Unicef half marathon today. I wanted to beat Yiu Kit Ching's best half of the year, to get ranked #1 in hong kong (was #2 going into this race). Her time was 1:21:30ish. I felt pretty confident I could beat that time (as demonstrated by not knowing the exact time, and my flat pr is 1:20:53, so I thought I would go for that time, which is 3:50ish pace. My coach initially advised me to go out at 19:30/5k pace, which is slower than 3:50 pace (3:50 pace is 19:10 pace). He wanted to see me negative split. But I said no way to that plan, unless I felt that 19:30 was the right pace by feel in the race. It was 20-21C and sprinkly, and windy to start. So the first k is flatish, then it goes rolly in 2, I think, then uphill for the third k, then downhill for the fourth k, then flatish for the 5th k. I went out in about 3:46, tried to dial back while staying true to hm feel. Talked with Chris who passed me in the 2nd k. He was going to try to break 1:20, and I was going for 1:21, so I let him go ahead and he was 20 sec or so ahead by the time I crested the hill. I tried to block wind when I could but was all alone at 3-5k. 18:56 at 5k, so 13 and change too fast. Then some guy came up on me and we worked together until 10k when he pulled away. He was going a bit faster than I wanted, but I felt ok and I told myself working with him a bit fast was easier than being on my own slower. Around 8k there is an up and downhill. 19:01 for the second 5k, so 37:52 for the first 10k, so 18 seconds ahead of schedule. From 11-12k it is rolling/uphill, and I was in no mans land, but there were men ahead of me, and I tried to close the gap because it started to rain hard, right into our faces, so headwind and rain, not the pleasant light rain that we had the first 11k. Thankfully that rain lightened up again after a few k. I reeled in a couple of men, but never got too much of a shield, perhaps a few seconds here, a half minute when I caught Chris, then we ran side by side up the last big hill, and it was 15k after the crest and I pulled away. 19:02 for the 3rd 5k. Downhill for a nice k and I made up some time but then there was still 5k to go. Thankfully the 10k runners had joined us but were still behind us, so in the last 4k I got passed by just the top runners, and I had the number of k's to go. So I switched my watch from average pace to total time, to see if I could break 1:20. With 4k to go I had 15:15 til 1:20, so 3:45 pace with 15 sec to spare, with 3k to go miscalculated and thought I had somehow run at 4:00, but I must not have because with 2k to go I had 7:45ish, which still gave me 3:45 with 15 sec to spare, my 4th 5k was 18:43--awesome. With 1k to go I am on the disneyland promenade, and I feel like I am ready to poke someone's eye out, while they are playing this upbeat Disney music, then my kids are cheering me on with about 900m to go--perfect timing. With 200m to go, you turn a corner and the MTR station is right there so you hear "The floors are wet and may be slippery. Please be careful", and I say in my head, yeah, no kidding, the floors have been wet this whole time. My kick is weak, I show 3:37 pace for the last 1.11k, but I break the tape. 1:19:44. This is a big race and certified, watch said 13.22, so that's about right. Need to work on those tangents! Big time PR. I felt so good at the finish, like I could have kept going (though the race definitely got harder over time). Ali got second place and a great time 1:22:5something, I think a PR, so we were both so happy at the finish. I joined the kids and cheered people on until we found Paul. Adjusted for no elevation drop, this is his second best half ever, so he is excited and excited to do more to improve. Then I changed into dry clothes and run a kids 3k fun run, and I feel like passing out during the "fun run" though I am going just 6:20ish pace. I won 75,000 Asia miles (enough for a plane ticket to Korea - June 2013, and 1.5 other similar flights), a gift basket from LeSportsac, a bracelet, and a watch from Seiko. Cool.
| 