Fourteen miles in new racer. I ran this in 2008 in 1:22:09, a great non-aided PR, on a tough course. I set the course record then. This year I beat my 2008 Provo 1/2 time by 54 seconds. Coach McMillan wanted me to try for sub 1:21, which would be a 70 second improvement on this one. I assessed my 2008 splits and it made my stomach churn, the splits I would have to beat. Here's how it went down: 3.5 mile warm up, including strides and stretching. I wasn't feeling great during the warm up, but told myself that you don't have to be all jazzed for a 1/2 start, you ease into the race. I needed to feel on at mile 4 and beyond, not in mile 1. Saw Susanna and Teena and Josse's mom, Karan. The Spanish Fork guys were out in force. I showed Carl my split plan, hoping he'd run with me, but he probably just thought I was a nut. Actual splits per markers first, goal splits in parentheses. I had an overall time check at 7 miles of 43:52 and mile 11 at 69:25. 1 - 6:13 (6:19), cross and headwind, started off a bit too fast with guys but settled down, tried to trail a guy for a wind break but he didn't like it. Carl passes me and is too far ahead for wind break. 2 - 6:17 (6:16) heavier headwind than normal on this bit of riverbottoms road, slight uphill grade, feeling good 3 - 6:13 (6:16) headwind, still slight uphill 4 - 6:15 (6:15) had a 6:15 on this mile last year, despite the hill in the middle of the mile, most likely because I saw Tyler and KellieS in this mile and was showing off, so glad to match that split from 2008, feeling good 5 - 5:57 (6:01) per course tool .57% downhill, but I think of this as a 1% downhill. I see a trend of going under my goal paces, which is good because I have a 5:50 planned for mile 13 and it'd be good to give myself some leeway. 6 - 6:21 (6:24) flat with short steep Zephyr uphill, MacK joins me for part of this mile, I choke down a gu, about inhale the water. 7 - 6:23 (6:21) big uphill first 2/3 then downhill last 1/4, was headed for a 6:40 at the top of the hill, then started to crest strong, hit 43:44 at the top, so just 8 seconds under goal, I decide I can grow that. 8 - 5:46 (5:54) best downhill mile of the course, Mack joins me for part of this. She cheers for me, then gives me the funniest encouragement I've ever heard in a race---"You smell nice. You don't stink at all." I laughed and said "Yet". 9 - 6:17 (6:15) I lost it on this mile a bit in 2008, it was a 6:26, so was able to keep it together better, it is a flat mile with about 1/4 of uphill in the last bit 10 - 6:08 (6:14) This mile is gradual uphill, then downhill at the end, on the uphill segment it is into the sun. I am still feeling good, I tell myself the sun is energy warming up my muscles and giving me energy. I say a prayer of thanks for a good race so far. A guy passes me, I pass two guys on downhill. 11 - 6:01 (6:10) flat and slight downhill, I pass Carl at the beginning of this mile, I take about 2/3 of a gu, I try to hang onto a guy who repasses me who is running strong. I hit the 11 mile mark at 67:5something, when my drop dead for sub 1:21 is 69:25 (but that is with killer finish) 12 - 6:08 (6:10) slight downhill, working hard 13 - 5:54 (5:50) I see my mom at the slight uphill to come out of riverbottoms way before she sees me. She has a water bottle and looks like she wants to give it to me, but I don't grab it. Just 1/2 mile to go. She hasn't seen me race for 12 years. I don't know how I pulled out a 5:50 in 2008, 5:54 will have to do. 369 ft in 21.5 sec, about a 5:09 pace? My watch measured the course at 13 miles, and other blogger's gps's are in concurrence. I talked with the race director (a friend of mine) she said they used two gps units to mark the course and it measured 13.1. The map my run map shows 13.06, but that course shows the race ending before it did (so use that map and add .03?). Anyway, the course was anywhere between 13 and 13.1. It was the same course as 2008, except we started a little further back this year, so it is a course PR of 1:53 regardless. Also set a new course record, jah baby! If you are conservative and go with 13.0 miles, gross up the race from 13 miles then that means I should add 37 seconds, to 1:20:53, still within goal. Sorry to analyze it to death. Had fun hanging out with bloggers, my mom, other local runners. 2.5 mile cooldown, won $75. After a not so great TOU 1/2 and the not so great 10k this Monday, so grateful for a great race. This race was really critical for estimating my marathon in four weeks, so I am grateful I opened a good gift (see Nan's 9/6 post). On a side note, this time last year I volunteered for the SF half, and got in one mile of running. Kicking AS.
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