Heels & Hills & Him Half: Holy Crash-o-la Batgirl!

The great thing about races is that they never fail to teach you some kind of lesson about yourself, your training, or your mental capacity--just to name a few. This Heels & Hills & Him half marathon was no exception. I felt so good coming into this race and felt so strong for 2/3 of the race...then the wheels came flying off in grand fashion!!

I had a good week of moderately paced training runs (although came in with fifteen miles on my feet which is about five more than I am used to thanks to marathon training) and I even had a day off from boot camp due to class being cancelled. So I thought that I was ready to rock out on a race course that was very familiar to me (I think that this was my fifth time to run this course) and was the home of my personal record (PR) in May 2010. Erik always lets me have this race to myself and I told him to head out for his usual Sunday long run instead of waiting around a couple of hours to cheer for me. I arrived at the race, parked with ease, ate my breakfast, listened to some music in my car, and headed over to the start area. The best thing about any of the Heels & Hills races is that so many of my friends are there. While I arrived by myself, I was never really alone (except maybe during the last three miles, but that is for later). It was great to visit with friends, smile for some incredibly dorky pictures, and get focused on the race.

I have not mentioned a major factor in the day yet and that was the dreaded summer heat. It was already 77 degrees when I woke up and I am certain that it had to be near 80 when we started. Cooler than many of our recent summer mornings, but not the weather that makes for running with ease. I have grown so weary of using the heat as an excuse that I decided to totally put it out of my mind. I was just going to run at a quick pace that feels good and I would deal with the heat later (mistake #1). I had used the heat as an excuse for a slower pace all summer and I just decided that I was done. Apparently the heat did not agree with my plan...these races have a way of humbling you!

I always have a goal of finishing a half marathon under two hours and that was my plan again today. I suppose that my "A" goal would have been to hit 1:55 or better, but I am always happy with a 2:00 finish since it has become sort of a benchmark time for me. I started the race just behind the 2:00 pace group with the intention of gradually pulling ahead of them. I felt like I got a good and comfortable start, it wasn't crowded and I didn't have to worry about maneuvering around other runners. I passed the 2:00 group within the first couple of miles and was feeling strong and very confident. I could see running friend Mark L. about 50 yards in front of me and he was setting a great, consistent pace--making him a great "rabbit".

I paused for a brief moment at each water station (there is no way I can drink and run...tried it, not pretty) and made sure to get some salt tabs and gels down at the appropriate times. It felt hot but it wasn't anything that I haven't felt before and it wasn't overwhelming and therefore had not crossed my mind as a factor to consider.

Average pace:
Mile 1 8:49
Mile 2 8:39
Mile 3 8:49
Mile 4 8:50
Mile 5 8:47
Mile 6 8:35
Mile 7 8:57

The turn around on this out-and-back course is at mile 7 and I was feeling pretty good and was on a good pace for a finish somewhere in the neighborhood of 1:55 (7 miles in 1 hour is always a good indicator to me and I hit it in 1:01). It was starting to heat up a bit and I was very grateful for the wet towel that the volunteer handed to me. It was here that my pace started to fall off just a little bit and I lots sight of Mark L, my rabbit. I passed TIR teammate Mel's water station twice in this stretch and she reminded me to hydrate well at her stop.

I was still feeling okay, but I knew that the trip back would not be as easy. I felt that I was slowing off the pace a bit and my goal was to keep up with the people around me. I passed several runners in the first half of the race and some of them were starting to catch me again now. This section of the race is fun because I get to see alot of friendly faces on their way out. It was a great distraction to search for friend's faces in the crowds and call out to them as we passed each other. Out-and-back races are not always my favorites, but this is a great benefit of this kind of race.

Mile 8: 9:06
Mile 9: 9:07

It was clear that my pace had dropped, but even by slowing I knew that I could still finish below 2:00 and meet my top goal for the day. I started to feel a little bit icky and began to take more time at the water stops to make sure I got plenty of fluids and was able to pop a salt tab when I needed. This really shows up in my pace over the last miles.

Mile 10: 9:52
Mile 11: 9:50
Mile 12: 10:00

Oh my goodness....would this race ever end? The last 3 miles of this race have to be the longest I have ever run. At this point there was no shade and the race was entirely on hot concrete. Somebody make it stop!!! I don't think that I have ever really experienced "the wall" before...until this exact point. My legs felt like heavy concrete blocks! One more mile...

Mile 13: 10:15 (holy smokes!)
But then something magical happens when that finish line is in sight. The mind is a funny thing and sometimes it tricks you into thinking that you are done....and then you see a finish line....and you run the last .22 miles in an average pace of 8:12. Hello! I could have used some of that a mile ago!

I have never been so happy to see a finish line and I'm not quite sure I have ever been so grateful to see a bottle of cold water. But my running wasn't finished....remember marathon training is here and I need a couple of more miles left for the day. This is when my rabbit, Mark L., happens by and I mention these miles to him. Turns out he is heading back out on the course to cheer on some first time half runners from his work. So I tagged along with him until we found his friends and then followed them in to the finish. It was really cool to be a part of the end of their first half marathon. I realize that I take so many things for granted after finishing twenty-seven of these half marathons. If you are ever looking for inspiration, head back out to the last couple of miles of an endurance race on a challenging day...it is amazing!!

Marathon training is teaching me so many lessons about running and what I am capable (or not) of doing. There seems to be a big lesson every week and this week it was that I can't expect to build my mileage base and all-out race at the same time. I ran 30.85 miles this week--a new personal record for weekly mileage! I now know that it is unreasonable to train more than I ever have and then come on out on a hot day and expect race magic. See these things are humbling and teach me so many lessons!

So here are the final numbers for the day:
2:01:39
6th out of 47 in my age group

While I didn't meet my goals for the day and I sorta crashed and burned at the end, I am not going to feel ashamed of my efforts. I ran strong for nine miles on a hot day and finished 17 minutes faster than my half marathon in August (which never counts for time because it is crazy hot in Texas in August). I am happy to say that I am still learning lessons....even in my 27th half marathon. That right there is something to be happy about.

What's next? I am enjoying a step-back week before the next big mileage push in marathon training. This means that I only have to run somewhere between 11-13 miles for my long run this weekend. I am looking forward to some laid back miles after two very challenging race weekends in a row.

But look out....in two weeks we are heading to Tyler for the Tyler Rose Half Marathon. This was a favorite from last year, but who knew Tyler had so many hills? Looks like number twenty-eight will bring its own set of challenges.