I'm really mad about this race. Well, disappointed in myself is a better way to say it I guess. I was pacing 1:50 and thought I was right on pace...nope! Makes me just beat myself up over not knowing better. I met Blaine and Co at Thanksgiving point park n ride at 3:40AM...oh, those early wake up calls are buggers!! It was nice to get a good parking spot before traffic, we were the 2nd car in the parking lot :) Blaine said it was because I drove too fast, but I think I could've slept another 15 minutes! The race was well organized and it was fun having raffles and stuff at the start line up the canyon instead of just sitting around chatting. Made time pass a lot faster. Saw lots of good friends and lined up to pace. I had a decent crowd of runners...that didn't want to talk! What the heck?!? Finally Brooke found me and I got to chatting. About .1-.2 into the race I looked at my watch to check our pace and realized I was in bike mode! Son of a.... I quickly switched to running mode, but it was too late. I thought the overall time would stay the same, but it didn't. I checked with Brooke to see how far off I was and I thought I had it all under control. I guess not. I don't know if I just stopped adding the extra time at the end or what my problem was, but I thought I was Waaay ahead, like 40ish seconds, by mile 12 so I took the last mile (that was uphill) nice and slow. Everyone that started with me was behind me and the last 1/2 mile I picked up 3-4 people that were walking the uphill and I motivated them to come with me and finish strong. I did a good job pacing...just not the RIGHT job :( At a turn infront of the school next to the park I thought we were done so I slowed even more, because my watch said 1:46:XX I was Waaay early! I thought I'd eaten up enough time. I picked up 2 more walkers and we ran in to the finish in a big group. As I turned the REAL corner into the finish my watch said 1:49:58 and I knew it was all over. The race clock was 1:50:4X and I still had that last .1 to go. It was too late to fix anything now. I couldn't believe it! I guess there is a first time for everything, I screwed up my pace. I'm certain I was on at mile 12, it was just going too slow that last mile that screwed it up. I could've run faster, I just didn't anticipate the ending or the proper time on my watch correctly. Still upset at myself about it! The only comfort I had was that nearly every other pacer was over by 20-30 seconds and the course was about .1 long according to most garmins. I always pace off mile markers for the race (which there were only a few!) not my garmin, but if the course is a little long then that extra .05-.1 would explain why we were all off. I feel like an epic failure. I can't believe I didn't come in on time regardless of how long the course was or how off my watch was. Boo. Anyway, I had a great time visiting with the other pacers and racers and Brooke now owes me another 6+ miles to finish my story that I made stretch out long to go the entire course :) I felt great with the pace despite the rolling hills that I didn't anticipate on the course and that made my day more than anything honestly. I haven't run 'fast' in a long time, so it was good to have a decent pace and feel good and talk and encourage others while I was doing it. I also won $20 to California Pizza Kitchen in a raffle...woo hoo! Good stuff. I then went to get my bike fitted for tri riding, aero bars and all! Can't wait to try it out. AP: 8:28 splits: 8:16, 8:14, 8:18, 8:32 (walk through water stop), 8:26, 8:39 (another walk), 8:21, 8:34, 8:24, 8:13, 8:22, 8:22, 9:12 (see?!? that last mile I went just too slow! I didn't anticipate it right and probably went slower than I thought because of the uphill too. Whatever...) 7:32 (last .05 recorded)
| 
