I guess I'll write about my race while I can still remember it, even
though I really don't feel like it. What a mix of emotions - I still
don't really know what to say/think/feel about this run even days
later. I really thought 2:40 would be possible, but with the wind, I
knew it would slow me a little bit. I started out trying for it
anyway. James (he ran the 1/2 and hit a big PR in 1:28!) and I got to
the start with plenty of time to get ready. Then got up on the line
and saw everybody after a short little warm up. (splits are Garmin,
not mile markers, and it measured a little long, so they don't add up
perfectly.) 1-5:44
Started off about where I wanted. Felt the group out and let the
leaders go away as Sasha, Matt H., and I kind of established position.
I actually wanted to start a little closer to 6, and in retrospect, I
should have stayed right with Adam and Kory. 2-5:50 Pretty solid
start. Sasha moves up and it's basically Matt H. and I now with no one
else really around. 3-6:06 A little slower up the hill and into the
wind, but just fine. 4-5:22 Big downhill mile, and we just let it
roll, but don't push to overwork it. 5-5:37 Continue the downhill and
near the park. 6-5:58 Settled back into pace and worked with Matt
through the park. I was worried about the hills (in the couple weeks
back up to the race, it seemed that I had no hill strength at all) and
I had to work a little to hard to stay with Matt. 7-6:08 Set back into
a good rhythm and Matt and I kept switching leads in the wind. Saw
Sasha up a ways and decided working together we might get to him by the
end of the race. (Oh how wrong!) 8-6:24 Wind was really working me.
9-6:23 The hill up Keller Lane ruined me. Matt pulled away and I just
couldn't go and I started thinking bad. 10-6:19 Trying to work the
wind and keep strong. 11-6:01 A better mile because Adam caught me and
I ran right behind him for the mile, trying to get my legs back.
12-6:20 Then he left me. 13-6:57 This is where I got the worst mentally
in a race I have ever been (miles 13-20). I really lost any positive
thoughts and the race became a nightmare on this last climb before the
turn on 62nd. 14-6:17 Tried to bring it back together on the downhill,
but as the time shows I just couldn't. And I watched the lead ladies
just pull away. 15-6:18 It is weird. The pace was not hard to keep at
all (because it was slow), but I couldn't go any faster, and it was
making me SO mad and frustrated. 16-7:00 I can't repeat the thoughts
that were going through my mind at this point. Ally's grandma lives
right off here and I was hoping she was out so I could quit. I just
wanted to walk off. She wasn't, but that didn't stop me from looking
for an out. I walked through the aid station at the end here and hoped
to see a van/something that would take me in. 17-6:31 Figured I just
had to keep going, so I did. 18-7:11 Walked through the aid station
again. Not really because I hurt or anything at all, but just because
I wanted to (to be done, to quit, to never run again). 19-6:43 Started
running again. Why? 20-7:30 Walked through again. And again for no
reason. The 6:30 pace wasn't hurting me at all, I just was so negative
walking was my only out. But then I saw that I could still get 2:50
and I just pushed the thoughts out and decided I could make something
of the run. 21-6:36 Tried to just focus on the few that had passed me
because of my breaks and I actually stayed the same distance with
them. 22-6:28 For a moment I thought about walking again (I had each
of the last three stations), but I figured why? I don't need to.
23-6:32 Staying at this pace still. I think it showed that my
endurance was just fine (or had come back pretty good), but the
fastness was what was really affected by the sickness (and it had not
come back at all). 24-6:37 still on pace to hit that sub 2:50 and that
made me feel okay. 25-6:56 dodging a lot of 1/2'ers and the little
climb in town here really hit me again. 26-7:00 I am just trying to
dig, but really I am pretty spent. .2 (.34 on Garmin)- 6:29 pace.
Finish was a little more organized with a 1/2 and a marathon chute. I
could tell I was going down about the last .1. Legs were wobbling and
I couldn't breathe at all. So I did, it was fun. I weezed and tried
to breathe as they gave me an inhaler thing. But the breath came back
quick and I just walked out as if nothing happened. (Ohana 32.7)
So a 2:49:10. And that's where I am stuck. I don't even feel
like I ran a marathon. I run workouts quicker than that, but I was
coming back from being sick. Whatever... It's over and I'll chill for
awhile and then try to get back into it with a better attitude. | 