Lehigh Valley Half Marathon Report

Saturday's trek down to the Lehigh Valley was beautiful. No clouds. Warm temps. Even more leaves on trees and flowers out than in our area. (Which all equals horrible allergies, but I digress!) But we knew the rain was coming. So, we savored the day -- picked up our race packets for the Lehigh Valley Half Marathon and made a short stop in our new favorite town, Bethlehem, PA. Then we headed to Stephen's parents house in nearby NJ to enjoy some grilled veggie paninis and good company.


But our trip down wasn't necessarily for pleasure. Stephen and I were both on a mission to stomp our half marathon PRs. To prove that all our hard training days, sore muscles, and nights going to bed at 9PM were indeed worth it. The good news is that they indeed were so totally worth it.

Here we are at the expo . . .



This particular half marathon is extremely well organized. Tons of devoted volunteers. Lots of smiles. The only critique I have of this year's setup is that the area where we activated our chip timing was much more crowded than last year (when it was in an entirely different room). So, when we walked into the packet pickup area, it was somewhat confusing because there were a zillion lines pointing in every direction. But the confusion was short-lived. We got our stuff -- including a nice fleece vest -- and were on our way in less than 20 minutes.

Unfortunately, conditions on race day were far from ideal (but that's all relative). Those of you who live in the Northeast know all about the rain we got this weekend. And, really, I guess most of us in the US have experienced some of the wet stuff in the past week. We woke up Sunday morning at 5AM sharp to the sound of pounding rain outside. After gathering our things and packing them up (into several huge duffel bags that Stephen's parents generously offered to lug around for us), we were off and on the road at 6AM and got to the race by 7.

We parked and got ready with little trouble. But our warm-up mile was run in the cold rain. Yuck. Luckily, the heavy rain stopped before the race, giving way to a mist. We waited in the gym for a while and I got to meet my running blogger buddy Elizabeth who writes Elizathon. I found Elizabeth when I was training for the Philadelphia Marathon. I was searching for blogs about the race, and when I found hers -- I quickly discovered that she and I were following the exact same plan! Very cool. We've kept in touch since, and it was fantastic to finally meet her!!!

I personally didn't feel so great. I get super car sick, so settling my stomach before the race was difficult. I noshed on a few oatmeal dark chocolate cookies from Kashi. Stephen stretched and performed his usual pre-race rituals, and we split up when I started my own. Where I stand in line for the porta-potty, use it, get back in line, and repeat until the start of the race. That way, I ensure I'm good to go :) I'm weird, yes. But comfortable at every race!

Back to those PRs! Stephen finished in 1:18:33 (5:59 pace -- 11th place overall, 2nd in his age group) . . . and I finished in 1:46:53 (8:09 pace -- 631st place overall -- out of like 3,100 people). We both were far less sore and disoriented this year than we were last year. The course is relatively flat. It's fast. It's through some of the most gorgeous scenery in the Lehigh Valley. And the support of spectators is unmatched by most of the races we've attended. And we still love those finishing metals. We even wore them out to eat when we caught brunch with Stephen's parents and some other family after the race (get this! Stephen's uncle placed 1st in his age group at the 5K -- fast family, right?).



As you can imagine, we didn't get much cooking or baking done over the weekend. But that doesn't mean we have a drought of posts to share this week. Did anyone else race this weekend? If so, how'd you do? We'd love to hear! Or have any of you signed up for any great races lately? Again, let us know by leaving a comment or emailing us at neverhomemaker@gmail.com.

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Great Expectations

We'll be in Allentown, PA, this Sunday to run the Lehigh Valley Half Marathon. Formerly the Runners World Half, this race is more than just an amazingly well organized event. To us, it marks the one-year anniversary of our (re)entrance into serious long-distance racing. After all, it was just a short year ago that we lined up at the start -- nervous like crazy -- waiting to journey to the other side of 13.1.



But what the prospect of running the race again brings to my mind is expectations. I hope and expect my training will result in a better time this year than last. I hope and expect that my time will be better than the Skunk Cabbage Classic Half Marathon we ran a couple weeks ago. But expectations can often result in feelings of failure if they're not met. So, despite how badly I want to calculate my potential race finish (did you know there are calculators for such a thing?) and stick to it, I'm trying to keep everything in perspective.

In the year since we ran Lehigh, we've both PRed on a number of races. We both ran a marathon. We both have kept up with our training so that we're able to continue longer distances. We both are "still crazy after all these years" with running. These points are all successes. So, for example, if I don't break 1:50 this weekend, I've not failed. If Stephen doesn't smash his 1:19 best, he's still OK. And if you haven't caught on already, this logic applies to you as well!


I don't for a second deny that it's difficult to think this way. It's certainly anti-competitive -- and most runners I know have at least some bent toward being competitive. However, races are certainly about speed and endurance. But the way we see it, they're much more about enjoyment. So many factors contribute to performance on any given day. To expect too much from our bodies is almost cruel. This doesn't mean we can't have goals and work toward those goals. In fact, it's often achieving a certain time that motivates our training. However, if you're finding yourself trapped in the mindset where speed or distance alone equals your athletic-worth, get out . . . and fast!


And remember. Your goal is your goal. Don't chase after another runner's dream. You'll likely get too tired and end up missing your own mark. So, we'll head out this Sunday like we do most race mornings. An easy mile jog to warm up. A little nervousness, resulting in an upset stomach or two. The gun will go off, and we'll begin. But if I don't see a time I necessarily like on the clock at the finish, I won't sweat it. There will be other races and other opportunities to "prove myself" to, well, myself. And no matter my pace, a race is cause for celebration (likely in the form of a frosty beer and slice -- or four -- of pizza).

OTHER RUNNING-RELATED POSTS:

• Everything in Moderation
• Run Your Best Race
• Ice Baths: A Somewhat Necessary Evil
• How To Rest Easy
• Treadmill versus Outdoor Running: Which is Better?
• Should You Run While You're Sick?
• How to Run Long: LSD for Beginners
• How to Stay Motivated
• Running for Speed: How To
• Treadmill Survival Guide
• No Workout is Too Short or Slow 
• Ode to my 17-year-old Self: The Mile 
• How to Suit Up to Set Out (And Other FAQs) 
• How to Run

Like what you just read? You can subscribe to the feed of these posts or follow us on Twitter or Facebook to be the first to know what the (never home)makers are up to. And we’ll love you forever!

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