my first half-marathon!

On Sunday, July 26, 2009 I ran my first half-marathon! I finished in 3 hours, 7 minutes, 35 seconds to be exact. It was an awesome race! My goal was to just finish and earn my first PR! It felt euphoric, exhilerating and incredibly extraordinary! ;-)

My greatest concern before going into the race was my right knee. I had problems with it after the last two long-distance running practices. I tried out a knee brace but it felt too bulky and it didn't help ease the lingering pain. Our coach advised us against trying anything new like clothing, shoes, gear, etc... To my surprise, I found something at the Marathon Expo the Friday before race day. I discovered KT Tape (Kinesiology Therapeutic Tape) which is made for athletes to reduce muscle pain, increase mobility and enhance recovery. I decided to try it. Taking a chance is alright. My goal was to just finish a race and earn a PR.

KT Tape was made popular and worn by Kerri Walsh, the U.S. Volleyball player at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. The product was used only among the athletic community but has now branched out to the sports medicine market and pediatrics. Though the tape does not contain any medication whatsoever, it is a very effective elastic tape that is manipulated to support areas like the knee, shoulders, back, shins, etc..
I placed one tape strip underneath my knee and two more strips parallel on the upper and lower parts of my right kneecap. This way, it supported the knee socket, and gave me stability while running. I wore it 24 hours before the race and practiced my running movements and it felt really comfortable and supportive.

I also did my Chi Running exercises during the 'tapering' week prior to the race in order to internalize the proper and natural form of running which could prevent injury and make running more relaxed and less labored. I'm happy that both 'remedies' helped my knee and my running especially during the race. I felt I was more in tune with my body more than anytime in my iife. And, during the race, i felt relaxed and really enjoyed the race.

During the race, at Mile 10 after coming off the Golden Gate Bridge, I was not strong enough to tackle all the uphills toward the Richmond District. So, I walked some of the distance before I resumed running. All the Hill Repeats during the training season prepared me well but I just wanted to save my energy for the last 2 miles of the running course. At Mile 12, I really picked up my speed despite my legs feeling like cement because it became mind over matter. I mustered all the energy I had left and sprinted across to the finish line. I heard my name being called and realized that the DJ at the commentary booth had a moniter that showed runners coming in and our names on our bib as we approach the last .3 distance to the finish line. That was very very exciting! It was a great culmination to a fabulous 26-weeks training program sponsored by the San Francisco Marathon. I owe my finish to the entire training program including my pacer Melanie, Coach Greg, track workout coach Sophia, and my runner friends who have all been simply beautiful and the best!

My favorite quote on running:

'Racing teaches us to challenge ourselves. It teaches us to push beyond where we thought we could go. It helps us to find out what we are made of. '
~ Patti Sue Plumer, two-time Olympic 3,000-meter runner

I think the journey to the half-marathon and the finish made me realize what I am physically and personally made of. I can't wait to continue further along this journey. The joy of running and racing is intoxicating!! Going to keep running for life. Thanks for reading!