For Once.....

Running goes right! (WARNING -- this is a long narcissistic post about how I am the best runner in the universe and will be training for the 2016 olympics starting tomorrow. I will understand if you want to puke on your computer. )

As you know from my 30 under 30 challenge, running a half marathon in under two hours has been on my goal list for a while now. Actually I have been wanting it since I ran my first half in 2009.

On Sunday, I ran the Route 66 half marathon in Tulsa. I had planned this event for sometime and for once actually did all of my long runs. This is the first race I have trained with a running group and I think it really helped me. Mainly for those times during training when you want to stop, but you can't because then your friends will leave you. And, I don't like staring at my friends' butts.

Anyway, back to the race. I felt prepared. I felt trained. But I was nervous. It seems that lately I have been crashing and burning in the race department. (Yea, that 10K in under 50 mins - no where close to that goal). So, I tried not to set my expectations too high and thought, my PR is somewhere around 2:06, so if I come in 2:05 or under, I am going to be happy. In fact, at the expo I grabbed the 2:02 pace tattoo (which shows your splits for each mile) and thought if I hit these, I will be thrilled. I plan to race at least 2 more halfs before my 30th birthday, so I knew I had some time to reach my goal.

As we were walking to the start of the race, my garmin (AKA running watch/bible) decided to crash. I tried to keep my cool thinking, I am running with three friends who all have Garmins. Do we really need four different watches telling us how fast and far we are going? No biggie, I do not need a watch.

Then, my bluetooth headphones decided not to work. UGGH, what I wouldn't have gave for a pair of $5 headphones at that moment. Don't think I didn't contemplate asking everyone around me including other runners if I could have their headphones. Instead, I thought, I could be a traveling boom box. What's the big deal. So that is what I did -- provided music for everyone running around me.

The race started out great. I knew there would be two huge hills, each almost a mile long, at miles 1 and 4. I also knew that once I got past those hills, the race would get easier. So, my plan was to run conservatively for at least the first half of the race.

Around miles 6 -8, I really had to concentrate on not going too fast. I always take off at this point in the race then crash at the end, and I didn't want that to happen again. However, once I reached mile 10 and knew I only had a 5K left, I decided to stop concentrating on pace so much and just run.

Now for the fun part. I had been using Cliff Shot Blocks (basically gummy candies) for energy during the race. I had never used them before, so it was an experiment if you will. I took my last one at mile 12. Shortly after I past mile 13, I could see the finish line and the timers. I knew we had started somewhere around 7 1/2 minutes after the gun time, so I just kept telling myself that I had to cross the finish line before it said 2:07. As soon as I saw the clock, it said 2:05, and immediately I thought, CRAP, I have to go or I am not going to make it. So I sprinted. I mean sprinted. I don't think I have ever ran that fast at the end of a race. As soon as I crossed the finished line, I could feel it. Yes, I was about to puke. I tried to hold it in, cover my mouth, pray to the barf gods, etc., but nothing worked. So, I just puked. Everywhere. It was classic. The best part - all I could think was, OK, this is fun. I really gave it my all. Here you go, this is how you know when you really really tried your hardest.

I did not know my actual time until approximately 30 - 45 minutes later when I got back to the hotel and Bill (who had been watching the online tracker), met me a the door, saying "You did it!" To see him so excited for me was the best feeling ever!

My final time was 1:58:26 and I couldn't be happier. I ran a smart race, felt strong the entire time, and would not have changed anything. I relished in my victory all day Sunday and woke up Monday morning making a training plan in my head for the next half.