Quick Changes

Not all runners prioritize pace or times or personal bests. Or anything like that.

And that’s fine.

But I do.

I can still have fun and enjoy an experience if I don’t get the time I was training for, but having felt the highs of enjoying a race AND finishing in a time that I was happy and proud of, I want more of that feeling.

And that definitely wasn’t always the case last year.

After a frustrating 2024, my plan was to start off the new year with some consistent running (for my new running streak) and an eye on training for a couple of half marathons, before deciding what was next.

2025 is all about running races, having fun and finishing in times that I am proud of!

So, to start off the year, I signed up for two half marathons – Las Vegas and Washington DC (and a 5k in Las Vegas).

And I had lofty goals for them.

Simply put, my goals for these two races were just to improve on my half marathons from last year.

In January, having to work around snow and ice for about one week and then 1-2 other days, I still came through the month feeling good and like I would have a really good chance to push for my goal times in these two half marathons.

But, as we all know, things can change.

And quickly.

About 10 days before leaving for Las Vegas, my energy levels dropped. I woke up with sore/numb arms and legs for a few days in a row. The sore legs I can handle because that happens occasionally with running, but adding in the sore arms made me think that I should go to the doctor. After two doctor visits and bloodwork, no conclusions were reached, but about 4 days before I was scheduled to fly to Las Vegas I started feeling a little better. And improved every day.

I was seemingly getting back on track. In about two days, I went from considering cancelling the trip entirely to once again thinking I could still run a strong race.

Just like last year, on Saturday evening, I ran the 5k in Las Vegas – and I ran it much faster than I had planned (22:24). I had a good time doing it though, so I didn’t let it bother me too much thinking that it might affect my performance on Sunday evening in the half marathon.

As I thought about it on Saturday night, I decided it would be best to start the half marathon on Sunday very, very conservatively and see how I was feeling about half way through. At that point, I would adjust as necessary to finish the race.

With the half marathon starting at 4:30 on Sunday afternoon, waiting out the morning and early afternoon was probably the toughest part. But I felt good enough heading to the start line, even if it was maybe a bit warm – especially compared to the freezing and below freezing temperatures I’ve been running in through the winter.

All things considered, I started the race just as planned – ticking off the first few miles in 8:00-8:15/mile. But, as with training overall, things changed quickly.

I took a gel (the same kind I’ve been using for years) after 3 miles just to make sure to not get dehydrated. I started to feel the warmer temperatures more about this time too because we were running in the sun. If I stayed at the current pace, I would be running longer than normal for a half marathon, so I decided to have a couple of Clif Bloks (again something I’ve been using for a couple of years).

And almost immediately, my stomach wasn’t having them. I wasn’t throwing them up, but felt like if I had anymore that that would be the result. I quite literally couldn’t stomach anymore!

At this point, I was about halfway through the race and decided to slow down my pace just to try to find a happy medium between being sick and still running.

Then, I slowed it down again.

Walking and jogging the last few miles definitely wasn’t the way I had imagined finishing this race. Especially considering these last miles, running along the Strip were my strongest last year. But that’s the way it happened and I tried my best to enjoy what was left even though all I wanted to see was the finish line up ahead.

I finished in just over 2:00, which is my slowest half marathon time. Putting it in those terms gives it a bit of a disappointing tone, but I still enjoyed the weekend overall and can definitely see myself racing in Las Vegas again in the coming years!

With Vegas now done, the focus has shifted to getting ready for another half marathon in Washington DC in mid-March, which was less three weeks away when I returned from Vegas.

And with that in mind, I used the first week to recover while still running as and when it felt good. Unfortunately, most days haven’t felt that good. With some lingering tightness in my hips, I’ve kept all of my running easy since Las Vegas.

So, as race day for DC gets closer, it seems like I might be taking a similar approach to Las Vegas – start somewhat conservatively and then see what the morning and my body give me to see how much I can push at the end.

I’ve run the race in DC one other time, but the course has changed significantly since. I’m really looking forward to the race on what is looking like will be a very nice morning!

Once I get through this half marathon, my focus will quickly be shifting again to something completely new and different for me – an ultra marathon. I have registered for a 100km (62 mile) race in the summer. As part of the buildup to that race, I will most likely run a 50km trail race, which will officially be my first ultra marathon.

Training for anything longer than a marathon is new for me. And will definitely come with some fear and uncertainty. Hopefully, I will learn a lot during the process. But either way, I will be sharing much, much more with everyone here and on Instagram!

I hope you enjoyed this short breakdown of the first couple months of the year! If you did, please share it with anyone else you think might like it also. And let me know what you think in the comments!