Training for My First Half Marathon!

Carolyn (one of our fantastic Ambassadors) has been hard at work training for her first half marathon Sept. 20: The Fox Cities Half Marathon! We checked in with Carolyn between miles to see how her training is going. We will follow-up with her post-race to find out how the 13.1 miles went!
Way to go Carolyn, and all the best as you toe the line Sept. 20:

When did you decide to sign-up for your first half marathon?
"I signed up in March or April - seems like another lifetime ago. A group of us from Winter Warriors were meeting on Saturday mornings and training with a group training for the Cellcom Marathon in May. We got to talking, and one of us joked that we should sign up for the half marathon. Someone in the group took that person seriously, and the next thing we knew, we had all agreed to sign up. After I ran the 5-mile Turkey Trot in November of last year, the next goal on my list was a 10K. I never dreamed that I would be able to run a half marathon, but the support of my running group was all I needed to plant the seed and help me believe that I could do it."

Why Fox Cities as your first?
"It's a great way to support the community. It's close to home, and it's through areas that I am familiar with. I've run the Fox Cities 5K for the last few years, and it's always been a great race."

What is your favorite part about training with Fleet Feet Sports Fox Valley for the event?
"First and foremost, it's the people I've met along this journey: The coaches, mentors, and the other participants make the program great. Knowing that they are expecting me to show up to training runs has kept me on track. They are always there to encourage me when I've had a bad run, and celebrate with me when things go well. When we ran our first "magic mile", I was one of the last (if not the last) to finish. The entire group was waiting for me at the finish line, cheering and clapping. It was a fantastic feeling. You hear it all the time, but it's true - runners are an awesome group of people."

How is the training going so far?
"To be honest, some workouts are better than others. I had to miss a Saturday morning long run (to watch my son compete in Cross Country), and I ended up going out for an 11.5-mile run on my own in the afternoon instead. In heat and humidity - it was pretty miserable. I never would have attempted to go on that long of a solo run before I started the training. I knew to carry water and nutrition, how to pace myself, and to take breaks when needed. I kept hearing Coach Eddie and Coach Gary encouraging me as I was out on the run. I also thought the track workouts would be tedious (who likes running around in a circle?), but they have been fun. I've found myself looking forward to laps - maybe because since we are running in circles, I never feel like I am at the back!"

What are you most looking forward to about tackling your 13.1?
"Sleeping in on a Saturday morning... these 7AM workouts have been tough! But seriously, I'm looking forward to having a great race, knowing that the training has prepared me for whatever the day brings. It's an amazing feeling knowing that I am really close to reaching a goal that I frankly never even thought I would attempt. We're already talking about a 15K in February, and maybe trying the Cellcom half in May. Who would have thunk it?"