Third time's the charm

What an interesting race that started as just a run.  I decided about a week before hand that I would just take this run easy and have some fun.  I have one more half marathon this season next month that I decided to focus on; so this run was just going to be for training. And when I woke up to 50 degree weather, rain, and winds up to 30 MPH, it was confirmed...time to just have fun and run. Or at least I thought but just a few miles in...it turned into something incredible for me.

I had the most random mind set that morning.  I was just in the best of moods and not worried about time or trying to get a person record.  I was gabbing with other runners, commenting on all the ridiculous sayings on the back of people's shirts and hamming up each photo op.  Turned up the jams and was just in the zone.  As mile 1 and mile 2 passed and I was averaging 10 minute miles, I wasn't even worried.  There were a ton of people and I was taking my time.  After about mile two, things started to thin out a bit and I fell into a groove. I watched my time drop to the mid 9s and I am usually good with that.  Its not a race pace...but I wasn't racing so I was happy to just be cruising along.

As the sun started rise, it seemed we were in the clear from having any further rain.  With over cast skies, cool temps and a breeze (okay, still very heavy winds), it was near perfect conditions for a long run. By the time I got to the mile 6 marker, I was still having fun and watching my time drop with decent ease; I then changed my mind that maybe I would actually try and race the second half. I didn't have anything to lose and if I hit a wall...well then I would just say that I intended to just "run" anyhow.  I crossed the mat at the half way point at 1:04:10 which was actually about 6 minutes slower than my half marathon last month.  But it was about this point last time that I hit my wall and quickly started averaging high ten minute miles.

At mile 7 I took a gel and picked up the pace again.  I love running sub 9 minute miles, but since I am still a slow poke and I didn't want a few really good miles kill the rest of the race, so pulled it back a bit for mile 8 and 9.  During these miles, I made sure to stop at both water stops and drink both water and Gatorade as well as eat my gummies with intentions of running a good remaining 5K.  My plan worked.  In fact, it worked really well.  A 27 minute 5K is great for me, and most of the time I don't run 10 miles before hand.  I was ecstatic to cross that finish line and proclaim a new personal record.  My second half took just over 57 minutes! That is the gusto I have been talking about for months. Guess, third time's the charm!

So close to a sub 2 hour half.