Notes
2009 Indy half marathon. Friday night Hooters with Jake and Tom. Order of boneless wings and 6 Killians and off to bed. At 12:30 am. Up 5 hours later and off to the start line with Jake. Explained the course to him and off we went together. For about 1/4 mile. Then I lost him.
My race went well. Same issues I always have at a start. Why am I doing this? How am I going to finish? This is going to hurt. But then I fell into a rhythm. I rhythm that I was comfortable with. A rhythm I thought I could hang onto.
I ran. I made it to the track - still filling good. But the track - that is such a long track. (if you didn't know the Indy half marathon runs miles 6 - 8.5 on the Indianapolis race track) - always looking at the same thing for 2.5 miles. Eventually I was off it and running back towards the finish area.
Mile 9 was a slow one - 10:01. Slow, not sure why. But then mile 10 came up - where I lost it last year. I came together and cranked out a 9:09. Only a 5k left and I was under the pace I wanted. I wanted 2:10, a 10 minute pace. I was about a 9:30 pace and hoping I could hang on the last 5k.
I wasn't hurting, I wasn't breathing hard, I wasn't overly tired. I actually felt good. I was getting past by people, but I was also passing people. I kept at my pace. I grabbed water and walk while I drank. Like every other water station before.
So I ran.
The closer I got, the happier and apparently faster. Crossing the river in the last mile became a race between me and knowing I had it whipped. I ran my last 5k in 28:42. My last mile was an 8:39. Sweet!!!!