With the Baltimore Running Festival coming up this weekend, I couldn’t help but reminisce a bit about the first time I ran this race in 2007. It was not only my first half-marathon, but it was my first race ever. I’m sure a pretty basic lesson for most runners is to first do a shorter race like a 5k before attempting a half-marathon. Apparently I never got that memo and I remember having the urge to complete a half for a year or two before I actually signed up.
I had been running regularly for several years, and before I even began “training” I was completing 6-7 miles occasionally. This was usually on a treadmill. I have no idea how I used to run on treadmills so much. I would run to the gym to run on the treadmill. I shake my head now but at the time it worked.
After I signed up for the half I had no idea what I was doing or what I had gotten myself into. I didn’t plan to run with anyone, although I knew a few other people who would be there that day running the relay. I was on my own for everything from training to race day logistics. Here are a few takeaways looking back on it all now:
-I had no idea how to “train”, so I just started to run a little more. I continued taking group fitness classes including Body Step and Body Pump, ran a few easy runs each week along with one “longer” run. I think I got up to 9 miles, but these were the days before GPS watches so I went off time, and I probably ran for 90 minutes. My nutrition was a joke (I was still eating like I did when I graduated college) and I had never heard of taking fuel while running.
-I remember making my way to the expo the week before the event. One thing that sticks out in my mind was that I was wearing heels. Umm who was this person? I only wear heels to weddings now and they usually only stay on my feet during the ceremony. Ok so here I am walking around M&T bank stadium in heels by myself and I have no idea what a race bib is or what free stuff I should take or if I should buy anything else.
-I ate eggs and cereal as my pre-race meal. Not because I thought that would help me run well- those were just the foods I ate for breakfast at the time. Like I said, no fuel during the run.
-I wore my race shirt on race day. I want to give 2007 Lisa a lecture about not wearing anything new on race day but luckily it worked out ok.
-I decided at the last minute to use the bathroom before the race started. The gun went off as I was standing in line. I freaked out a little but heard people around me talking about how it doesn’t matter because it takes so long to start anyway.
-I will never forget the feeling I had crossing the starting line. I got chills from everyone cheering and knowing I was running a half-marathon. I had no doubts that I would complete it, only about how long it could take me.
-I had been running on hills, so the course didn’t feel that difficult to me at the time. I didn’t run with music and barely even noticed because of all the crowd support.
-I remember how excited I felt when I saw the sign for mile 10. I knew that it was the farthest I had ever ran and that I was so close to finishing.
-As I crossed the finish line I knew that I would be running more half-marathons and maybe other races. This was only the beginning. I finished in 1:53:09, and the goal I had set for myself was 2 hours. I was shocked that I was able to complete it in that time. Again, no GPS watch so I was just running off of feel.
-I bought a sweatshirt after the race because of how excited I was that I completed the race. I still wear it all the time. It was one of the best investments I ever made. 
-There is a long story about how I spent the rest of the day, which involved getting stranded with a broken-down car in Virginia and missing my birthday dinner with Rob’s parents, but that’s a story for another day:)
What do you remember about your first race?
Any tips for first time half-marathoner’s (like my friend Katie)?
So many typical new runner moves there, my favorite is wearing the race shirt 🙂 I never get why people do that 🙂 my first race was a 5k and I was panicking at the start because there was a high school coach telling his team “we’re shooting for sub 20!” I wound up running 25ish.
I sort of think that back then I thought you were supposed to wear the race shirt! I really should have done some more research about running:) Lots of things I wish I knew, but I guess its all a learning process.
What fun memories! So many runners still wear their race shirt to run the race in. What’s up with that? My first half was that very same year. It was small with no expo or medals and only the first 200 to register even got a race shirt. So basically I’ve got absolutely nothing to remember it by! I’ve since run that race at least 4 more times and it’s still the hardest half course I’ve ever done out of the 40+ halfs I’ve done. Crazy!
That’s so sad that you don’t have anything to remember your first race by! At least you have the memories and have been able to go back and relive it a few more times!
Very cool! It’s awesome to see how things have evolved since then. My first race (aside from XC in high school) was my first half marathon!
I am glad I am not the only one who jumped into the half marathon distance. I guess looking back it wasn’t a whole lot different than a shorter race, except that it was a big event so a little intimidating in that way!
I ran a few races before my first half. In fact, I ran a 10k a few weeks before the Hershey Half and the entire time I questioned how I was going to go about running double the distance as my next race lol. It’s funny – my first half came in at 1:53 (I forget the seconds).
I think that my first race time stands out even more because I managed to tie the same time again a few years later! Its funny how we can get those thoughts in our heads about how much more or less certain distances are and can in a way intimate ourselves. But I think I just remind myself that its all about the pacing- sometimes I think 5ks are really scary because of how fast I want to run (even if its only for 3 miles!)
It is crazy to think about a time with no GPS strapped to a wrist. When you HAD to listen to your body! I need to do this more!!
YES, me too! I am working on trying to rely on my watch less, but its so difficult now that I am basically addicted to it!
I love this! My first race was a 5K and I was so nervous haha. It’s so funny to think about now.
Haha–lessons learned!
My first road race was a 10k. I was in 6th grade. It was a fundraiser for my teacher who had inoperable brain cancer. I insisted on running with no training, other than being an energetic kid. I insisted on running in sweatpants, and a zip up hoodie, and pinned my number over the zipper because it was chilly at the start, I didn’t want to take my sweats off (I had shorts and a t-shirt underneath). 3 miles into the race, I stopped, UNPINNED the race number, took off the sweats & sweatshirt, pinned the number back on the t-shirt, and CARRIED my clothes to the finish. I finished in 49:10! If I could only channel some of that youthful energy now!!!
Wow what an impressive story! I hope you tell that to anyone who questions if they could run a 10k! Its pretty amazing the things that kids can do without the doubt that we sometimes instill in ourselves as we get older.
How funny you were in line for the potty when the gun went off! I would have freaked out! I did my first half marathon by myself many years ago. I followed a training plan but didn’t do any hills as I didn’t think there were any in the course. I was wrong! the whole race was small rolling hills with a few pretty steep ones. Regardless I met my goal and finished under 2 hours 🙂 I’m running the Nike Women’s on Sunday and have not goal of completion but just want to have fun!
I don’t think I knew that I should train on hills for hill races until several years after I started racing!
I really like running races for fun- there is so much less pressure! But I have a hard time really taking it easy. If I feel good, I like to run fast:)
AWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW I love first race memories. I need to write a little synopsis of my first ones, esp my first half.
My big tip is to believe that you can, live in the moment, body glide (DUH), and just enjoy it!
I would love to hear about your first races! Those are all great tips- so basic but important!
I love that you jumped straight into a half! I remember being so nervous as I walked to meet my friend and hop on the metro to the start of my first half. Then, like you said, the chills as you cross the start. I got hooked immediately. = )
I still get so nervous before every single race! I don’t think I will ever stop getting those butterflies before I race.
I love this post!!! I remember being strangely calm about my first half marathon. I guess it’s because I had no idea what to expect or that I should be nervous! It was the same way for the marathon, I was oddly calm because I didn’t know what those last 6.2 miles would really be like! haha
I ate a huge pasta dinner the night before my first half marathon (this was before I found out I was celiac). Well, since I AM celiac you can only imagine what kind of disastrous decision that turned out to be… in the middle of the race I ran into a Subway to use their bathroom! Oy! No more pasta for me!
I wish I could be calm about races- I always get soo nervous!
Wow that is terrible about your food experience! I am glad you figured it all out and can eat things that make you feel good!
OMG, so my first half marathon was in 2007 and I don’t think I fueled during the race either! Seriously, I don’t remember it being a big deal back then?
Maybe it wasn’t a big thing then? I don’t remember learning about it until 2011. Which is so weird because I feel like I have been using Gu forever!
Great job on your first half marathon. What a great time. I somewhat remember my. First one as well, and it too was in 2007. I think my longest one was only seven and I wore cotton everything- bra, shirt, pants, socks. I mean c’mon? I didn’t know any better. And neither did I fuel with anything. It’s funny looking back and thinking the stuff you did back in the day and thinking it was just the way or considered normal(well to you anyways…haha).
There is definitely so much to learn about running and racing! I guess most people do their first races and there are probably a lot of things they don’t know about.
This is a great story!!! I am like you–my first race ever was a (full) marathon!!!! What silly girls we were!!
Wow I couldn’t imagine doing a full as my first! I was so intimated by full marathons for a while- pretty much right up until I ran my first one!