Well, I have to start somewhere, right? This was my first race since St. George Marathon. Even though it was a pretty low key race, it was a tough one. I'm not terribly disappointed in my race, since I know I'm a bit undertrained. If you don't put in the work, you can't expect the results. The race was definitely a wake-up call and a motivator to get working again.
Jenny and I had a blast this weekend. St. George was so warm. You could tell that we were from up north since we ran in shorts and tank tops. The St. Georgians were pretty bundled up for a 50-60 degree race. It was heavenly to be in the sunshine, but the extra warmth made for a thirsty half marathon.
I had no idea this course would be as difficult as it was. The first half is mostly downhill, but the second half is really tough. Even the downhill sections had some significant rollers. Plus, there were spots that we actually went off roading and ran on the dirt. It wasn't a great course for a rhythm runner like me. But, it's always good to work on my weaknesses.
I tried to run by effort, but I still think I ran a bit too hard in the first half. I was trying to take advantage of the net downhill. I ran about a 6 minute average through six miles, and then the hurt set in. Amber passed me at 8-9 and put a good minute and a half on me in those 5 miles. Ouch. So, speed is there. Strength and endurance need some work. She ran much more evenly and looked really strong in the last half of the race.
I'm not posting splits because I'm too embarassed of the tanking. But, it was a good hard effort on a good hard course. We had the perfect "girls' weekend, though I would have liked to stay one more day to enjoy the beautiful sunshine.
Jenny and I cooled down two miles and then ruined the effects of our cooldown by sitting in the car (affectionately known as "Putt-Putt" for 4 hours.)
Oh, and Amber . . . sorry we missed you for the cooldown. We forgot where we parked and spent 20 minutes looking for the car.
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