Chasing a PR

How do we only have 4 months left in 2019?! When it's 2020 we're all bringing back the Charleston and art deco, right? Thanks.

In the meantime, I'm going to work my ass off to FINALLY get the half marathon PR I've been chasing since 2015.

My current lifetime half marathon PR is 2:14:14 from the first 13.1 I ever ran, City of Oaks, in 2014. What I call my "post-smoking" PR's are the ones I've currently been trying to beat; that PR is holding at 2:26:04 from the Shenandoah Half Marathon in 2017.

[Quick Background: I quit smoking after I started running.  Good news was that I got all that gunk out of my lungs and now my overall health is on the up and up.  Bad news was that gunk was keeping the inflammation from the asthma I was born with, at bay.  So, healthier but slower because ironically quitting smoking made it harder for me to breathe/I didn't know how to properly manage my asthma & allergies.]

It's taken me a few years, A LOT of time, effort, and PT, but I'm really happy with where I'm at.  I've been getting very close to my 2013-2014 pace.  Which is super awesome for me because in '13-'14 I was attempting to run continuously (no planned walk breaks).  However, that wasn't sustainable while I built my fitness back up, so I introduced Run/Walk into my training to keep my lungs happy while I figure out how to run with asthma.

This training season, with a 3:1 run/walk, I'm averaging a 10:00/mi.

For someone who never considered herself a runner, I'm pretty damn proud of myself #humblebrag.  Which means for the first time, I'm actually trying to beat my lifetime PR...not just my "post-smoking" PR.

I have 4 races coming up in 2019:

• Great Smoky Mounain Half - September 7, 2019
• Bull City 5 Miler - October 20, 2019
• Ridgewood Turkey Trot 8K - November 28, 2019
• Wilmington Historic Half - December 7, 2019

GSM Half Goals:
With less than 20 days to go until GSM Half, I have bare bones goals: finish the race. Ideally I'd finish in under 2:30 but this has been the year from hell for training and health/life in general, so realistically this race is a benchmark long run.  It's given me motivation to not be a slacker and get some longer distances in but I've also been SUPER relaxed about it and tried not to stress myself out.

1. Don't Die
2. Finish Race

Bull City 5 Miler Goals:

I enjoyed this race last year even though it was cold AF.  I ran it at a 9:42/mi pace finishing in 48:32.  My goal is to hit that (*or better, but I don't want to push too hard too soon) this year. Considering I haven't been consistent AT ALL in my training, I think this is a very attainable goal.

1. Don't Die
2. Finish Race
3. Run a 9:42/mi
4. *Run < 9:42/mi (a fun idea if I feel ready, def not a goal)

Ridgewood Turkey Trot Goals:

This race has some of the best and worst memories for me! It's the race I figured out that breathing was hard after quitting smoking, always challenge because once you get through the middle hills, the last 1.5 miles are deceptively uphill, but it's also where I tend to run my fastest races. My PR for this race is 9:38/mi pace finishing in 47:55.  Since this will be a month after Bull City, the plan is to match last year and if possible, beat it.

1. Don't Die
2. Finish Race
3. Run a 9:38/mi avg
4. Run < 9:38/mi avg

Wilmington Historic Half:

It all leads up to this.  THIS is the PR race. THIS is what all the above races will be leading up to in culmination of FINALLY getting my lifetime PR in the half marathon.  Again, my half PR is 10:14/mi with a time of 2:14:14. I have big dreams for Wilmington.

1. Don't Die
2. Finish Race
3. Run sub 2:20:00
4. Run sub 2:15:00
5. Run sub 2:14:00 <-- Lifetime PR!!

Some pretty big goals before 2019 is officially over! They don't seem unattainable though and that's what's keeping me pushing. I'm already telling myself that just because I'm writing these down and putting them out there on the internet (and the internet is forever!) DOES NOT mean I can't adjust as necessary!

Check back and see how it's all going over the next 4 months!