Training for this half was no joke. Again, I learned that training for an event with Ben is way different than how I've done it before. I enjoyed the run emphasis and saw many gains along the way, even if they were just small ones. I was reminded of why I love running. I thoroughly enjoyed the training. I was also reminded of the importance of self care such as stretching, rolling, and proper recovery, or else my body starts to hate me with the additional stress on it. I was also reminded why I entered triathlon to begin with...I missed my bike and swim and the variety in the training! Average training for this run block was 5-6 runs a week, sometimes two a day, with an occasional bike or swim mixed in. Most of the runs were easy, some with drills, some with strides, one speed work session a week, and a longish run on Saturdays followed by a shorter one that evening. It was different than I what I would do left to my own devices, but again, I enjoyed it.
This was a Halloween themed race, but I had no intention of dressing up. I am not a big Halloween fan anyhow, much less dress up for 13.1 miles for it. I told people I was going as a runner, since I still don't consider myself much of one :)
I did packet pick up the day before and rode down race morning with my friends Alicia and Cristin. We all had our own goals for this race, so it was agreed upon that it was every man for himself once the gun went off and we would meet at the finish.
I remembered that in the past the pacers have served me well in run races. I knew that my goal was 1:45-1:55ish, so I found the 1:50 pacer guy before the gun went off. He was dressed as Peter Pan in green tights! He was super nice and told me his strategy was to bank some time in the beginning on the downhills, then conserve a little for the uphills at the end. I told him I would hang with him for as long as I could. The gun went off and away we went. I immediately noticed in the first couple of miles I was going WAY faster than Ben told me to, but my HR was where it was supposed to be, so I went with that instead. It only took a mile or two into this run for my hamstrings to start feeling the steep downhill, and I knew this run was going to kick my trash and I would be sore later. Part of the deal though! I felt great and took in a Gu every half hour, and slowed some at aid stations, but not much, long enough to take either a water or Gatorade. The first 7-8 miles are down the canyon, and they are very fast. They are also so, so pretty! I never take for granted what a beautiful place I live in!
When we came into the city by the zoo, I could not longer hold the pace of Peter Pan. My legs were starting to feel the fatigue of the rapid down hill and I knew I couldn't keep up, so I let him go, even though I wasn't happy about it. The course then turned into a neighborhood which I didn't love this part. I sort of turned off mentally for a mile or so, disappointed that I couldn't keep up with Pacer dude, but also because there was a lot of winding for a few miles in the neighborhood and I felt they kept taking us up the same hill a few times over. Not fun! I was glad when I finally knew where we were and knew we were near Sugar House Park where the finish was. I really tried to push once we entered the park. These last two miles sucked. I hurt, I was tired, and the only thing that kept me going was the fact I desperately wanted to be done and running was the fastest way to get there. They actually have a decent hill a half mile from the finish. Rude! I ran that hill and immediately had to walk because I was so winded. However, this only lasted a few seconds, then I ran again and pushed to the finish. I was so thrilled to see my finish was 1:51:25! This was an 8.5 minute PR and I was pretty thrilled to be just :25 off my goal time, and I found the Peter Pan Pacer Dude and he had just barely finished as well, so I wasn't that far off!
I had to sit down and I enjoyed seeing several friends at the finish. My legs hated me already, and the next several days would continue to do so :/
Overall, I am thrilled with how this went. There is always the part of me that is my own worse critic and can't help but see how I may have done things just a little differently, but I am super happy.
What's next? I literally have nothing scheduled until IMStG 70.3 on May 6. I am sure I will end up doing smaller races between now and then, but that's it! I am looking forward to the next 1-2 weeks off for a break, and then slowly building into 2017 training with Ben. He says he is going to "load me up" more than last year, so I am a little scared what that means! But, by the time swim season ends in January, I know I will be ready for it :)
Happy Training and Racing all!
