half marathon Archives - My Inner Shakti

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

Half Marathon Training – Week 12 + 13

written by Parita 2 Comments

When planning my week 12 workouts, I had every intention of following the original script. I even penciled everything into my planner.

Well, as we all know, sometimes it’s not about our plans…

Before I explain, here’s what week 12 looked like:

Monday – Arm Burner + 20 minute power walk on the dreadmill
Tuesday – Rest
Wednesday – 3.25 mile run + 1.25 mile walk
Thursday – Rest
Friday – T25 (Speed 1.0)
Saturday – Rest
Sunday – 6.5 mile run

So what happened was…

After a much needed rest day on Tuesday, I felt fresh and ready to knock out 4.5 miles on Wednesday. However, about 3.25 miles in, I started to feel pain in what I now know is my Achilles tendon. Almost like a shooting pain that started right above my heel and shot up my left leg. So I stopped and walked the rest of the way home.

When I told Vishnu and my sister about this pain, they told me I needed to rest and not irritate it anymore. So that’s why the next three days were dedicated to not doing much. Speed 1.0 incorporates stretching into the workout so I thought it would be good for my muscles. Plus, I needed to move my body in a different kind of way. Thankfully, I didn’t feel any pain.

That brings me to Sunday. I started my run at 6 pm and felt strong for the first few miles. I even smiled to myself at one point because I wasn’t feeling any pain. Then right around mile 6 I started to feel a dull ache in my left heel, and slowly but surely the pain started making its way up my leg. I wanted to persevere and keep running, but after staying with it for an additional half mile, I knew I had to stop, especially with the half coming up so soon.

And because I want to write my race recap next week, I’m also sharing what this week’s workouts have looked like/will look like:

Monday: Gaiam TV yoga with Vishnu!
Tuesday: Lots of low impact walking
Wednesday: Lots of low impact walking
Thursday: Lots of low impact walking
Friday: Rest
Saturday: Rest
Sunday: HALF MARATHON!!!

All of my short runs have been replaced with walking. I don’t want to risk injury this close to race day.

In fact, when I talked to Roshni, who’s a podiatrist, she told me to rest as much as I can, apply a warm compress as needed, and take anti-inflammatory drugs to help with the pain and any potential swelling. She also said I should wear sneakers to work. I responded to that last suggestion with a “maaaaaybeeeee!”

Fingers and toes are now crossed for a pain-free/injury-free run on Sunday. My goal is still to run the whole thing, BUT if I start to feel the slightest bit of pain, I’m going to resort to running + walking.

AHHH…wish me luck!!!

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

Half Marathon Training – Weeks 9 and 10

written by Parita 8 Comments

I didn’t get around to posting a half marathon update last week. I blame Aekta. Just kidding! I had it on the to do list but figured no one was thinking about my training on New Year’s Eve.

Before I share my workouts from weeks 9 and 10, I have to admit something. Even after double and triple checking my ability to count backwards, I messed up. According to my current training schedule, my half marathon is on January 18^th. But it’s not. It’s on January 25^th. I missed a week! Oops.

In a way, it actually worked out for the best. As you will read in a few seconds, training has only be so-so over the last couple of weeks. That extra week will be very useful.

With that, here are my workouts from week 9:

Monday: Gaiam TV yoga + 2 mile walk
Tuesday: 5 mile run
Wednesday: Rest
Thursday: 2 mile walk
Friday: 4.5 mile run
Saturday: Full-body tabata workout + 25 minute interval workout on the elliptical
Sunday: 5.5 mile run

As you can see, I didn’t run the 9.3 miles (15-K) I was supposed to on Sunday. In my defense, my sister and Adarsh flew in the night before. We went to bed late. We woke up late. My sister and I started our run WAY too late. It was hot. Blah! I know…excuses, excuses!

Anyways, here are my workouts from week 10:

Monday: Rest
Tuesday: Core/Cardio/Strength circuit + 25 minute power walk on the dreadmill
Wednesday: 4.5 mile run
Thursday: Rest
Friday: 5 mile run
Saturday: Gaiam TV yoga (with Vishnu!!) + 7 mile bike ride
Sunday: Rest

I bailed on my long run this week as well. Again, in my defense, I got pretty sick on Saturday night/Sunday. I was super congested and felt absolutely icky. There was no way I was going to make it through a one mile run…never mind 11.

Luckily, I still have two weekends to redeem myself. My slightly altered plan now involves an 11 mile run this coming weekend and a 12 mile one the weekend before the half.

While I’m looking forward to the half itself, I’m at the point where I just want the training part to be over…

Oh man. Wish me luck on my 11 miler. Haha.

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

Half Way Through Half Marathon Training (Week 6)

written by Parita 5 Comments

Week 6 is done and done! I can’t believe it…half way through with half marathon training. It’s going to be January 25th before I know it. Eek!

I think I can say with a fair amount of certainty that training is back to normal, meaning I don’t foresee anything that will derail it. Fingers crossed!

With that, here’s what week six looked like:

Monday – Gaiam TV yoga + 2 mile power walk
Tuesday – Rest
Wednesday – 40 minute treadmill run
Thursday – Full body strength training
Friday – 4 mile run
Saturday – Rest
Sunday – 8 mile run

Lots of variety this week. All in all I think I did ok, especially considering the fact that I was at a pretty busy training for three of those days!

Sunday’s long run went well. I ran it at a 10:41 average pace, which is a lot slower than I’d like to be at this point. But honestly, I’ll take it because even though I’m slow, I’m injury free (knock on wood!) and running the entire time.

So with this being the half way point, I thought I’d share some of my training highlights and lowlights.

Highlights
– Being able to complete the majority of my runs OUTSIDE!
– Learning to be flexible because as we all know life’s plans ultimately trump our own
– 100% running all my runs with no walking breaks
– Maintaining balance by incorporating yoga and strength training into my plan
– No worrying knee pain (will talk about a brace Vishnu bought for me in another post)

Lowlights
– Not running as much as I would like to during the week – would like to fit in one more weekday run
– Not strength training as much as I would like to – would like to fit in one more day of ST
– Running on the treadmill has to be the absolute worse thing ever – have only had to do it twice so far…thank goodness

Like I said, it’s going good so far! And I’m hoping it only gets better from here.

Do you enjoy running on the treadmill? Any tips to make it bearable?

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

Half Marathon Training Week 5 + Personal Running Questions

written by Parita 5 Comments

I FINALLY feel like I’ve found my groove with training. And surprisingly it has less to do with my runs and more to do with my attitude. After feeling like every week was subpar, I’ve given up on my quest for running perfection and am embracing each training day with a “I’m going to do the best I can” attitude. So far so good.

With that, here’s what week 5 looked like:

Monday – 4.5 mile run
Tuesday – 3.25 mile run
Wednesday – Full body strength training
Thursday – Lots of dancing
Friday – Lots of dancing
Saturday – Rest
Sunday – 7 mile run

I’m counting all the dancing I did on Thursday and Friday as workouts because my legs told me to! Also, Sunday’s 7 mile run was super slow and just what I needed. Slow and steady wins the race…or so they say!

Personal Running Questions

I found these running questions while doing some blog research the other day and thought it would be fun to share my answers. Enjoy!

Best run ever: I’ve been running for a long time now so it’s hard to pick my best run ever. But if I had to choose, I would say the 6 miler I ran a couple of weeks ago is definitely up there. I went into that run absolutely dreading it and feeling completely off kilter. But I pushed through and ran faster and stronger than ever. Good times!

Three words that describe my running: Satisfying. Steady. Personal.

My go-to running outfit is: Shorts/capris and a tank top. And a headband. Can’t run without my headband!

Quirky habit while running: Running is my me time, so every now and then I talk to myself…out loud.

Morning, midday, evening: Morning, especially during this time of year in Miami. It’s magical!

I won’t run outside when it’s: Humid. Trust me, it sucks!

Worst injury and how I got over it: I experienced severe knee pain while training for my first half, but my stubborn self never actually went to the doctor to get it checked out. Instead, I bought new running and kept running. Bad decision! I eventually made my way to an orthopedic doc and got an MRI on my knee. The prognosis wasn’t as bad as I thought it was going to be. I have some wear and tear but nothing that warrants surgery. The doctor told me to strengthen the muscles in my legs and balance out my running with low impact exercises. That was about two years ago, and I haven’t experienced that kind of pain in a while so I’m doing ok!

I felt most like a badass runner when: I finished my first half marathon. I was exhausted but oh so proud!

Next race is: Miami Half Marathon on January 25th.

Potential running goal for 2015: Another half-marathon!

Your turn: Do you consider yourself a runner? What’s a quirky running/exercise habit of yours?

Half Marathon Training (Week 4) and Gaiam TV

written by Parita 6 Comments

I know I sound like a broken record, but once again, I didn’t exactly keep up with my training schedule this week. Honestly, by the time Friday rolled around, my legs felt super heavy and tired and my cramps were in full gear. No fun at all. I decided to take it easy, enjoy time with the fam, and push my 7 mile run back to the week 5.

Also, to allow for some flexibility on when I complete my long run, I’m changing my training week so that it starts on Monday and ends on Sunday. When it was the other way around, I felt like I only had Friday or Saturday to complete my weekly long runs. Technically, it doesn’t matter, but this small change makes me feel better so that’s that!

Here’s what week 4 looked like:

[Sunday – Gaiam TV beginners tone and strength yoga]
Monday – 3.25 mile run
Tuesday – Rest
Wednesday – Gaiam TV energy release yoga
Thursday – 3.25 mile run
Friday – rest
Saturday – rest
Sunday – rest

Other than that, training is…going! At this point, I’m excited about the longer run and really looking forward to them. We’ll see how long that lasts!

Gaiam TV

A couple of weeks ago, I was selected to participate in a Fitfluential campaign for Gaiam TV. This couldn’t have come at a better time because the one thing I really need to add to my workout routine is more yoga/stretching.

After logging in and setting up my profile, I started browsing the different yoga workouts. I love how everything is organized by level. You can even search for specific workouts based on time, instructor, etc. Each video also gets a star rating, and users can also leave comments.

After clicking around some more, I realized that this was more than a yoga site. There are SO many different kinds of workouts available on Gaiam – kickboxing, Zumba, tai chi, strength training, etc. It’s honestly the at-home workout person’s dream! And the best part is that these workouts really are great…at least the ones I’ve tried so far are!

And then to take it a step further, Gaiam also offers original programming, documentaries, articles, etc. I’ve already bookmarked five different documentaries to watch during my time off in December. There’s everything from health/nutrition/food related films to ones that are more spiritual in nature. It’s incredible, especially for those who love learning about this kind of stuff. It’s a goldmine of information/resources.

Just to be clear, I was not required to write a blog post about my experience with Gaiam TV. I am doing this all on my own because I love the service that much. I think it’s worth checking out at the very least. There really is something for everyone, and in my case, everything I could ever want all in one place!

If you want to check out the service and see if it’s for you, feel free to use my Gaiam TV link.(affiliate link). If you’re anything like me, you won’t regret it!

What did your week of workouts look like?

Half Marathon Training (Week 3) and Why I Run

written by Parita 2 Comments

I feel like the theme of this half marathon is going to end up being “it didn’t go as planned but it went.” Like in week two, I had to make some adjustments, but in the end, it all worked out. Maybe even better than expected.

Here’s what week three looked like…

Sunday – Rest
Monday – 3.5 mile treadmill run
Tuesday – Full body dumbbell circuit + a brisk 25 minute walk
Wednesday – 3 mile run
Thursday – Rest
Friday – Unintentional rest day
Saturday – 6 mile run

The absolute highlight of this week was my long run on Saturday. Because of an unforeseen event, I had to push my run back to 3 pm. Now for those of you who aren’t familiar with S. Florida weather, this was a very risky move on my part. Even in November, it’s very hot and slightly humid in the afternoons. I was honestly dreading every step.

Well, it just so happens that I had nothing to fear. It was super hot earlier in the day, but by the time 3 pm rolled around, it was slightly cooler and less humid. I was able to run the entire 6 miles without stopping at a 9:41 pace! And I felt solid the entire time. This is totally unheard of for me! While I’m choosing not to focus on time too much, I’m excited to see if/how I improve over the next few weeks.

Vishnu cracked up as soon as I walked in the door because I left the apartment with a “I HAVE to run 6 miles and it’s gonna suck” attitude and came back with a huge grin on my face and tons of energy. Go figure!

Why I Run

While running sans music/podcast this past Monday, I thought about why I subject myself to running and everything that comes with it. And after 3.25 miles of thinking, I think I nailed down the answer. I’m in control when I run. I decide how far and how fast I go. I can lace up my shoes and take off pretty much whenever I want. If a run doesn’t go as planned, I have to take responsibility and figure out why. I don’t have to rely on anyone else. It’s all up to me. This is why I run.

This answer is pretty much in line with my personality. I am, what some would call, a control freak. I like being my own fitness boss!

Why do you work out the way you do?

In case you’re interested, here are links to my weekly training recaps:

Week 1
Week 2

The 2015 Miami Half Marathon

Half Marathon Training – Week 12 + 13

Half Marathon Training – Weeks 9 and 10

Half Way Through Half Marathon Training (Week 6)

Half Marathon Training Week 5 + Personal Running Questions

Half Marathon Training (Week 4) and Gaiam TV

Half Marathon Training (Week 3) and Why I Run

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