Brooklyn Half Race Recovery + Reflections

Ok guys, maybe I’ll stop writing about this damn half…tomorrow? Until then, I have just a little bit more to say.

It’s been a year and a half since I last really put all my eggs into one basket and focused on training hard for one race. Last year, I’d started a job I really enjoyed and decided to put 150% of myself into it. Now that I’ve been there for a bit, I’m cool with only putting in 110% of myself. I’d also really burnt myself out in 2013 and was happy to embrace the trying-all-the-classes lifestyle. But while part of last year I spent seeing people post about their races and thinking “cool, good for you, I have no desire to train hard for that right now,” at some point this year, that shifted.

Enough logging 2:0x halfs when my PR was 1:50. In fact, it had been long enough that my PR was 1:50! I want to BQ by 35, so I need to get cracking on chipping away at my marathon time and starting with racing a half would be a good way to assess where my speed was before the fall. 

So, a few general reflections, partially for my own memory, partially…if you care?

1. I’d give my training a B-. My tempos and easy runs were spot on, and most of my interval runs ended up being at places like OrangeTheory or The Run just because of social commitments. I was good with my long run mileage until the last two weekends: I was taking a class at NYU and after a long week, I quite honestly didn’t have it in me to get up and bust out 12 miles before sitting in class all day. I think I maxed out at 10 miles. My training didn’t really point to a definite PR, but I was hoping that the muscle memories of the tempos + having done this a whole bunch of times + being stubborn would take me the rest of the way, and I was lucky that they did.

2. Upon further reflection, the water stations really bothered me. Jess and I have already talked about potentially carrying a handheld for at least the first half of my fall marathons to avoid water station congestion.

3. I really should have done more/some hill training. I used to be way better at hills; these killed me.

4. But I’m most proud of my mental strength and pulling this off without running with a faster running buddy. I did this all on my own, and I relied on this funny little mind of mine to get me there.

So, about that recovery…

I hurt like hell on Sunday. I spent Saturday night recovering with wine with Lacey and much of Sunday walking around Soho with Emily. (Pretty sure every single store has stairs, thanks.) I’d been thinking about doing some kind of recovery swim or yoga but just didn’t have it in me.

After whine-tweeting (thank you for not unfollowing) about my soreness, Victoria suggested I swim it out. I have found swimming to help everything from a hangover to soreness, so I decided to go for it. (Also my NYHRC membership is over at the end of this week.) Once again, Victoria was right and I felt way better.

And this morning, I went back to Y7 again! I’m really not a fan of the parts of class where you flow on your own because I can never remember the flows, but I love the music and ambiance enough for it to be worth it. 

I’ve also been foam rolling and Arnica-ing every day, and I feel 90 percent recovered today. Jess doesn’t want me running till this weekend, but we’ll see. Either way, I am counting down the seconds till I am out on Shelter Island relaxing for the long weekend. I love my city, but I also love getting out of it, and it’s been a while.