TT: 1:48:58. AP: 8:19. HR: 168 (8:37, 8:13, 8:13, 8:20, 7:58, 8:13, 8:13, 8:03, 7:54, 8:02, 8:11, 8:29, 8:33)
I wasn't sure how I felt about going into this race. All my runs this week felt like garbage. My HR was so high on all of them. My hamstrings felt TERRIBLE.
I ate dinner at Slackwater!! I slept terrible. It was weird only taking the bus to the halfway part of the course! It sure was beautiful!
I didn't get out of the porta potty line till 2 minutes before the gun. I was back with the 2:30 pacer and spent the first mile weaving through people. My legs definitely felt heavy, but the miles were clicking by. Those first 3 miles were hilly. I didn't gain as much speed during the downhill as I hoped and my legs felt so heavy.
There was a woman who was a doppleganger of a runner neighbor of mine. She flew past me on the downhill. But I eventually passed her on the flat section. I kept thinking that I can't let her beat me....ha ha!
The wheels started to fall off during the last 2 miles. That last mile to the finish takes FOREVER. I'm super grateful to the volunteer who helped me at the finish. She was SO nice and I was feeling so sad.
My A race for the season is the Timp Half (sub 1:43), so I used this race to see where I was at fitness-wise. My goal wa 1:45-1:50 (I knew this course was slower than Timp). I ran a 1:48:49, so I'm not sure why I was so sad. But this felt HARD.
When I crossed the finish and sat on the pavement, the tears just came fast and hard. I was done with racing....this is just to hard. I'm never going to get there. I honestly was so sad.
While walking back to my car, I checked the race results online. I noticed that I placed 3rd in my AG. Of all the females that raced the HM today, I was in the top 6%. Of the female masters, I was top 3%. Perspective, right?
I think this course is harder than I remember. I think I've forgotten what the pain cave feels like.
I have 4 weeks until Timp Half. I really want to be consistent with my weight training, mobility and protein intake.
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