I know I shouldn't be so bummed...I got a 9 min PR, but it wasn't the race I was hoping for. I planned to run with the 3:40 marathon pace group for a 1:50 half-marathon, but the guy who was supposed to lead it got injured and they didn't get a replacement. There were no pace groups at all below the 4:00 marathon time, so basically I was on my own. I ran the first 3 miles waaaaaay too fast (for me), and by the first 10K I was at 48 minutes or so. My current 10K PR is 55 minutes. Needless to say, by the end of the race, it was a death march. Lots of walking on any minor hills (must be the ultra runner in me). Finished in 1:53:4x. I should have set up my Garmin to have a virtual pacer, but I don't know the menus well enough and I didn't want to screw anything up. I guess the silver lining is that I'm not sore at all so hopefully it won't affect this weekend's race (which I care a lot more about than the half-marathon).

I will definitely put up a race report for the Black Warrior and Mount Cheaha races that I'm doing the next two weekends! You're doing the SC Ultra Series races right? I will definitely see you there for most of them. I think the only one I'm missing is Buncombe.

 

Jen,

You rarely get the perfect race and yours wasn't perfect but it was VERY GOOD - congratulations! A 9 minute PR is very good in a 1/2M. Maybe it was your old time that sucked 

I would love to be in shape to run a 1:50 ish 1/2M - it's been a long time since I ran that well. 

You make us proud, Jen. Keep the wheels spinning and don't look back - you are on fire and if anything, I think your 1/2M will affect your upcoming race in a positive way. What is the distance that you are running? Try not to go out too fast for your time goal - in a longer race (I consider a half marathon a long race too) you can make it up later in the race; you want to run "comfortably hard" but not "hard" until the last few miles of the race. Those terms are not very precise in terms of pace - rather it is running by feel. You know when you are running too hard.

If you want help to figure out which pace you should be able to hold for your upcoming race you can try to plot your 1/2M time into the McMillan Calculator. http://www.mcmillanrunning.com/mcmillanrunningcalculator

 It can be a good help to know which pace you should be able to hold for the duration of your race even if you aren't using your Garmin to pace you - you will usually know yourself well enough to know how a certain pace should feel give or take a little depending on the topography and other variables. I think running by feel is much better in a race than depending on the Garmin to guide you. However, I think the Garmin is a very good tool also, and I recommend wearing it during the race so you know how you are doing and so you can take your splits for later analysis.

Fantastic job, Jen!!  Be very proud of yourself.

 

I slept in 'til 7:30 this a.m.  Aaaaaaahhhhh!   Well, sort of slept in.  I didn't crawl out of bed 'til 7:30.

 

Got all packed last night, double-checked everything, weather is suppose to be fantastic at Hagg Lake, ready to get outta dodge in the a.m.  Woo hoo!

Good luck to all of you who are racing this week end!

Leslie, go for that sub 6.5 hrs - it's there for you to take!

Jen, I have a friend who is running BW this week end - she is Terri Hayes, Ultraterri. 

Runslikeagirl, how are you feeling? Is the cold gone?

____

I ran 20 miles on trails today- during the sunny part of the day before the kids returned from school. It was a replacement for the MB Marathon. It had been almost a month since my last long-run. Maybe that's the reason it seemed kind of grueling today. Not my best long-run. But the weather was great and I enjoyed the peace and the sights of the woods right before spring starts. It was good mental training - confronting some of the my thoughts while running on tired legs. How do you keep going?! I felt much much fitter when I ran the same trail 3-4 weeks ago - same distance. Go figure.

Hey HEY hey - I'm here, made it through, the back, surprisingly, feels good.  Better today than it did after sitting all day yesterday driving.  Only laid down on the trail once to try and ease the tightness.  It was pretty funny.  People were running by, "Are you okay?"  "Do you need help?"  Karen's answer - No, she's fine.  (I just looked like I was dying).

Made it through the mud sucking run.  Lost my shoe at one point, but luckily it hung up on my toes or it might've been tough finding it.  It was reported that one runner left their shoes behind 'cause they were lost in the mud and ran barefoot the rest of the way (maybe half a mile), one person couldn't find a shoe.  I mean, this mud was thick and freaking grabby.

The run - Well Karen and I made a pact to do the whole thing together.  We've never run an entire race together, and since this was basically a training run - sure!  Well, the second half she started going downhill (ends up she was very low on salt).  It was really tough going for her - pooping, cramping, nausea - but we stuck it out together.  I'll tell you more about her melt down and the drama later.  If I'd been a $itch and left her behind, I think I could've finished in 6:50 to 7:00 hrs.  But I've been there before, feeling like something that washed up dead and rotting somewhere, it's lonely 'cause there's no one around for what seems like miles - it's very disheartening, discouraging.  But the main thing is, we finished - 8:26 - DFL hand in hand.

I'm pleasantly pooped, unpleasantly bloated (I always get bloated afterward), and am ready to hit the hay before the long drive tomorrow.

Will chat with you guys later ~

Leslie - Hey, hey, hey - WOW, such drama!! Good job surviving the ordeal and kudos to you for being such a wonderful friend to Karen. She now owes it to you to have chicken soup ready for you after all your long-runs!

You made me laugh with the description of you laying on your back on the trail and people asking if you were OK? You must have been a sight to behold. Thank you for sharing.

we finished - 8:26 - DFL hand in hand

Love this!

 

Congratulations to both of you for sticking it out through A Very Tough Day.

RLaG, 

Sounds like you are doing well! I am impressed with how well you've been able to handle having a cold and having had to put off your planned 10 mile run twice in the same week - and you're still keeping your cool!!!!! 

 

 

Thanks, Flower. My training is what it is at this point and I'll make the best of it. I decided it wasn't worth it to try to do a longer run if my health wasn't feeling up to it and opted to do the race as a short fun run. I'll have to adjust my strategy and goals but I'll have fun. I do love to compete. I would have to credit years of competing seriously in the horse world to helping me learn to deal with things like this in such a calm manner. I am passionate about any sport that I choose to put so much effort into and find a lot of joy in going out and doing the best that I can with the abilities I have and the resources available to me. Being able to get out and test myself is what I thrive on. The next three days are going to drag.

 

Good luck on your race this Saturday, runslikeagirl!

 

Yes, Good luck RLaG in the 1/2M today and Jen good luck on your 50K trail run this week end - second 50K in 8 days.... WOW, you are on the Extreme Team, aren't you!!! 

___

I am very envious of those of you who are running a trail in the South today - the weather is fabulous, cool and sunny - it does not get any more wonderful than this. I enjoyed a 5 mile walk this morning. Getting ready for a long trail training run tomorrow; hope the weather holds.

Please, let us know what you guys and gals are doing.