Not-so-fast-running-blog

Overall Average Pace: 9:07

Splits:

• 2 mi - 8:45 / 4 mi - 9:18 / 6 mi - 9:15 / 8 mi - 9:07 / 10 mi - 9:20 / 12 mi - 8:59 / 13.3 mi - 8:50

Thoughts:

I'll start with the positives because the fam says that I focus on my disapointments too much. I appreciate their honesty.

• This was the first time that I did this race. The course was beautiful! I loved running through the city. There was so much variety for the eyes and ears to observe and hear. The course took me on streets, bike paths, steel bridges, and brick paths. I enjoyed the assortment of textures for my feet to experience as I ran. The bridges were slick due to the steady rain, but they were fairly short. The last four miles or so were along the river canal. That was absolutely picturesque.
• The medal is HUGE. It represents everything powerful, strong, and invincible that the race promotes about females. I felt that way finishing this race in the rain today.
• Cake! Yes! Cake at the finish line! Who does that? Sign me up for next year!

I have only one not so positive moment which is pretty good for me!

• Race pacer - I put myself with the 2 hour pacer. I assumed that this would keep me close to my goal finish of just under 2 hours. The first 2 miles were incredibly fast for a 9:10 pace. I ran an 8:45. I could barely see the pacer. I knew that my current recovery training had not prepared me to sustain this type of pacing so I had to slow down. My thought was to keep the pacer in my view at all times and just hope that I could stay close enough to have a strong finish. By mile 10, I saw her on the other side of the river canal. She was now running alone and had almost caught up to the 1:50:00 pacer. I do not know why this upset me so much, but it did. I pretty much gave up at this juncture of the race. Fortunately at mile 12, I stopped my pity party and kicked my pace into high gear. I passed runner after runner until I got to the finish line. I achieved my goal by the hair of my chinny, chin chin!