Capitola 1/2 Marathon Course Map
For some unknown reason, I keep signing up (and running) half marathons. My first was in 2012, then I did two in 2013, and one each year since. My next one is the Capitola Half this coming Sunday.
I love the idea of half marathons. I love being able to say “oh, I’m training for a half, I need to run 10 miles this Saturday”. I love the feeling of accomplishment when it’s over. I love checking off the boxes on my training plan when I complete a scheduled run.
Notice anything missing? Anything obvious? After running five half marathons, one would think that I must really enjoy it, otherwise why continue?
I hate running 13.1 miles. Honestly, I don’t like running more than 10k (6.2 miles), and even that I’m not in love with, but I can see a future with me and 10k being happy together.
Running 13.1 miles is not easy. It’s not fun (at least for me), and it’s not glamorous. But it’s a challenge, both mentally and physically.
I probably won’t stop running half marathons, and I’m hoping I can learn to enjoy the distance more. Part of the problem is that I only run really long runs when I’m training for a half, which only a few months each year. If I consistently ran farther than 10k, I might not hate it so much. I also think that trying to do my long runs outside, instead of on the treadmill, will help tremendously. It gets kinda boring after awhile.
Another challenge is solving the hydration problem. If I’m running for more than 4-5 miles, I want to take water with me. Most often I’ve used a belt that holds a camelbak water bottle, but I hate it. It’s heavy and it bounces and moves around lot. I’ve also tried a few different solutions for handheld water bottles, which are a fine solution for shorter runs on hot days, but I find that for the long runs, that’s not super convenient either. Next I will be trying Flipbelt water bottles which are designed to slip inside a Flipbelt and not bounce around.
QOTD: What’s your favorite race distance?
OMG I’m the same way! I love signing up for and completing half marathons, but I hate training for them and running in them towards the end of the race. I actually injured myself running my 7th half marathon last October and I’m not sure when I’ll be back to running again, and especially when I’ll be able to run a half again. And part of me is relieved because I hate running anything over 6 miles, so if my body can’t handle it that’s fine with me! 🙂 Good luck in your half this weekend!
Glad to hear I’m not the only one! I’m not looking forward to Sunday, I need all the luck I can get!