Half-Marathon #36 - Lexus Laceup Ventura
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This was my first race advertising my Walk That Half course. The back of the shirt said “Next time, bring (more) friends.” I knew there’d be plenty of walkers on the course to catch a glimpse. My reason for sharing my half-marathon love with others is because it is such a great addiction to make walking a habit.
The thing about the Lexus Laceup Ventura race is that is mostly downhill. That means a fast race and a chance to PR (personal record). We walkers can be as competitive as runners and joggers. As I came to mile 6, I was sure I’d made fast time jogging several downhill stretches. I was seeing the possibility of coming in at under 3:00 hours, an elusive goal for a walker.
By mile 7, I was kicking up the jog speed. I dare say I might have actually ran a few downhill parts. Which is when my knew started to bother me. Nothing major, just my knees sending me a message:
”Oh, you bought your own hype. You think you just love walking because it’s a more relaxing way to journey 13.1 miles. Oh no, my dear friend. You’ve forgotten all about the arthroscopic surgery recommendation you got from the student health center in college. Remember trying to run off the freshmen 15 weight you gained? You were told that running would require surgery. So you chose walking. And you’ve been walking ever since….”
It was hilarious to have the conversation with my knee. I’d absolutely forgotten all about that minor detail.
So, yeah….walking is a fantastic low-impact option for those who can’t or shouldn’t run.
Half-Marathon #22: Walking with Friends at Divas' Temecula Race
One truth about the folks who get up before sunrise to walk thirteen miles for no reason other than that they can is that are friendly bunch. Negativity is noticeably absent. Kindness and encouragement pour from their lips to land on friends and strangers alike.
Being surrounded by hundreds, thousands or tens of thousands of fired up folks is as addictive as the euphoric joy experienced with each successive step of the last tenth of a mile to the finish line. The day before the Diva race in Temecula, two beautiful spirits from Florida walked over to my girlfriends and I: “I have to take your picture.” We never asked her to explain. We all understood. The four of us—two pediatricians, a social worker and a teacher—were taking pictures with the abandon of pre-teens at a Taylor Swift concert.
The Diva race attracts women from across the country to experience a walking, jogging, running party in pink. Bib pick-up comes with a pink tutu and silver tiara. The pink boas are handed to us just as we get to the finish line for your Diva photo op.
This was my first Diva race. It is definitely a celebration of the powerful, the pink and the pretty in all of us.
Our group of four will definitely take off for another Diva race. We’d love to see you join us. Check out Walk That Half! to get started.
Diva crew. Our two new friends from Florida.
Half-Marathons #30, #31 and #32 - From Santa to Surf City and Participant to Pro
So much changed over the course of three races.
Melissa Mueller (left) and Deb Johnston (right) hold up their first half-marathon medals with Rahbin Shyne.
So much changed over the course of three races. On my 29th race I discovered that I was a pro at walking half-marathons. By my 32nd, I turned myself into an ambassador. An advocate.
My 29th race was in Ventura, CA. The Santa to the Sea half- marathon began in the city's outskirts, with the first few miles of the race adjacent to farmland. It was invigorating to walk past row after row of growing vegetables in the early morning hours, away from traffic. I kept up a brisk stride across mostly flat land set against a cloudless sky. It was a perfect morning.
As I passed mile 8, the inner monologue was familiar. "Mile 8? Wait. Is that 4 more. No. Five more. Five more? This race seems longer than usual. No. I think that at mile 8. Wait a minute. I think the same thoughts at the same miles..."
I'd noticed that before. This time, though, it was like listening to a cassette tape that runs 3 hours and 20 minutes.
Race #30 was the Pasadena Half-Marathon, starting and ending in the Rose Bowl Stadium. Somewhere around mile six I noticed that the usual inner monologue wasn't playing in my head. I wasn't concerned about the mile markers. This was the first race that my level of certainty and confidence superceded the monologue. My focus was solely on my race experience.
This represented a profound shift in my self concept. Race #29 opened my awareness to the uselessness of continuing to run the doubt-based monologue of early races. In my 30th race, that monologue disappeared. I accepted that I was a pro at walking half-marathons.
All of that explains why it was such a pleasure to take care of my two friends at race #32 in Huntington Beach. I’d walked with novices before, multiple times. In prior races with friends, I thought of myself as a slightly more experienced novice. At Surf City (#32), I owned that I was a pro at walking 13.1 miles. I was able to give my full attention to their experience, rather than entertain any worries, concerns or considerations of my own race.
In short, the transition through races 30, 31 and 32 helped me realize that I’ve moved beyond a focus on my own races. I’m ready, even eager, to share the fun and joy of walking half-marathons with others.
Interested? Curious? My online course to get you trained, registered and across your first half-marathon finish line, Walk That Half! is now available.