I've actually felt pretty relaxed running lately and my times are getting a little faster naturally... BUT... I've been fighting this dreaded "drainage" for WEEKS. I've done mucinex, allergy medicine, a round of antibiotics... and NOTHING is working. The mucinex seems to do the best job but it leaves me with a very dry mouth - not fun when you're trying to run 13.1 miles. Anyway, I knew I needed a clear set of pipes to run well so I took all of it Saturday morning - Seriously! I had a plan and I wasn't about to let this take me down. So, I got up SUPER early Saturday morning (4:30 am) to try a new morning routine (hot chocolate) and some time to get my body in gear (I'll leave it there). I took allergy medicine, mucinex, my inhaler and some Immodium AD (TMI but I always have stomach issues when I run). I also skipped the pasta on Friday night as I had started to think that was some of my stomach issues from previous races. For dinner Friday night I had half a chicken breast on a small salad. Saturday morning I had a small bowl of chocolate cheerios. I'm not sure which worked but it WORKED! I was able to breathe and I had NO stomach issues.
The weather was PERFECT - 45 degrees and only a slight breeze. It was cold at the start, my toes were actually numb the first mile, but then it was perfect once warmed up. I did the first mile right on pace and felt really good. Then at mile 2 and 3 I was just seconds ahead of where I planned on being. When mile 4's split popped up on my watch I knew I was going way too fast for my planned 2:10 group... and they were quite a few steps behind me. BUT... I felt REALLY good so I just kept going and the miles kept ticking away at pretty even splits.
Around mile 6 I knew that I was on pace for a PR and feeling pretty good so I made up my mind that I was going for it. I felt pretty good until mile 9 and then I started to drag some. I walked through a couple of aid stations and really had to push on mile 11 but then I hit the last two miles and knew that they were both downhill and I was going to hit my PR. I was hurting but I pushed myself through and ran 2:06:17. My best half marathon ever was 2:08:12 and that was in 2007. Last October I ran a 2:12:29 which was my best of the last two years. So, I took 6 minutes off of my time from October!! I was pretty ecstatic and riding a high all day long.
I went directly from my run to Reid's soccer game, lunch and then playing outside with the boys. I actually wasn't able to even shower until 3:00. It was a BUSY day for sure. I went to bed that night at 9:30 and I was ready to be off my feet!
These were my splits:
1 - 10:31
2 - 9:58
3 - 9:45
4 - 9:24
5 - 9:25
6 - 9:24
7 - 9:34
8 - 9:23
9 - 9:42
10 - 9:23
11 - 9:55
12 - 9:30
13 - 9:00
.1 - 8:51
I'm pacing a half on 4/16 in Olathe for the 2:25 group which should be relatively easy for me and then on 5/1 I am going to Lincoln for another half marathon. I'm now in the process of deciding what my attack plan for Lincoln is going to be? Push it? Enjoy it? Pace it?
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