TT: 4:03:10
AP: 9:15 (9:28, 9:48, 9:27, 9:39, 9:27, 9:27, 9:12, 10:09, 9:46, 9:29, 9:44, 9:31, 9:16, 9:29, 9:05, 9:06, 8:58, 9:13, 9:23, 9:10, 9:01, 8:37, 8:42, 8:07, 8:38, 8:31)
Wow...this race was 1000% unexpected. Karen and I decided to train for this race together. She was thinking of a 4:30 marathon and all our long runs reflected a 4:30/10:30mm. In fact, I struggled keeping up with her on most of the long runs and I was hoping to hang on for dear life for race day.
We rode the bus together and sat witb Brittanie, Mel and Kellie T at the start line. Waiting is always the worst part of the race! The drone show was amazing and I even got a little teary eyed.
Karen and I just chatted till we got to Veyo. I told her how I got into Grandma's. At the bottom of Veyp, I put in my head phones and turned on my music. All of a sudden, I realized she wasn't with me. I stopped and looked around and didn't see her anywhere.
I was feeling good and decided to just go. The heaviness in my legs that was always present during our training runs was gone. I just kept picking up the pace waiting to blow up. I felt super good on the hill at mile 19. I saw Tim around mile 23 and yelled that I was feeling amazing. My watched beeped and I had just run an 8:07 mm at mile 24. This just blew my mind considering I could hardly run a 10:30mm during my long runs.
I could feel my heart rate getting high and would really slow down during the water stations to regulate it. I was abolutely shocked at my final time - 4:03. I never thought in a million years that would have happened. The weather was definitely in our favor and I think the low stress training helped my mental state. This gives me hope.
I was so incredibly sore after the race! Obviously, I didn't train for that time and my body could feel it.
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