WolfPack Run Club, ready to race!
I had no idea what would happen during this race. I was worried that I would hit a wall like I have during my long runs, but I also knew there was a chance that I would have a good day and race day adrenaline would see me through. I've had a lot of training hiccups lately, but I know I am still in better overall shape than I was a year ago!
I skipped a warm up this morning because I was standing in line for the bathroom, but I was completely ok with that. I knew that skipping a warm up would help me start just a little bit slower, and use that first mile for a warm up. My first mile didn't actually end up being all that slow, but at least it wasn't 6:00 pace! I did not allow myself to look at my watch (other than to glance at my HR occasionally) until after I crossed the finish line. I even managed to keep my eyes on the ground when I passed the time clocks at mile 7 so that I wouldn't see them and start obsessing about my time. I did catch the number 4 at the beginning of the clock but that was it! I ran the whole race by feel, keeping my pace as strong and consistent as I could. I spent several miles on the heels of the 4th place woman. She pulled ahead in the 5th mile, but I slowly reeled her back in, passing her on an uphill (the only way I know how to pass people!) in mile 7, and then I held my place til the end. After how strong I felt throughout the race, I was a bit disappointed to see that I hadn't broken 1:30, but I was still happy with my race. The fact that I was running strong and mostly under 7:00 matters a lot more than breaking 1:30. I only had 3 miles over 7:00 today! Plus, I actually finished the 13.1 in under 1:31, since the course was long. Now I just need to shave off 3 more minutes by November...
I was impressed to see that my second fastest mile was mile 13! I was struggling hard for air at that point, but didn't want to use my inhaler that close to the finish. I was afraid that my oxygen debt was slowing me down, but 6:41 pace is pretty impressive for oxygen debt! (I did use the inhaler in mile 6, I was running so well and didn't want to risk losing it because I waited too long to use the inhaler!)
I have learned in my past few half marathons that starting slow is not the best plan for me. It's true that I shouldn't go out at a 6:00 pace, but I shouldn't go out at a 8:00 pace either. I do best with consistency, which means I need to start close to the pace that I actually want to run. If I start too fast I will burn out, and if I start too slow I won't be able to pick up the pace later in the race. I have always been good at consistency, so I don't know why I kept trying to mess with it by starting extra slow! I also run best when I hide my watch and run by feel...I really need to make sure I do that in every race.
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