MY BEST RACE EVER!!!!!!!!!! I didn't think I would ever run a race as awesome as my first marathon, but I think this race was even better! My heart feels like it's about to bust out of my chest with excitement!
| Mile 1 |
7:08 |
| Mile 2 |
7:21 |
| Mile 3 |
7:16 |
| Mile 4 |
7:09 |
| Mile 5 |
7:30 |
| Mile 6 |
7:27 |
| Mile 7 |
7:32 |
| Mile 8 |
7:26 |
| Mile 9 |
7:09 |
| Mile 10 |
7:12 |
| Mile 11 |
7:09 |
| Mile 12 |
7:09 |
| Mile 13 |
7:06 |
| Final .2 |
6:28 |
Final CHIP Time =1:35:48
Distance according to my Garmin 13.2
Average pace =7:16/m
Average pace for first 7 miles = 7:20/m
Average pace for last 6 miles =7:11/m
Final .2 pace = 6:28/m ~ OH YEAH BABY!!!
I have been obsessing for months about getting a 1:37 or better for a half marathon - this is my qualifying time for NYC Marathon. At first when I heard this criteria back in December, I thought I couldn't do it. Then I thought, "hmmm, a challenge. I think I WILL do it." So after I decided this, I ran a half in December in 1:41:30 (flat and good weather), then January 1:41:23 (lots of hills), then February 1:39:29 (humid with one big hill)... and
Today... 1:35:48!!!! OMG!! I can't believe it. I really thought 1:37 was a stretch of my abilities. I would have never thought I could pull a 1:36. I am so happy.
I must give the weather and the course credit though. Weather =45 degrees, 70% humidity, 10 mph wind, cloudy. PERFECT WEATHER!! Course mostly flat except for gradual uphill in miles 4-8 and a gradual downhill in miles 8-12. AWESOME COURSE!!!
I will also give myself credit because I think my pre-race routine and plans worked perfectly. I executed my race plan exactly how I wanted. I am very happy with myself.
I woke up at 4:30 am. Ate some toast and started pounding the water. I left my house at 5:40 and it took me about 1 hour to get to the race. By this time, I had drank about 64 ounces of water. I do this because I find that if I super hydrate prior to the race then I can avoid most water stops. Trick is to stop drinking water about 1 hour before race starts so you can empty your bladder. I made a porta potty stop and with about 15 minutes before the race I drank some G1 gatoraide and ate a 35mg caffeine gu. I lined up with the 1:35 pace group.
It was a crowded race. The first couple miles it was difficult because I had to jocky around to stay at the pace I wanted. I was going a little faster than I planned. My plan was to stick to 7:25... but I felt awesome and the music I was playing was putting me in the zone!
Miles 1-4 I played some music I just downloaded last night. I discovered DJ David Guetta and downloaded three songs from him... very fast paced dance music. I don't listen to this stuff normally, just when I run... I find it keeps me mentally focused -kinda trance like- and makes me want to run super fast. First song "Sexy Bitch" - dance version - over and over again. I was saying to myself, "oh, yeah, I'm a sexy bitch and I'm going 7:15 a mile!" Then "Getting Over You". Then "On the Dance Floor". These songs really made my day!!! I was so focused and mentally pumped up.
At the 5k sign, I saw the funniest signs by spectators I've ever seen in a race. Made me laugh outloud! Picture of Charlie Sheen and the words, "You Have Tiger Blood. You're a Winner."
Miles 5, 6, 7, and half of 8 I played some different music by Kesha, Katy Perry, Lady GaGa, Rihanna... (see the girl singer theme... for some reason I like this when I run.. maybe it's the girl power thing! I'm weird.). There were some gradual uphills and some twists and turns during this phase of the race. We were running through Dallas Highland Park, which looks exactly like Beverly Hills except without the hills in the background. I noticed a street sign while I was thinking about this that said "Beverly"... this made me laugh.
I took 1 gu at the beginning of mile 5 and stopped for a split sec to drink some water. Then I took another gu at mile 7 and another split sec water drink. I had to really focus to keep myself at 7:30/m during this phase because of the hills. 7:30/m was my limit on how slow I was going to allow myself to get. I knew that the downhill was coming so I just kept saying, "Keep it contolled, focus, breathe, good form... the relief is coming at mile 8 turn."
Oh my gosh, mile 8 turn!! As soon as I turned the corner and went downhill, I put on Usher's "More" song.... "give me more... push it to the limit... bring it on harder... light it up... get it higher... more... more... more..." I just started opening it up. I started passing people. I started getting excited that I was on track to break 1:37. I started imagining running NYC marathon... I've never been to NYC. I started thinking about how exciting it will be to tell my friends on the blog and my running group that I did it! I still had like 4 miles left, but I felt great and I knew I could maintain... heck, I might get even faster!!! I took my final gu at mile 10ish but no water.
The only pain I felt was in my feet. Major blisters on my feet that started bugging me around mile 10. I wasn't going to let it slow me down... bring on the pain... blisters I can handle. Mentally, I was REALLY in an awesome zone!
So around mile 11.5 two girls and two or three guys started trying to pass me. I went to battle. When I passed a bunch of cheerleaders on the side of the road and I made pom pom hands and smiled at them, they started cheering and jumping up and down for me like crazy!!! This energized me and I surged passing everyone back who had just passed me.
Then around mile 12 I started slowing down again and this one girl and a couple guys passed me again. I fiddled with my ipod and found those David Guetta songs again. Boom! I'm back in business. I kicked myself in high gear. I ran past the water station at around mile 12.2 and I grabbed water, not to drink, but to splash on my face. I said, "Wake your ass up and run, Lindsey! RUN! RUN!"
I passed that girl again but a guy in a Triathalon shirt zoomed passed me. We had less than a mile left... but it was really disheartening at the end because I couldn't see the shoot. There were twists and turns and I didn't know how much further. Some races are longer than your garmin says... how do I know how much further... I can't see. "Hold it together, Lindsey!"
Then finally with about .1 or less to go, we turned and the finish was visible. I could see that girl come back up on me... OMG! She thought she was going to pass me at the end... tough competition in the final miles of this race! I have never jockied back and forth with so many people in a race before. I LOVE IT!! Fun, fun, fun! I kicked myself into the fastest pace I could... I was going so fast I couldn't believe it. I smoked her and ended up passing about 3-4 other guys including the guy in the Triathalon shirt in the final sprint. My garmin said the final .2 mile was at 6:28 pace... but it said the best pace was 5:05 pace. I swear I was hauling! HAULING!
Woo Hoo!!!!! I saw the race clock was 1:36:02 when I crossed.. but my chip time will be better... my garmin had 1:35:50 and I started the timer right when I crossed the starting line. As I was walking in I kept saying 1:35:50??!! I wanted to cry. I held it back... but I think I would have cried if I had seen anyone I knew. No one I knew was there.
Well, maybe one person, but I didn't talk to her... the "cocky" girl from The Cowtown half marathon was a few seconds in front of me when I finished. I never even saw her the whole race. I guess she was way ahead for most of the race and I just caught up to her at the end. I said hi to her but we were both gasping for air so I didn't get to talk.
There are very few things in life that feel as good as exceeding your race expectations. In my life there are a few moments that compare to this: I would say when UT and the dynamic awesome talent of Vince Young won the 2005 National Championship ... Holding my babies for the first time ... Falling in love.... It's hard to rank but they're all amazing moments. I am so grateful to have had these great moments. I am so lucky!
Time to pig out on mexican food!! : )
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Just got final race results on the website:
*4th place in F 30-34 - out of 1,316. (But I was the 1st Texan in my age group!!) However, I will say, it didn't look to be that competive of an age group considering the 3rd place girl finished 5 minutes ahead of me! Ah well, I'll take it... 4th place is 4th place!
*42 out of 6,800 women.
*282 out of 10,969 men and women. | 