Tyler Rose Half: Every Rose Has Its Hills...Make That Thorns....

I have been so wrapped up in watching my Texas Rangers in their journey to the World Series that I have fallen behind in my blogging responsibilities. So yes, let's go back to October 9 and the Tyler Rose Half Marathon. Erik and I ran this race last year and had a really great time. We were even more excited this year because our circle of running friends (frunners) has grown so much and we knew so many people who were going. It has become an October tradition to pack up the pups, head out on Saturday afternoon, and spend the late afternoon and evening in Tyler.

I had a bit of a struggle in my last half marathon on September 25th so my goal for this one was to hold back a little bit and run a consistent pace. My marathon training plan had seventeen miles for that day (a new record for distance for me) and I wanted to be strong for all of those miles. It was hard for me to think of it this way because when there is a timing chip on my person I just want to go as fast as I can. Marathon training is teaching me all kinds of lessons!

Since we stayed overnight in Tyler we were able to sleep a bit later and enjoy a very short drive to the race. We had a great time talking with everyone and posing for pictures before the race. It was a little warm and humid that morning, but still much cooler than anything we ran in during the brutal summer months. Past experience told me that it would be a hilly run and it did not disappoint! I think that my Garmin showed 850 feet of elevation change and while that isn't a big deal for some runners, it is a challenge for us flatlanders here in North Texas.


Team K Ready To Run

Erik and I enjoyed running at a pace that was a bit more relaxed than our usual half marathon pace. There are some very scenic stretches of the race and we smiled at the locals who came out to cheer. There might not have been many of them, but they were very spirited. The hills were fierce but we took advantage a nice downhill and a bit of a lull between miles eight and ten. Somewhere around mile nine a nice race volunteer promised us that there were no more hills, and he should be ashamed of himself for telling us lies like that! The last three miles contained some of the biggest hills that we could climb. I found this to be somewhat discouraging as I was planning on heading back out after the race to catch those four extra training miles that I needed.

During the last mile Erik spotted our friend Warren up ahead of us. We kept with our steady pace and were soon able to pass him. Staying ahead of him was quite a challenge and required that we really push the tempo....the timing for this was horrible as we were in the middle of a couple of big hills. We both worked as hard as we could, but Warren regained the lead and beat us to the finish line by about three seconds. I honestly had nothing left to give at that moment and I am proud to say that the little push he gave us allowed us to record an 8:40 split for mile thirteen--our fastest mile of the race and it happened at the end on a HUGE hill. This brought me great joy as I had crashed during the last few miles of my last half marathon. Negative splits...now THAT is a good thing!


Finish Line--Can you find us?

We rounded one last corner and found ourselves at the finish line in the middle of the Tyler Rose Center. It really was a cool finish line and there were lots of folks standing around to cheer. I caught my breath for a moment, downed some water, and took off for my remaining four miles. I ran the couple of miles of the course in reverse and it was fun to cheer on friends and to hear spectators say "you are going the wrong way!" I was on the lookout for Corina and Lesley who were pacing some of Lesley's runners in the half marathon. It was a welcome distraction, giving me something to look forward to instead of dwelling on the number of miles or the big hills that I was climbing for the second time. I found them just before I needed to turn around and caught up with them after my turn-around. I ran with them for a little bit and got some great laughs from their conversations. It was so nice to have those friendly faces on the end of my run.


Corina Is Sunshine In Running Shoes!

My watch hit seventeen miles and I headed back to the finish area to find Erik and the rest of the gang. There was a cold fountain just beyond the finish line and we all took our shoes and socks off and enjoyed the cool water for a little bit. I was so happy there in the fountain amongst the roses with my runner friends. These are the moments that I think of when the training gets tough.

Here are the numbers:
13.1 Time: 2:02:58
11th out of 96 in my Age Group
Avg Pace 9:23
Total Miles for day 17.11
Total Avg Pace 9:26

It is so interesting to me that my last half marathon was only about a minute faster and on a very flat course, but I went out too fast and crashed in the last three miles. This is a beautiful example of why it is important to start slow and get faster as the miles roll by.


Post Run with EW, Dana, & Elaine

I considered this one a success for several reasons: I ran my longest distance ever (and I didn't fall over from exhaustion!), I ran a much smarter half marathon and hopefully started some new/better racing habits, and I had so much fun with Erik and all of my Frunners. Last year this was my Sweet Sixteen half marathon and this year it is my number twenty-eight. I was challenged (again) by the rolling terrain in Tyler...and I can't wait to come back next year!

(Thanks, as always, to Corina and EW for the pictures. They are better than any race photographer!)