It's Supposed to Be Fun, Right?

Running a marathon should not be 26.2 miles of agony. But will it?

One of the most frustrating experiences I encountered on a run was hitting the wall at mile 12 during my first half marathon. I didn't just hit the wall, I crashed into it. And the wall did not flinch.

I could feel the crash coming. My thighs were on fire. My hips ached with each step. My legs begged me to walk. Just keep running, I begged my body.

At first I slowed to a walk and took a few steps before catching myself. Keep running, I ordered!  I made it another tenth of a mile before...

I was devastated. The thoughts that poured through my head are not worth repeating.

I watched in vain as the 10:15 pacers, with whom I had started the race, disappeared around the bend. I kept shaking my head. Frustrated is putting it kindly.

I walked for a half mile before mustering the energy to run the last half mile. I ignored my watch. I tried to enjoy the moment as I crossed the finish line.

Despite the crash, I still had a PR for my half-marathon time, finishing in 2:11:45. Not bad knowing that when I registered for the event I thought 2:30:00 would be okay.

When I returned to the hotel, I looked at my splits and quickly realized why I bonked. For miles 1-11, I averaged about a 9:40 pace ... nearly 30 seconds faster per mile than I had ever run 10+ consecutive miles. It all caught up to me at mile 12.

Door County Half Marathon Route and Splits

Lessons learned:

1. Pace is everything. At the start I was so excited and filled with adrenaline that I felt like I was walking as I trotted next to the 10:15 pacers. My patience wore thin and I soon ran ahead of them. Bad idea.
2. Conquering a hill is not cause to speed up. One of the biggest challenges of Door County was a hill at the 4.5 mile mark. I was pretty rigorous in preparing for this hill. The training paid off. I flew up the hill. Beset with renewed confidence, I kept my fast pace. Bad idea.
3. Ignore the watch. For the last few miles, I incessantly checked my watch, hoping that I would will myself to the finish line. Bad idea. I grew frustrated and lost focus when my pace decreased and the tenths of miles ticked by at a snail's pace.
4. Fuel is important. During my training runs, I try to avoid using gels. For my long runs of 10+ miles, I typically take one at the halfway point. For the half, I did this, but I should have taken another at mile 10 because I burned more energy on this race than any of my previous long runs.

Door County Half Marathon Elevation Profile