I had really wanted to break 2 hours this year, but after a terrible race in Lake Tahoe, I didn't think it was going to happen. Tristan (who has run this race every year with me) and I made a pact to stay together and enjoy the race!
We started off easy and then hit a moderate pace. I was feeling pretty good and relieved that my body felt so much better than it had at Tahoe. There was no pressure to get a time goal, but about halfway through I noticed that our pace was right on track for around 2 hours. Still, I didn't want to get my hopes up, or start pushing the pace only to bonk later in the race.
We kept a steady pace and talked. Richmond is just so much fun, especially Pope Ave and Fauquier, running past the Fall colors. During the last 3 miles, I still felt good, and saw that a sub-2 was still possible, but didn't stress about it. If we got a few minutes over or under 2, it didn't matter either way. I still tried to push a little harder in the last few miles, because I like to have a strong finish and get the best time I can on that day. Tristan and I stayed together and finished strong.
And we did it! We finally got a sub 2 on the Richmond course! The best part is it was such a fun and enjoyable sub 2 race! I wasn't feeling miserable at the end like I was after Tahoe. We barely got a sub 2, but it still counts! I got another Richmond blanket to add to my collection and we rewarded ourselves with some peppermint mochas at Starbucks. Richmond never fails to disappoint, and I love coming back to the city that originally made me fall in love with running.
I was so bummed and sore after Lake Tahoe. It was nice to have a good race so soon after that. It made me realize I haven't lost all my speed and fitness; I just need to train better and stop thinking I can run a half marathon as a "fun run". I don't always want to push for a PR, but that doesn't mean I can slack off and not train, because the pain during and after the race is not worth it! If I stick to a training schedule, I can run a very enjoyable and "easy" half marathon, but if I don't, I can spend the next 3 days barely able to walk and struggling to go down stairs or sit on the toilet. The training is more important than any of the conditions on race day!
Running Richmond got me excited for all the races I want to run in 2017! My training typically slacks off a bit in the winter months, but I hope I can do a little better this year and not get derailed by the holidays. I want to focus on getting faster in 2017!
Mile Pace
1 9:22
2 9:10
3 9:15
4 9:05
5 9:09
6 9:09
7 8:57
8 9:22
9 9:02
10 9:15
11 9:13
12 9:04
13 8:30
14 6:59
Official Time: 1:59:54 Overall Pace: 9:08
No comments:
Post a Comment