This morning, I had the opportunity of running the Biggest Loser Run Walk Half Marathon in Las Cruses, NM. It was a wonderful day for running! I wanted to run the Biggest Loser Half since I heard about the race last year. Monica and I are big fans of the show and are inspired by the transformations that we see played out in the lives and health of the contestants. So, when planning for my winter races, the Biggest Loser Half was on top of my list.
Due to my schedule, I have struggled in preparing for this race—the weekday runs have been tempered by cold weather and scheduling challenges. My motivation has also low after training and completing the EL Paso Marathon last year. I had gotten to the point of dreading the long runs every weekend and the resulting time lost form seeing my family. Along with going through several sicknesses in that train up, I was ready to get that race behind me. I still may do another marathon—I won’t say never, but it will be awhile with the right situation for me and the family. Needless to say, it took me awhile to get motivated to run again. I placed the Biggest Loser Half on my calendar to force me to get back on the road.
I couldn’t have picked a better race.
The race is my favorite length. I love the half marathon, because it is a big enough challenge to require training, but not enough to dominate your weekends. I also enjoy it because it the race is long enough to get comfortable with the story of the race—people you see throughout the race may struggle or may blow by you, but you see them all at the finish line after two hours of running. It’s good to see the personal success develop before your eyes. It’s a good way to spend a day.
The Biggest Loser Run Walk Half Marathon crew did a wonderful job putting on the race. There was enough excitement prerace and at the finish line. Because of the “The Biggest Loser” name there was a different atmosphere—it seemed that everybody was focused on encouraging one another to all finish the race. This, of course, is a different vibe than many races that are mixed with elites and want-to-be elites. Don’t get me wrong—all races have a group of runners just for health—but the atmosphere here was all about everybody finishing. It takes the pressure off from getting a good time to measure up. Another plus was the location and route. From the stadium where the race started to the banks of the Rio Grande—the course was mostly flat and smooth. The terrain varied from packed dirt to asphalt, with a little concrete path in the middle. The scenery was interesting enough to be a good distraction. Finally, the crew throughout the course was very professional and well organized every step of the way, making the race enjoyable.
Now, for me—I had a wonderful day. I picked the perfect clothes for the temperature change. At the 0800 start, the temperature was 38 degrees and when I finished the race at 10:15, it was 51 degrees. With this temperature change, my long sleeve t-shirt was just right for the day of running.
My race strategy also paid off. I also started slow, which is a challenge when the energy is high at the beginning of the race. And then, I maintained the pace of 10 minute miles for the entire race—I’ve never maintained a pace before. For the first time, as well, I walked at all water points. I researched this before and made the decision to run to the last person giving out water and step off to the side of the road and walk to the last trash can or cone. This cost me 2 minutes total, but who’s to say it wouldn’t have hurt me later if I hadn’t rested every mile and a half or so.
Most importantly, I ran my own race. There is such a huge temptation to be competitive throughout the race as people pass by and as I pass people—but it was so important that I didn’t listen to this temptation. There were several people who started at the same pace as me, and I thought I would follow them to the end and hopefully pull pass at the last minute. But, after about mile 6 and 7, I slowly passed them and gained greater distance away from them as I plugged along. Unfortunately, I never saw them again. It is always fun to shake the hands of the people I ran with at the end—but lost them by the end of the race. I ran my own race with a goal in mind; to run the 13.1 miles in under 2 hours and 15 minutes. There was some question in my head around mile 10 And 11 if this was possible. I didn’t know if I was able to get to the end in time. But when I ran toward the finish line I saw the clock with 2:13 and I was able to make the last steps with ease.
All in all it was a wonderful day of running The Biggest Loser Run Walk Half Marathon!!