My first half

Writer preps for two upcoming half marathons in Baton Rouge

I have a confession to make: I hate running. Loathe it. Absolutely abhor it. OK, now that I’ve gotten that off my chest, let me tell you about my training to run my first “half.”

For the uninitiated, a full marathon is 26.2 miles. Ergo, a half marathon is 13.1 miles. Initially, I chose next month’s Louisiana Marathon—which is the biggest marathon race in the state—for my inaugural half.

According to Event Coordinator Catharine McKay, approximately 6,500 people ran the Baton Rouge event in 2014. She anticipates more than 8,000 total participants when the event rolls around again in early 2015, with runners traversing the heart of the city, starting and finishing near the State Capitol. The event includes a 1.2-mile Kids’ Marathon, which is designed to encourage kids to enjoy running at an early age.

Somewhere during my training, I also decided to run the half in the Baton Rouge Beach Marathon (Dec. 6) as practice. The Baton Rouge Beach Marathon is the oldest in the state, having been founded in 1994. Craig Watson assumed the reins about 11 years ago and currently estimates up to 1,500 participants each year.

A little back story on me: When I was 19, I joined the Army. During our physical fitness test, I was able to run two miles in 13 minutes or less. Of course, I was more than 20 years younger then and at least 20 pounds lighter. Plus, it was only two miles.

Fast forward to the beginning of 2014. I had gotten so out of shape that I couldn’t even run one mile. When I finally worked my way up to running a mile without stopping, it took me more than 10 minutes to do so. As my mileage increased, I was able to complete a couple of 5Ks (3.1 miles) in the spring, but barely finished due to knee pain.

I stuck with it, and after a lot of training, I can now run 10 miles consistently. My average pace ranges between 7 to 8 minutes—if that means anything to you.

So why am I running a half if I hate running? For the challenge. Because my friends and coworkers encourage me; because I’m insane (or “half” crazy, as runners joke); because it’s a great fitness goal in that once you achieve it, you know you’re really in shape. Most importantly, everyone who crosses the finish line gets an amazingly cool medal.

After I registered to run the halves, the first thing I needed to do was get the right gear. First item on the list: shoes. I headed over to Fleet Feet Sports on Perkins Road near Kenilworth Parkway. Opened in 2007, the shop is owned by Michelle Forte, a regular Ironman competitor. Forte started the shop because, as she says, “I love preaching health and helping people.”

Fleet Feet employee Andres Botero assessed my walking pattern. How does that work? “Walking is usually a heel-to-toe action,” Botero says. “I visually assess you by watching your ankles and how they move in relation to your knees, hips and upper body.”

After watching me walk, Botero gave me an analysis with plenty of technical jargon, but the gist was that I “would benefit from some support.” I was impressed by the knowledge he had gained from years of running and working in specialty shops.

Chase Batty, who’s working on his master’s degree in exercise physiology, gave me nearly the same assessment when I visited another popular local running boutique, Varsity Sports, in the Garden District.

Owner Jenni Peters is an accomplished athlete who—among many other feats—has qualified for Olympic Trials in the marathon in 1984, ’88 and ’92. Peters offers free half marathon training because, as she says, “it is a natural offshoot of a local specialty store.” Though Peters’ weekday training sessions weren’t convenient for me, I started to take advantage of their Saturday morning workouts on a regular basis.

When I first showed up for the training session with Varsity Sports, I was nervous. I didn’t know what to expect from the crowd of frequent runners. But everyone, including Peters herself, was extremely supportive. Baton Rouge’s running community is one of the city’s greatest assets—once you start running, you’re immediately treated like one of the family.  Furthermore, there are a lot of local resources and clubs to help you start and stay running. They include the Happy’s Running Club and a local chapter of Black Girls Run.

In the manner of many a half-crazy runner, I amassed a collection of running gear: three pairs of running shoes, plenty of shorts, socks, shirts and cold weather running gear, as well as an Under Armour Batman shirt. Of course, while what’s on the outside of a runner’s body is important, what’s inside is more important. I’m trying to watch what I eat as I continue working up to these half marathons.

Peters’ training has us running varying distances along diverse routes around the city at varying paces and doing different activities, which is all building up my physique.

My main goal is simply to cross the finish line. But truthfully, as a very competitive person, I would like to do my best. So if you see me around, either running the actual races or just training, please cheer me on! And, you know what? Maybe this running thing isn’t so bad. Maybe I could actually learn to love it.

For more information:
Louisiana Marathon
Jan. 16-17: Marathon Expo
Jan. 17: Quarter marathon,
5K and kids’ marathon
Jan. 18: Marathon and half marathon start and end downtown
thelouisianamarathon.com

Fleet Feet Sports:
fleetfeetbatonrouge.com

Varsity Sports:
varsityrunning.com
(Varsity Sports’ website also offers contact info for various running clubs in Baton Rouge and south Louisiana.)