I signed up for the Staten Island Half Marathon so that I could run one before my first full marathon. I’m using the New York Road Runners 16 week marathon training plan, which I’ve followed as best as I could. There were just days that wouldn’t want to do long runs all by myself, so for next time, I’ll look for a running group.
I’ve already done 13-mile runs during training, so I knew that I could finish this distance, but there were sections of the race that were slightly hilly and made me question why I ever made running a marathon part of my bucket list. I’m a pretty slow runner because a part of me is babying my knees, and another part is just enjoying my surroundings.
It was a chilly but beautiful morning for running, and I enjoyed that the last stretch to the finish line was on the grass field. That’s when I felt how much nicer it is to run on grass, and how I wished I was playing soccer instead. My husband Paolo signed up and ran the race with me, which was great because we get matching medals! One thing I don’t like about long runs is that you have to use a porta potty midway, which can be such a pain if you’re short like me. For the marathon, I’ll bring my P-style and its case along- it’s this plastic funnel like device that lets women pee standing up. I discovered how helpful it really was while recovering from my second ACL surgery wearing a leg immobiliser. It’s perfect for traveling and those tiny airplane bathrooms!
Now I’ll forever remember what I did on my birthday in 2014. Afterwards, we headed to my favorite Vietnamese restaurant, Nha Trang on Baxter St for our post-race meal. I love how our order arrived quickly, I was really hungry, and hot soup and noodles really hit the spot.
After running a half marathon, I feel like it’s a distance that I’d want to do again, but it also makes me feel more daunted for the NYC Marathon on November 2. I just really want to enjoy the view and the marathon experience so I’m just hoping that I can finish strong.
-B