Saturday, November 22, 2008

Star City Half in 1:42:20

Praise to our God who is mighty to save
and gives me
strength to run and not grow weary.

Well, this is a fun report to write :-) I came in under my goal time by almost 8 minutes for a 1:42:21 time and a 7:49 pace which ended up being enough to win my age group. (Overall results, Age group results). (77/294) Most importantly though, I ran a smart race for my ability and finished strong - mentally and physically. I didn't have that beat up feeling of barely surviving like I did after Danville's race.

I owe many thanks to Jake. I'm amazed at what he has helped enable me to do. Just "me". Mom, teacher, wife, counting-impaired, short-attention-spanned, stressed-out ME. Who knew this kind of thing was even possible when he proposed his harebrained idea for me to work toward a half marathon back in early June. He is a gifted and talented trainer and even though I give him a hard time sometimes (!), I have great faith in his plans and decisions. There are tangible results from his methods, yet I never feel I am being pushed beyond what I can do. It's not easy, but I know if he has set out a goal for lifting or running, I know that it's doable if I follow the plan and put the time and energy in.

I deviated from my original plan (start at 8:30, drop 5 seconds per mile), but went with what felt right. I also spaced out (big surprise there) on some of the mileage markers and didn't get all my splits. I was actually glad I blew by mile marker 11 without seeing it, it put me that much closer! I took it mile by mile, stayed relaxed, kept a positive attitude, and maintained focus.

It was cold and people were dressed in everything from shorts and tshirts to many layers with scarves and hats. I was in good shape with a tank, long sleeves, and a windbreaker, but I tossed the windbreaker at mile 6 which was fortunately also the finish line. I ran alongside a 16 year old kid for the last mile and we really pushed one another so that was a good thing. My body feels great. I could honestly get out there and run again (but I won't).

windbreaker in hand - ready to chuck it on a tree
when I spotted Robert and ran toward him!


I am so glad my fabulous husband came along to support me. Thank you, Robert! It was motivating to see him at the halfway mark and again at the end (I appreciated the warm coat!!). We enjoyed a nice lunch out and returned for the awards ceremony.

What a rush...........I am hooked.