The 2015 Miami Half Marathon

If you follow me on Instagram, you already know that I did it! I ran the entire 13.1 miles of the Miami Half Marathon! And believe it or not, my Achilles tendon, my knees, my calves, etc. were all fine making it a relatively pain-free race. I was 110% sure running the whole thing was out of the question, so no one was more shocked than I was.

But I’m getting ahead of myself. Let’s start with the day before the race.

RACE EXPO

Vishnu and I made our way to Miami Beach around 9:45 am on Saturday morning. The wedding we attended this weekend started at 2:00 pm so unfortunately I didn’t get a chance to explore the race expo much. I ran in, got my bib and t-shirt, and ran out.

MEALS

Breakfast – Protein shake (banana, chia seeds, instant coffee, cocoa powder, protein powder, spinach)
Lunch – Breakfast plate (eggs, potatoes, and toast) at OTC
Dinner – Hodgepodge of stuff from the Whole Foods hot bar (pasta, lasagna, lentil salad, chickpea cake, etc.) + a vegan blueberry muffin
LOTS AND LOTS OF WATER!

RACE DAY GEAR

After we got home from dinner, I laid out all of my race day gear. I knew if I didn’t do this the night before my morning would be hectic and stressful.

earphones
knee brace
bib
fanny pack
running shorts, sports bra, and long sleeve t-shirt

RACE DAY!

The race was scheduled to start at 6:05 am, so Vishnu and I planned to leave our place at 5:00 am. This means I woke up at 4:15 am. I got dressed and made myself a pre-race snack (bread + peanut butter + banana).

We originally planned to take the free Metromover over to the American Airlines Arena (where the Heat play), but when we stepped outside, Vishnu suggested we walk so I could warm up a little bit. This was an ironic statement because it was a chilly 53 degrees outside.

After making our way through the crowd, we found my corral…corral H (the second to last one!). After snapping a few pictures and exchanging a huge hug, Vishnu and I parted ways.

I waited with the other corral H runners as the 13th annual Miami Marathon and Half Marathon got underway. We learned that there were approximately 45,000 runners from over 80 countries (Colombia, Canada, Australia, Peru, Cuba, Ecuador, Chile, India, the UK…just to name a few!) running either the half or the full marathon. After the national anthem was sung (I definitely teared up!), the race officially started. Corral A was first, followed by B, and so forth and so on. There was a two minute wait between corrals, so I didn’t cross the start line until 6:53 am.

Here’s a little breakdown of the race (as much as I can remember anyway!):

Mile 1: I was freezing at this point (53 degrees + a strong breeze), and I quickly realized I had to pee. Even still, mile 1 went by rather quickly

RESTROOM BREAK: I hate porta potties. They are just gross. But you gotta do what you gotta do!

Miles 2-5: I don’t remember much, except that after mile 4, I remember thinking, “a little less than a third of the way done!”

Mile 6: I grabbed a glass of water at the water station and took a small sip because my mouth felt dry. However, I didn’t want to drink too much and risk having to use the porta potty again.

Mile 8: At this point, I felt like I was in the homestretch even though I had 5.1 miles left to go. The Venetian Causeway was the last long bit before we headed back into downtown.

Mile 11: I was so excited because there were so many people cheering us on at this point. And this was the real homestretch! I think I ate some fresh pineapple at one of the water/food stations!

Mile 13.1: I definitely yelled “woot woot” as I crossed the finish line at 9:30 am! Such an incredible feeling of accomplishment and relief…haha!

If you do the math, you’ll figure out that I ran the half in 2:36 (including the potty break). While this is probably super slow for many people, I was excited to learn that I finished the race in almost 2.5 hours, especially considering that I hardly ran after my 11 mile run two weeks prior. Also, as I mentioned, I didn’t feel any significant pain during the 13.1 miles. It was so strange! I mean, I had slight heel and knee pain, but nothing that stopped me in my tracks/forced me to walk. I told my mom that it was nothing short of a miracle!

THE COURSE:

The course was awesome! I highly recommend this race to anyone looking for a beautiful and relatively flat race. We started in front of the American Airlines Arena, made our way on to the A1A (one of the bridges that connects Miami to South Beach), ran up Ocean Drive and Washington Ave, crossed the Venetian Causeway back into downtown, and finished in front of Bayfront Park.

I’m so glad I ran this particular race and explored Miami in this way!

POST-RACE ACTIVITY

Per my request, Vishnu and I walked home instead of riding the train. The last mile of the full marathon went right by our condo building so we got to cheer on some of the runners!

Once home, I stretched and took a shower (to warm up!). It. Felt. So. Good! I then made myself a protein shake and promptly fell asleep for three hours. I woke up a bit hungry but not starving, so I ate some strawberries (pretty much an entire carton) while watching TV. Before I knew it, it was time to leave for dinner!

Vishnu and I, along with our friends Anand, Nazia, and Aman, had dinner at Kush in the Wynwood area of Miami.

My black bean burger, fries, and beer satisfied my appetite and cravings, as evident by this picture…

This meal was the perfect way to celebrate – good food + good friends!

THANK YOU!

And last but certainly not least, THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU for all the support…not only on race day but all throughout my training! I had so much fun documenting my journey and sharing it with all of you. Your kind words (via Instagram, Facebook, email, and text) made the experience that much more awesome! THANK YOU!!!

I plan on sharing more about my post-half fitness plans in an upcoming post. But for now, rest, slow walks, and yoga are on the agenda!

Have a great Tuesday!

And in case you’re interested, here are links to my weekly recaps:

Week 1 Half Marathon Training
Week 2 Half Marathon Training
Week 3 Half Marathon Training
Week 4 Half Marathon Training
Week 5 Half Marathon Training
Week 6 Half Marathon Training
Week 7 Half Marathon Training
Week 8 Half Marathon Training
Week 9 & 10 Half Marathon Training
Week 11 Half Marathon Training
Week 12 & 13 Half Marathon Training