RESULTS--UPDATED

RESULTS! A PR on my Half-Marathon time. I ran the Silver Comet Half-Marathon in 2:08. My original goal was 2:11, so I beat that! My goal in the last 2 weeks was 2:04, and I was pretty close. With the race conditions, I was really proud of how I did. This is about 2 minutes per mile faster than last years race (a 2:28:59). I figured 1 minute for weight-loss and one for hard work over the past year and a half.

Halloween was fun for all. I started the day at 5:40 am and Kim and I headed to the race. It was about 68 degrees, so I knew that I would not need my throw away shirt (got them at goodwill for 1/2 price), and after wearing my capri pants, really had wished I had worn my running skirt. We were good for the first mile and a half before the trail began, but then it started pouring/raining/misting for a good amount of the race. I was cool with the rain since I had run my last full marathon in the rain. The rain on the capri pants created some good resistance, but the cooling temperatures were a different story. We were hot at the beginning of the race and very cold at the end. With wet clothes, it was a tough combination. I waited at the finish line about 20 minutes for my buddy Kim and we hightailed it to the buses where we waited in the rain for a ride. Finally got to the car 40 minutes later. At this point, I was shaking and my jaw was uncontrollably shaking. I think I was going hypothermic---really. The preparation paid off in that we had extra clothes packed in our "trackstar momma" bags and also had our throw away shirts---YES. We changed in the Publix and quickly bought a 12 inch sub for a snack. We ran hard, so we were hungry.

The Race: I felt good the whole race. It was funny because this being my 5th Half-Marathon, it was beginning to feel like a 10k in that it did not seem that long, and I went through the same "humps" that I did when I began running 10ks. I knew when to push and when to just stay steady. I also knew how much I had left in the tank at all times. I re-fueled with 2 Hammer Gels at Mile 4 and Mile 8. That worked well. I carried my own water like I always do and took water on the course 3 times. My watch was not picking up the correct time or pace. I think my timing chip was messing with it? So, I generally knew where I was and counted on the people calling splits. I made goals from mile to mile and was very excited to be nailing them up to mile 9. After mile 9, I slowed a little and was ok with it. This is where the flat terrain issues kicked in. I just need the terrain variety to mix it up. My legs just stayed at that pace and would not go any faster. I did some strides, and that helped, but no real bursts of speed. It was ok because I knew I was not running out of juice.

Recovery: For my full-marathon training, this week was supposed to be a 20 miler, and I definitely got the work out from the race. I have been sore in a good way and know when I run tomorrow that will help. It is funny because I have been especially hungry after this race, which means I was burning lots of glycogen. I have listened and refueled as needed.

This WEEK: a 20 miler on the horizon!