony!
Hey well done completing your first half marathon, nice work.
Get a physio to check out your knee, it may be something simple like a muscle imbalance or tightness that can be remedied in the gym.
Will do. I’ve been stretching my IT band constantly since Saturday, but I probably will go in and have someone take a look at it just to be sure.
This is by far one of my favorite posts of the week. Thanks for sharing Joel!
No problem Danni 🙂 Thank you! Glad you liked it!
Weirdest thing ever… But I just remembered something…. I was in the orthopedic office for a follow up on my foot about a month ago and I picked up Runner’s World. I flipped to an article about different stretches/training tips that you can use to help with common injuries/avoiding them. I wrote a few down for knees and shin splints.
Also, if you’ve never heard/read things about/by a kid named Hunter Lussi – you should. [There was also an article in the same magazine featuring him]
I’ll check him out. Thanks!
Hey congrats on finishing, man. And you did it in the Gorilla shoes! Bitchin’. What distance do you think you’ll stick with now? Are you going to drop down and try to improve your time in a shorter distance? Or are you still shooting for longer distances?
I’ve got my first 5K since Spring coming up on Thanksgiving Day, a 10K in December and then (maybe) a distance relay in January. Totally jealous about the 13.1. Can’t wait to do one myself!
I’m looking to do some shorter races in the early spring and possibly do a marathon next year. I’m hoping to do a half-ironman sometime August of next year as well 🙂
Let me know if you want to do a half down this way. The Indy Mini in May is supposedly HUGE.
Congratulations Joel.
I ran 4 miles today. 13 seems so far away. You have really accomplished something. Another strike out on the impossible list.
4 miles down. 9 more to go. 1/3 the way there!
I felt so bitter as I watched Leonard whiz right by me to finish his marathon. I couldn’t believe how fast his legs were moving after running twice as far as me!
The cold was awful. I cramped the whole way and finished slower than the time I ran/walked (how is that really possible?). I did meet my goal of running the whole way, no walking.
When I started to train for this one in May, I literally couldn’t run more than the length of a song. I’d run one song, walk two. It’s true that your base is wherever you set it. My base has moved from going on a five-minute easy run to a five mile easy run.
Way to go, and nice cape!
P.S. Did you have the Panera cinnamon bagel at the end? That was worth it all.
Leonard was MOVING. Congrats on finishing Courtney! I was looking for you and Adam, but had no clue where to begin – there were so many people. It’s awesome to hear about your progression from May till now. Gonna do the mini in May this year?
p.s. about the cinnamon bagels, I think I had 3 :).
Joel,
I’m in Seattle. I recommend the Portland marathon though as a starter. Great scenery, very well run, and fairly flat course.
Chuck
Hm…Maybe I’ll see if I can talk Sean & Tyler into running it with me if I come out 🙂
Great report for the half! Here’s mine in photos for the full: http://runningscientist.blogspot.com/2010/11/262-photos-of-cold-monumental-marathon.html
Cheers!
Thanks SR. I’ll check ’em out. Congrats on the race!
hi joel! congrats!! 🙂 in one year i intend to be on my way to being thin and fit again, do one event (perhaps walk a half marathon) AND take one trip i’ve been wanting to take (costa rica, grand canyon?). take care and thanks for all the inspiration! have a fabulous december!
marina
Costa Rica is gorgeous. You won’t regret it.
Hi Joel, I recently discovered your site – it’s great! Lots of good stuff here. Funnily enough we have a lot of the same goals, and our half marathon times are almost identical (2:14). I have a target to run a full marathon before my birthday (June 9th) *in under four hours*. It’s a pretty tough challenge (almost impossible!) – are you up for it? 🙂
I might be doing that myself! I don’t have the date down yet, but I’m going to try to do it before June :). You’re on!
Awesome! And to start my intense training regime I’m having 3 weeks off in the Philippines where I will be stuffing my face with ice cold San Miguel beers, coconut ice cream, and pastries from the local bakery. Oh dear, what have I gotten myself into! 🙂
If you can pull that off, I think you’ll have a new niche training regimen!