This was my 3rd year running the race and each time it was a goal race. I missed my goal the past 2 years (2:11 instead of 2:10, then 2:01:5X instead of sub2). After last year, I swore I wouldn’t do it again. It’s obviously a huge race so logistics make me more anxious than necessary but it is well organized with lots of support along the course (both aid and spectators). The downsides are it takes several miles to feel a bit of space and the course profile does not agree with me. It is net downhill but has 420 ft elevation (including some incline near the end) but more importantly, you don’t really notice most of the downhill. So there’s not much to look forward to…except the end, haha I didn’t sign up for the race until April because, like I said, I swore I wouldn’t do it again. But after my marathon in January, I started running more and saw my fitness improving. I felt like I wanted a goal HM at the end of my season and this was the only race to fit the bill. But I should have known, sigh.
Training went great! I worked with my same coach again and hit 180 miles in April and 170 miles in May (vs 100 and 141 in April/May last year). Based on the workouts I was nailing, she felt like a 8:55 pace was doable. I really wanted an official sub2 since my “PR” half in December was a short course and decently net downhill at 1:55:21 (pace 8:57) for 12.9 miles. So my plan was to start at 2 hour pace (9:07 pace) and try to speed up. LOL as I’m typing that. No injuries during training and I didn’t miss any workouts. I only cut a few runs short the weekend before the race because I was in Minnesota and it was 95 degrees with 1000% humidity.
Race morning started just before 4am. I splurged for the VIP experience through RnR since the parking and PoP situation is awful for this race. My first year, I stood in line for almost an hour and missed my corral start. Year 2, I got in line immediately but then had to pee again before the race started and just held it throughout the race. Not ideal. For $69, I got parking in a garage right next to the finish line, shuttle directly to the start, and then a tent area that had seemingly 1 PoP per person (!), light breakfast, chairs, VIP gear check, sunscreen, etc. Worth the $$. There were also heaters but they weren’t turned on…because at 5am, I didn’t even need my long sleeve. By 6 am, before my warm up, I was already warm in a tank. Desi Linden was supposedly part of the 2 hour pace group. The corrals are madness so while I saw the sign for the group, I didn’t see her and couldn’t get close to that corral.
Race started at 6:15am and it was close to 6:30am when my corral crossed the start line. Why are there people walking at the start?? I started off, aiming for 9:05-9:10 which felt a bit harder than I expected. Through the early miles, I really tried hard to focus on the current mile, try to stay relaxed and take in water or Gatorade at most of the aid stops. The Sun came out blazing after the 5K mat and I never saw a cloud again. It gave me PTSD flashbacks to my marathon in Phoenix back in January where I was running directly into the sun for hours. Not good. I saw mile after mile click off that was around 9:10 or a little slower and I knew I needed to start picking things up, but I just couldn’t. With every small hill, I felt myself slowing more and more. Around Mile 8-9, I gave up. I didn’t have sub 2 in me that day and reasoned I’d rather run quite a bit slower and enjoy the remaining miles rather than really crash and burn. I even walked briefly up an incline while my brain was screaming (hopefully not out loud) how much I hate this race. There is some nice downhill at Mile 10 and it was here that I realized just because I won’t go sub2 doesn’t mean I can’t PR the course. So I picked it up a little more but too little too late. I would cross the finish line about 10 second slower than last year in 2:02:07. Which kills me –less about the actual time—and more because I am fitter this year but I have no race to show that. The weather played into things a little but it wasn't crazy hot. Probably mid to high 70's and very sunny.
So yeah, I’m a bit bummed. I was really hoping to be able to put this sub2 obsession behind me and make new goals for the future. Time and time again, I just don’t have the mental game for these goal races. I get through the training just fine (and enjoy it!) but then come race day, I give up rather than push through. I know that my current fitness isn’t a waste and it will benefit me going forward yada yada yada but I’ll allow myself to be disappointed for this week.
For those reading, this race is really a great course that takes you through many neighborhoods of San Diego and I look forward to running it again but ONLY FOR FUN.
Time and time again, I just don’t have the mental game for these goal races. I get through the training just fine (and enjoy it!) but then come race day, I give up rather than push through.
I think you have this wrong. You can't just push thru and give your best performance when it's 75+ and sunny. It just doesn't work that way. I ran a half last spring in the 70's and sun and it was 5 minutes slower than the one I ran in cool weather a few weeks later. And not for lack of pushing thru. I killed myself in both races. You're better off if you don't view this as a personal failure but as a weather failure.
Go figure
Sorry to read that the race didn't go your way. It sounds as if the course was in your head a little bit from the start, which can be tough to overcome. The mental piece is hard, but I guess it just comes with more and more training. Lots of my friends have been right on the edge of big time goal too, and when they've finally broken through, it's been by a lot. Hopefully you'll find the same kind of result very soon.
On the plus side, I've never seen a VIP deal that was actually worth the money - yours seemed to be a great deal!
ETA...Just read OneMile's reply, which was very astute. You can definitely run a great race and not PR. The only thing I ask myself when I'm done with a race is whether or not I'm happy with my effort. As long as I can answer that I am, the actual "result" doesn't mean too much.
Trying to find some more hay to restock the barn
I lost my rama
Nice job, and even though you were disappointed with your time, I think you did as best as you could given the conditions. I've blown up in races in cooler conditions than you had. Also, do you know your OA placement this year versus last year? I'm willing to bet you did better when looking from this perspective.
3/17 - NYC Half
4/28 - Big Sur Marathon DNS
6/29 - Forbidden Forest 30 Hour
8/29 - A Race for the Ages - will be given 47 hours
It’s very tough to race a goal Half in those conditions. You just can’t expect to PR in the heat. You certainly can push through and run the best effort for the conditions but it’s gonna be miserable. I did this 2 5ks ago and it wasn’t fun. The second was just as hot/humid and I essentially quit...i didn’t have it mentally. It’s normal to be disappointed in yourself...I certainly was and mine wasn’t even a goal race. It will just make you tougher for the next race. Focus on your training this summer and line up a cooler fall race. You should be able to crush your PR.
PRs:----- 5k: 17:48 (2019) 5M: 29:36 (2020) HM: 1:24:37 (2017) Scheduled: ???
^ This.
I have also run that full and that's not a flat nor PR conducing race either. So, I think the 2:02 is pretty good considering. Find a HM in 35F and then you'll see you will break 2 hours in that (flat, of course).
Damaris
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I'm sorry it didn't go the way you wanted! I agree with the others that the weather was probably the biggest determining factor. If you're already warm before you even start running, that makes for really difficult conditions. Is there a fall race near you that would be cooler?
That VIP experience sounds well worth it. Like others have said, there isn't much you can do about the heat. Your body sends the message to slow down because either you slow down or you overheat. Ignoring that signal likely will result in a medical tent visit, sometimes on the course.
Thanks everyone for the pep talk!. My coach also provided a helpful perspective, seeing how she raced it as well and had a similarly disappointing result (even if her goal pace was like 35 minutes faster than mine!)
I don't think my next goal HM will be until December but I'll probably revisit my 5k and 10K PRs instead earlier in the fall. I have no desire to run LR > 10 miles over the summer.
So yeah, I’m a bit bummed. I was really hoping to be able to put this sub2 obsession behind me and make new goals for the future. Time and time again, I just don’t have the mental game for these goal races.
Your mental game will only take you as far as your fitness allows. Your fitness is affected by the course and conditions, so if one or both is at an extreme(s), you can throw those goals out the window.
It's a common refrain we see for runners out west and down south; you put in all that hard work then get a sky full of sun on race day and you're left wondering what you could've done differently. It sucks.
Omg you did it. Woot!
Yes! Thanks for letting me know I can just grab it from FB!!
Technically, it was me!
Actually, she did it on her own.
Damn it, two geniuses were of no help?