I can't believe the day has come and gone. I can't tell you how many times this year I thought about the race. From the time of getting up this morning to the time I finished, I felt like I was in "robot mode". Luckily I had Logan helping keep me focused, calm and on track. I really don't think I could have pulled off my time without his help, especially at the end of the race.
Based on my 1/2 marathon times this year and training times I was shooting to break my PR of 2:37:47 that has been standing since I was 25. I really felt like it was going to be a push, but wasn't unrealistic. My second goal, if the first wasn't working out, was to break the 2:40 mark. I was pretty confident about this goal and would have really been disappointed if I didn't hit it. Luckily I did!
Here's the race:
2 mile warm-up
1. 6:12 - I told Logan I wanted to start off nice and relaxed and just ease into it.
2. 6:13 - Still just nice and relaxed with a little hill.
3. 5:57 - Started picking it up a bit with a slight down. Ended up running the next few miles with Jody Benson and Aaron's friend (1st girl at the time) from TN.
4. 5:56
5. 6:02 - Little hill through Brookside.
6. 5:53 - picked it up a little going down into Veyo.
7. 5:53 - Logan was playing water boy and grabbed some Ultima from Kendra.
8. 6:46 - Took it really easy on Veyo Hill - so much so I remember thinking it was taking way to long to get up the dang thing. Let Jody go.
9. 6:25 - Kinda struggled for about 1/4 mile transitioning from the hill. I have the leg turnover, but no power.
10. 6:18 - Still not able to get the pace much lower and not very happy about it. Started the climb out of Dammeron.
11. 6:30 - Didn't look at the watch much through here - Luckily. Logan was shooting threats to me for looking at my watch.
12. 6:05 - Got over the top of Dammeron and was able to get the legs going again. I think Logan was getting a little nervous about how long the last 4 miles had taken. I know I was going to be slow on mile 11 and had prepared for it.
13. 5:55 (1:20:11) - Starting to get going again. The amazing thing about this 13 mile time was - I was only 5 seconds off my projection: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0ArWxFDW4lD9EdE9LN1pxcUVEY2gxMDlUelVNNEFWZXc&hl=en_US
14. 5:58
15. 5:50
16. 5:48 - Logan had to go pee, pulled off 4:50 pace to catch up and still grabbed water out of the ice chest!
17. 5:51
18. 5:51
19. 6:21 - Winchester! Got a good cramp on the inside of the leg and started to FREAK!!!
20. 5:55 - Was able to relax the legs a bit - no cramping. Logan just kept filling me up with Ultima.
21. 5:48 - Really started to feel good, but I was still nervous about the possibility of more cramps.
22. 6:06 - Started cramping more - really good in my R. Ham.
23. 6:02 - Trying to keep it under control and relax. Logan seriously was just dumping water and ultima on me like crazy - I think I just about drowned through here. Luckily he did - I had so much Ultima in me my stomach was just sloshing. Looking back, If he wouldn't have forced me to down so much through here I would have been done for the last 2 miles.
24. 6:29 - Cramping so bad in the hams that it stopped me in my tracks. I was seriously so frustrated, I realized I had no way of hitting the 2:37. Logan kept yelling at me to start running.
25. 6:09 Legs started to relax a little more. However, my right arm (weird) was cramped so bad I had to let it drop limp or it would tighten up against my biceps. I think the only reason why I was able to get going again was the Ultima at mile 23.
26. 5:53 - Just started pushing as hard as I could. I was so tight and thought I was going to cramp up into a little ball at any second. I was also nervous I wasn't going to hit under 2:40. Logan just kept pushing me - I can't remember what he was saying but I remember hearing him (Logan - The Running Whisper). I was so pumped that last mile.
26.2 - 5:21 - Sprinting - At least that's what it felt like. I saw the video of me finishing and I wasn't going very fast and defanatly didn't look strong. But I did it! 2:39:34
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