I was so excited about this past weekend and its half marathon, the Tyler Rose Half. I was really looking forward to the change of scenery and the change of routine. A three day weekend in the fall holds alot of promise and this weekend would not disappoint. So we packed up the pups and pointed our vehicle to the east and headed off for our latest adventure.
We arrived in Tyler in the late afternoon, checked into our hotel, and went to packet pick-up at the host hotel. This race had a marathon, half marathon, and a 5K and I was pretty excited to see that there was a smaller field for the half marathon (I later heard 900). Lately I have been finishing in the top 10 in my age group in mid-sized races, so I thought that I might have a shot of placing higher with a smaller field. I suddenly found myself with a new focus and goal for the race. Erik and I hung out at our hotel until time for dinner and then enjoyed some pasta and bread at a local restaurant.
After dinner I wanted to see where the race start would be, so we drove around Tyler for a bit. We found ourselves on part of the race course and noticed that it was quite hilly. I wasn't totally surprised, when I signed up for this race there was an elevation chart on the website but when I looked for it last week it was gone. The chart that I saw a few months back showed a hilly course. I wasn't too worried, however, because Erik and I train on hills and I feel good about running them consistently. I can't say that they are always fun, but I knew that I could do it.
Because we were so close to the race, we were able to sleep until 6:00--a rare treat for race day! I slept okay for being in a hotel and away from my own bed, but I had a crazy running dream. I dreamed that we were running the race and I realized that I forgot my race bib. The bibs for this race had the timing chip attached directly to it, not a separate one to put on the shoe. In my dream, I pondered turning around and getting it but decided to keep running. It was an odd course, part trail run and part obstacle course. I am pretty sure that I skipped part of the course because I finished with a smoking time. Of course, I couldn't prove it because I didn't have a bib/timing chip. Erik came along in a little bit (yes, I beat him in my dream!) and he was carrying my bib--therefore I was able to be on the record with a good race time. Very odd dream and I made sure to get my bib before we left the hotel.
Making sure that I had my bib
It was a beautiful morning, in the upper 50s but humid so it didn't feel cold. We saw a few familiar faces as we waited for the race to start. Before we knew it we were off and running, down and up a hill immediately! Tyler is a beautiful city and this race really showcased some of its most beautiful neighborhoods. There were huge, old homes and I can honestly say that I enjoyed the sights. The crowds were not huge, but they had lots of spirit and we were even cheered on by a minister and some of his congregation as we passed one of several churches. This race reminded me of a couple races that I have done in the past--sort of a cross between Cowtown and Austin.
Say "HILLS!"
The hills just kept on coming, each time we turned a corner a new one would be waiting for us. It worked out that Erik and I ran together and we really helped each other to keep a steady pace. We were aiming for a consistent 9:00 mile, tricky when some of the hills went on for 3/4 mile. Some of the flatter miles were faster, but we came out with an average pace of 9:04. We have both remarked that we felt strong the whole way and that is a huge confidence builder after the hot summer that we had just endured. This was easily one of the hardest courses I had ever run, it rivals Austin for hills.
The last mile seemed to take forever because we ran within sight of the finish line, but had to turn a couple of corners before we got there. My mind was ready to stop as soon as I saw the finish line for the first time. Funny how the mind works. Of course, we sprinted the last few yards and Erik crossed the line one second ahead of me. We had a great time hanging around after the race and got to see the first marathoner come across the line in 2:44....wow! While we were near the finish line another marathoner finished and began shouting at the top of his lungs "Woohoo!! Boston Qualified!" he was just beside himself with joy. I can't imagine qualifying for Boston on such a hilly course, but I was thrilled for him.
Another great race in the books!
This was a great race--well organized, great shirts and medals, frequent water stops, and a beautiful course. It was a tough race but I would gladly do it again. I ended up finishing in 1:58:39, not a personal record but good enough for 4th out of 76 in my age group (my highest half marathon finish ever). Erik and I ended up finishing 174 and 175 out of 821 runners. The Tyler Rose Half Marathon makes half marathon number 16 for me and I loved that I got "roses" for my Sweet 16. This makes half number 9 for 2010, putting my goal of 10 in 2010 well within reach. It was my second half in 14 days and my 3rd race in 22 days. Looks like the fall racing season is here!
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