The training: Last year I ran my highest mileage yet, trained hard, and had mostly disappointing results. A combination of bad weather and other junk (Gracie's surgery, life stress, I don't know).

This year started with a string of injuries. Hip, back, knee. So I basically took four months off from training (and Addie) and just ran easy, what I could manage.

I started 'serious' training again in June. Back with coach Addie.  It took a little bit to get my fitness back but not too long and I was hitting my 'old' speedwork paces.

The race: Fox Cities Half marathon. I run this race every year with my brother and it's my favorite half. This was #6. It's flat and it works for my schedule (Nov marathon) and it's well organized, etc. It also usually has good weather (except last year which was 75 degrees).

Goals: I had a couple good workouts. 4x2 miles, averaging 6:46 and a workout of 1 mile, 1 mile, 2 miles, 1 mile, 1 mile, 2 miles - averaging 6:44.  So 8 miles total at 6:45ish but with breaks. I didn't know if I could hold that without the breaks, and for 5 more miles but I thought it was possible. And the sub-7 miles felt easier than they ever have before.  Also, really wanted to finally break 1:30 (6:52 pace). And place in the top 3 women (I always end up 4th or 5th in this race).

But most of all, I really wanted to PR and I thought I had a good chance. And maybe my best chance to PR at something this year, since New York is hilly. I told Addie, so she gave me a big taper for it (relative to Addie standards).

Pre-race: My legs felt like crap for my Friday and Saturday runs which was concerning but I have tapered enough times to not be too worried.

It was something like 46 degrees at the start, low wind, sun. A miracle that fall weather arrived just in time.  I ran 2 miles warm up during which my garmin rated my performance condition a -3. But my legs felt good. So I tried to not let it bother me. (it did a little bit. Was my heart rate too high?)

I lined up behind the 1:30 pacers thinking if they ran evenly, it could help me. If they did not, I would let them go. While I had an idea of my fitness, my plan was to run by effort. I have done enough of these things to know what feels right..

The Race
The first couple miles felt okay. I was working but didn't feel like the effort was out of line and my legs felt good. But the space between me and the pacers was gradually increasing, despite the fact that I was running under goal pace. So I just decided to let them go.
I knew I was already pushing it to the point it wasn't wise to go harder.  6:48, 6:47

The middle miles of this race went pretty quickly.. my watch told me I was running in the lower 6:40's for a bunch of these but the effort didn't feel out of line. I just tried to relax and keep the negative thoughts away.  When I started questioning if I could hold the pace, I just kept telling myself 'you're doing it.'  6:47, 6:46, 6:43, 6:43, 6:42

Around mile 8, I could feel the fatigue building in my legs. In a half my goal is always 'make it to mile 10' and then deal with the last 5k as a separate thing. So this is what I focused on here.  There was a woman in front of me that I had been slowly closing in on and I passed her here which was a little mental boost. But then I ended up alone for a good part of the next few miles. To the point where at times I couldn't see anyone in front of me. That was tough mentally. 6:53, 6:44, 6:49

The last 5k. I was working pretty hard to keep pace by mile 10 but I wasn't totally suffering. By mile 11, I was totally suffering. I felt like I had slowed down and was struggling to just jog (in reality I held pace pretty well but it felt like I was going in slow motion) and I was trying to focus on keeping the effort high. I was counting down the minutes and trying to give it whatever I had left for 2 miles. I passed a couple guys in the last 1.5 miles. I was breathing so loud I am sure they were happy to get me out of the way. I thought I had a good cushion under 1:30 based on my garmin splits but I was also a little behind the course mile markers so when I saw the finish line ticking up towards 1:30 I scrounged up the little energy left and ran as hard as I could. 6:54, 6:46, 6:47, and 6:20 for the last bit

1:29:56 official time. Sub-1:30, a PR by 1:47. 4th place female so I missed out on top 3 women but overall I was pretty fucking happy with it.

Addie says sub-3:10 for NYC which seems optimistic given the course but as far as I'm concerned NYC is gravy. Whatever happens there, I'm good.

Awesome race!  I know you would have had a great race at Indy if all Grace’s stress and surgery wouldn’t have happened. Glad to see you are back to those paces and PR mentality.

I can’t wait to see you running that 3:10.

Congrats on a great race!  Those splits are impressive!

 

This has always been my mantra in HMs. Just make it to 10 miles and then I try telling myself it's only a 5K. Great job!! It's awesome to finally see you break 1:30 and have a good race . How much lower was your mileage this summer compared to last summer?

This summer... maybe just 5mpw less.  60-65mpw vs 65-70mpw.  But this winter/spring was quite a lot less. and took several weeks off.

Congrats on that sub 1:30!  Very nice RR and wow, impressive racing.  Looking forward seeing you flash by at NYC.

Seriously impressive. I've been that person as well, breathing so hard and heavy and simultaneously worrying what other people were thinking of me, but also hurting so bad that I didn't really care.

You rock the casbah! Nice job!!!

Man, you nailed that.  Awesome race.  I hope you kicked your brother's ass.

It's great to read a race report where everything comes together! Fantastic job!