Race Report
My race yesterday was my local half-marathon in Brookings, SD. I've done this event a bunch of times and know the course pretty much down to the yard. It's nice to be able to do a race on streets that you train on all the time where you know exactly where you are on the course and exactly what's coming up. Like I mentioned before, it's an easy course -- mostly flat, with just a few inclines here and there that you wouldn't even notice during a training run. There is one large hill before the 10-mile marker, but it's only a quarter mile from bottom to top to bottom; it's just that you can't avoid losing a few seconds there and getting your HR up before entering the final 5K.
My prior PR was in Sioux Falls last fall (1:47:05). At the time, I thought I would have a hard time improving on that, but since then I've maintained a higher mileage base (35 mpw) and managed to string together 43, 45, and 47 mile weeks with weekly speedwork borrowed from Pfitzinger. Weather conditions were perfect at the start: 42, sunny, no wind. When I lined up, I was pretty much 100% confident that I would get a new PR. Main main issue was whether I would be able to get down to my goal of 1:45 and change.
Miles 1 and 2 (7:51, 7:46) -- During the first two miles, I kept looking at my Garmin and worrying that I was going out too fast, as I had been planning on an 8:00 pace. But these miles felt pretty easy. I've done enough races to be able to recognize when it's just early-race adrenaline, and this didn't feel like that. Given the perfect conditions, it seemed reasonable just to go full steam ahead with the most aggressive possible pace that I thought I had any chance of maintaining, so I decdided to go ahead and roll with sub-8 miles for now.
Miles 3-6 (7:55, 7:41, 7:52, 7:52) -- Not much to report here other than falling in with a guy I know from work and pacing off him and his friend for a bit. Of course, they were running the full so I only had to hold this pace for half as long, but still. I ended up leaving them at the 6-mile water station.
Miles 7-10 (7:51, 7:59, 7:54, 7:57) -- When I hit the halfway mark, I noticed that I was on pace for 1:44. I thought about backing off a touch because I had never even contemplated that time, but I still felt fresh and decided to keep pushing it. At this point, I was running with a group of 3-4 other people who I didn't know, and we all seemed to be pushing each other a little. The splits from this segment make it look like I was starting to fade, but that wasn't the case -- mile 8 was one of two miles on the course that are all uphill, albeit not dramatically so, and mile 10 had the big hill that I mentioned earlier. I was pleased with both of those mile splits at the time.
Miles 11-13.1 (7:41, 7:47, 7:27, change) -- At this point of my race last fall, I was struggling to maintain pace and slowed a little over the last 5K. When I passed the mile 10 water station yesterday, I did a quick self-inventory and realized that I still felt pretty good all things considered. In fact, I was able to say goodbye to the pack I had been running with and turned it up a bit. This last segment was one of those awesome moments in a race when you know -- not think, not hope, but know -- that you're going to demolish your time goal and the only question is by how much. Recognizing this, I just pushed hard and tried to bottle that feeling of accomplishment.
Final garmin numbers: 13.21 (stupid garmin) in 1:43:06 (7:48 pace)
Final chip numbers: 1:43:02 (7:52 pace); 56/324 overall, 44/138 M, 9/25 M 35-39.
The next three weeks are going to be rest/recovery, including a trip to visit family. When we get back, I start 18/55 in preparation for Twin Cities.
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Congrats!
HUGE PR! Seems to be the theme thins spring.
GB!! That "knowing" feeling is why we do what we do. All the chips falling perfectly in to place :chills: I think you are going to be pleasantly surprised when you finish the 18/55. 
Seriously, this sounds a blast of a weekend. Fun times.
