TexasLindsey

Chip time 1:39:29  

Race distance according to my Garmin =13.16  

Average pace for first 7 miles = 7:23/m

Average pace for last 6 miles= 7:46/m

Average for whole race = 7:34/m

Mile 1	7:11
Mile 2	7:20
Mile 3	7:29
Mile 4	7:19
Mile 5	7:31
Mile 6	7:29
Mile 7	7:27
Mile 8	7:46
Mile 9	7:50
Mile 10	8:02
Mile 11	7:41
Mile 12	7:37
Mile 13	7:41
Final .16 mile	6:19

The Fort Worth Cowtown Marathon!!!  My city’s biggest running event!  There were 15,000 runners in the various races.  8,000 in the marathon events.  It was at a new location and new route this year.  I really like what they did.  It was a great race! 

My only complaint was the weather.  66 degrees, 90% humidity, wind 20 mph gusting up to 24mph.   Yuck!  Normally, the weather for this race in February is cold so this was a really strange year.

My official goal was 1:39:59 or better.  I thought I was capable of 1:37 if the conditions were perfect, but the humidity and wind were an issue so I was being realistic and sticking with 1:39.  So I taped a pace band to my wrist that had the times for 1:39 (7:33/m) and I lined up in corral 1 in between the 3:10 (7:26/m) and 3:20 (7:38/m) marathon pace groups. 

It was fun waiting for the race to start because there were a lot of people I knew from other races standing around me.  One funny thing happened: I told a girl standing next to me about my goal being 1:39 officially and 1:37 if I have a great day.  Her facial expression was kinda cocky and then she said, “Oh 1:37 is easy. I break that all the time.”  Hmmm.  Well, good luck to you in the humidity then…   

Wind was at our backs for miles 1-7.  There was one challenging hill about a quarter mile long in mile 5, but other than that, the first 7 miles were pretty easy. 

Mile 8 we turned into the wind.  I literally kissed my favorite visor goodbye and threw it in the grass.  It will be missed…  It was amazing how the wind made even the downhills feel difficult.  Mile 9 had a huge hill.  It was rough!!!  Mile 10 should have been easy because it was downtown and there were big crowds lining the street, but I was still hurting from the mile 9 hill.  I did an 8:00 min mile, my slowest of the race.  About this time the 3:20 marathon pace group passed me and my friend, Greg, who was leading it taunted me about slowing down.  My leg muscles felt like jello as I was trying to run faster.  I stopped caring about what time I was going to finish in or what my time for each mile was and I started thinking that I just wanted to finish. 

Then, suddenly, at the beginning of mile 11 something happened that woke me up from the painful haze I was in:  I saw that cocky girl from the starting corral.  She was about 100 yards ahead of me going up a hill and I could tell from her form that she was struggling.  I decided to catch her.  It was pretty satisfying to pass her and it made me get a second wind.  I don’t think I would have done as well in miles 11-13 if it had not been for her.   Funny how things work out!  I sprinted the final .1 as fast as I could.  I had no idea what my time was until the final few yards when I saw the clock.  I was elated that my time was going to be under 1:40. 

Emily from my running group ran a 3:21 marathon and was the 4^th place girl overall.  She looked great!  Most people in my running group said the weather made them miss their original goals for this race, though. 

The wind sucked but truly I believe the reason I slowed down in the second half was because my legs are not strong enough.  Cardio-wise, I was doing well.  I actually think I could hold a 7:20/m pace for an entire half marathon at my current level of cardio-fitness… BUT I don’t think my legs are strong enough yet.  Something to work on.   I need to do some strength training if I’m going to take myself to the next level.

Ran 7.5 miles at noon today around the park by my sister's house.  Weather= 73 degrees, 23% humidity, wind 10 mph, sun-sun-sunny.  Average pace=8:01/m

Mile 1- 8:08

Mile 2- 7:55

Mile 3- 8:14

Mile 4- 7:53

Mile 5- 7:49

Mile 6- 8:07

Mile 7- 8:01

Last .5 mile - 8:01 pace 

It was a H-O-T day to run!  The sun makes a big difference.  I am not complaining.  I'll take this over cold any day of the week.  Bring on the heat, baby!

I ran in my sports bra.  I hate doing that because people look at me... women sometimes make rude faces and men smile a little too much.  Today, I didn't care because I was hot!

5.3 miles at 5:30 pm.  Weather= 75 degrees, 29% humidity, 14 mph wind, sun setting.  Average pace=8:19/m.

Mile 1- 8:23

Mile 2- 8:20

Mile 3- 8:23

Mile 4- 8:22

Mile 5- 8:22

Final .3 - 7:36

4.8 miles at 8:30 am around my neighborhood with my friend, Ashley.  Weather= 65 degrees, 70% humidity, 25 mph wind, cloudy.   Average pace=8:20/m.

Ashley from my running group and I discovered that we live only a mile apart.  Ashley doesn't run much around our neighborhood so when we met up today I took her on a tour of the best hills around here.  I don't normally run all these hills the same day.   It was very difficult especially when we went uphill against the wind.  Ashley was doing much better than I was... I was really struggling.  I realized halfway through that I forgot to take my caffeine this morning. 

Tomorrow Ashley and I and a few other friends are doing a long run.  Now that Cowtown is over, the running store we all run with, Fort Worth Running Company, isn't doing doing long runs until May. 

Mile 1- 8:40 downhill

Mile 2- 8:01 mostly downhill

Mile 3- 8:03 long challenging hill

Mile 4- 8:20 shorter steep hill, then downhill

Last .8 mile - 8:30 uphill against the wind

10 miles this morning at 7 am at the Trinity River trails.  Weather= 40 degrees, 49% humidity, VERY WINDY 25 mph gusting to 30 mph, cloudy.  Average pace=7:43/m

Mile 1- 8:11

Mile 2- 7:49

Mile 3- 7:48

Mile 4- 7:51

Mile 5- 7:49

Mile 6- 7:48

Mile 7- 7:33

Mile 8- 7:30

Mile 9 - 7:25

Mile 10 - 7:31

Final .3 mile - 7:05

Met up with Ashley, Emily, James, Tim, Monty, Greg and another guy I didn't catch the name of.  Emily, Ashley and I set the pace and the guys stayed behind.  I was just trying my best to keep up with Emily.  These guys and Emily normally run 7:00-7:20 pace for long runs so I guess they were just going slow still recovering from The Cowtown Marathon. 

Originally I was going to wear arm warmers and a shirt but then as I stood there waiting for people to arrive I got really cold and at the last minute I decided to throw on my jacket.  I regretted it after only a mile.  I was really hating that stupid jacket the final 3 miles when I sped up.  I felt hot and bulky.  I also was pissed at myself that I didn't have my ipod.  I really could have used some techno music to put me in a trance and take my mind off the pain the final two miles.  I had some gu with me but I was working so hard at the pace I never used it.   I did the whole run without fuel or water. 

Around mile 6.5 Emily and I started talking and we kinda got ahead of everyone else.  Then she started speeding up at mile 7.5.  I decided to try to keep up as best I could with the 20 mph wind.  About 3 times during those final 2 miles we'd approach 7:20 pace and I thought I couldn't take it anymore.... I slowed down assuming she would just zoom ahead.  But when I'd slow down, she would let up just enough to allow me to catch back up.  Then after a couple minutes she'd gradually pick it up again.  I was hanging but barely.  She gave me a great workout!  I love running with people who are better than me and challenge me to do what I think I can't.   

I am proud that the final .3 mile I ran a 7:05 pace especially since there was a steep hill in that portion.  I am very surprised I had enough energy to do that as much trouble as I was having with the 7:20 pace.  She sprinted ahead on the downhill in the final 50 feet.  Greg and James came in about 1 minute after us and Greg said, "We were chicked today!"