Saturday, June 29, 2013

First Irish half marathon

I am in Galway, Ireland for a month to do grad school.  We get out at noon on Fridays so I took a train to Dublin then Waterford to run the Waterford Viking half marathon.  Waterford is a cute town and I wish I had more time to see it.  I didn't even get to see the Waterford Crystal Factory.

It was a small marathon and not may roads were completely blocked off and there were also many roads with no sign where to go.  I tried to keep up with people so I could see where they went!  I was in such a rush to leave school to make the train that I forgot my running shoes.  I had my walking shoes on, but it isn't the same.  I ran quite a bit in february and a mile here or there in March and that has been the extent of my running!  I have been walking 5-7 miles a day in the last few weeks.  I thought the race would be measured in KM which is easier to pace myself, but no.  It was in miles.  I ran/walked for the first 9 miles.  Mostly running so I was proud of myself!  I felt blisters starting on my feet between mile 3 and 4.  Augh!!!  I can't believe I forgot my running shoes!  I found a civil defense ambulance med station and asked for vaseline to check how bad the damage was.  There was no blood coming out of my shoes so I took that as a good sign!  I have actually had that happen before :(  I pulled my shoes off and there was a big blister on both feet slightly in front of my arch.  They twinged a little when I walked and burned like fire when I ran so I decided to walk the last four miles.  I'm doing another half marathon in 3 weeks and need my feet recovered!  I still finished in 3:15.  Not bad.  There weren't tons of spectators out, but every single one of them said "well done" "You're almost there" and "it's all downhill from here"

It's a little painful to walk but I attribute it to my shoes and not the unpreparedness.  We'll see how the next one goes.

I am on a train right now to Heuston sta. Dublin, but it looks like there is a faster connection to Galway if I get off in Kildare.  I have a lot of school work to do so I will try to get home as fast as I can.

This is the only race I've ever been in where we got the same medals from running the half and the full. I asked twice if I had the right medal and they said yes.



I didn't get to take many pictures running.  Here's what I got.  When I changed my clothes I saw that my socks were bloody.  I chose not to show the very cool picture I took of my bloody foot!

















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