RUN 26.2 miles in 4:22:03, huge PR!
First loop recorded as 9:39 pace, second loop not individually reported.
1st of 4 in my AG, 4th out of 18 females.
Two out-n-back course with a spur up a hill.
Coming out of transition I was a gear mess. I'd realized at one point during the bike ride that I'd messed something up with my EFS flasks this morning. I'd only packed 3 refills and 1 new one. During set up this morning, I thought I was missing one so I moved the 3rd to my T2 bag. So instead of a flask in the T2 and another in my Special Needs bag, I had both in the T2 bag. Nuts. So I tucked the refill in my shorts (something I thankfully practiced last weekend!) and kept the new on in hand. I also had my arm coolers to put on, but didn't feel like wearing them. Then I had my Garmin and my Camelbak handheld. My hands were so full I couldn't put the Garmin or the coolers on without stopping to set things down! I tucked the coolers in the left leg of my shorts, managed to get the Garmin on while running, and finally got situated about a mile in.
Run goals? Stay at a pace I can maintain, don't blow up late in the run. Eat EFS shot every 30 mins. Dump water on shirt for cooling. Fast walk 15-30s at every mile in the first half, and as needed after that.
LAP 1: I was feeling great aside from pain in both feet. I knew this would come and go throughout the run so I ignored it. I was seeing many friends in this first mile, both at the tent and as they were finishing their half marathon. This was such a boost!
The course turned off to a shaded road and I started looking for the mileage signs. It took some time for me to decide if I was going to walk when the Garmin beeped a mile or at the signs. After a few miles I picked the signs. Sometimes I didn't need to walk but did anyway even if just 15 seconds. I was happy to see that my mile splits were between 9:30 and 10. Yeah, I know, I wasn't going to look at the Garmin this race. But really I only looked at the mile splits after a beep, that's it.
I seemed to be moving fast, passing a lot of people but I felt OK. I decided that if it felt good I should do it! Finally saw G, then TH. She said she was the 3rd OA female and I needed to catch her. I yelled out a whoop then realized I really should have said "don't let me catch you!". Were we really that far ahead in the field? This was a mostly out-n-back course but the spur at miles 5-9 or so would prevent us from seeing everyone. Wow...really...? This got my heart rate up, but soon enough I got it back under control. Don't blow up! The loop ended well, still good energy and no major problems.
LAP 2: I hit the turnaround and looked forward to my SN bag. It had my bee costume! Pulled on the tutu and the head band, grabbed a caffeinated gel, and took off. It wasn't long at all before I was getting happy comments on the costume, which is why I wear it. They get a smile, I get to smile back, and everyone wins.
By now my Garmin was off-distance pretty bad, but I knew after it beeped that I could start looking for the mileage signs. Due to 2nd loop, there was a full distance mile marker followed by a full & half sign maybe 0.1 miles afterwards. In the first loop I walked at the combined sign. So I was also happy when I first realized that instead of having to wait for the second mileage sign, I got to walk at the first one! It's the little things. And speaking of little things, my SN bag had my Sport Beans. I awarded myself 2 at every walk break.
Also in the first loop I did my best to not look at the 2nd loops signs, looking away and promising I'd be back later to see them. Finally I got to enjoy them. I was also enjoying the fact that I was still running and passing a lot of people Early on I passed G, and luckily there was a photographer who ran ahead of us to get our pictures. He wanted the costume and I wanted G in my pict!
In these miles I started doing more race math to keep me entertained. 15 mile sign...how many miles is 2.4+112+15? This was easier to do in the first lap! I found TH somewhere in mile 16, she had been sick around mile 10 but still moving. 16 then 17 (and a snake along the road!), up the hill to 18. I was moving steady, refilling the handheld at every aid station (forgot to mention that in the first loop I emptied it between stations because I wasn't refilling! DUMB!), pouring more and more water on me. More hill and finally the turn around at the top. It was around here that the race started getting tougher.
Soon enough it was mile 23, only a 5K distance to go! All along I'd been cheering on other runners, now I started pulling out RM's pre-race cheer of Relentless Forward Motion for both myself and the other runners around me. Keep It Forward, I'd say. I was one of the only people still running, so it probably seemed easy for me to say that.
5K to go, and by now in my head I knew that I was only chasing my PR. I'd still walk on the mile marks, just 30-45 seconds, but the finish line was so close!! 24, 25, then I could see the red flags at the finish!! All those weeks, months!, of training, all the work and doubt and effort was all coming down to these moments. I felt like I might tear up a bit, but I didn't. I pushed it in to the finish with my DH, family, and friends cheering me on!! WHOOP!!! #4 is DONE with a 41 min PR!!!
After a few dazed minutes coming back to earth, and after having the med tent get something out of my eye, I went back to the end of the course to cheer in TH (she had a DLF!!), G, and IT. My voice was shot by the end :) Then more pictures, our awards, podium pictures, then retrieving Frea and the gear. Then some ice cream with peanut butter on the way home to help my throat and get some sugar in the body. I threw most of it away, but it was good! I stayed up kinda late with M&D visiting, eating, and drinking. Hard to believe I was still awake!
There's so much I want to remember! I'll keep thinking of things and add them in I guess. But overall, it was like a perfect race day. I'm so lucky!
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