Flower City Half Marathon!

Good Afternoon, friends!!  It’s time for another lovely race report   As I sit here in my lovely hot pink compression socks, sipping some hot cocoa and wondering if I can walk tomorrow…I wonder…is this pain worth it?
HELL YES IT IS!!!  So, this morning, the hubster and I got up at the ungodly hour of 5 a.m. to do a local half marathon called the Flower City Half Marathon.  it’s in it’s second year of existence, and is a great spring HM to tune up for summer races-me for the Musselman, Greg for Ironman.  Greg had ambitions to PR and go sub 2:10 (since he doesn’t have a blog, I’ll just come right out and tell you he DID IT! (2:09:xx baby) ad I had several goals…usually I have an A, B, C goal so that I don’t come away  disappointed if I don’t hit my primary goal.  This year C goal = sub 1:57 (my time from last year, even though I was a silly goose and raced a du the day before), B Goal = PR on the distance (sub 1:52:39), A Goal= sub 1:50.  I really wasn’t too sure about PRing, as I haven’t done speed work, but I figured what the hey   

After a pre-race breakfast, Greg and I popped our Immodiums (we’ve both been kinda sick all week and I’ve been doin the potty dance like it’s my job = insurance)  Still with me?  Cool.  We drove into the city, parked, and did a bit of stretching and warming up.  I decided to play with the Garmin today (usually I go old school and use a watch) because I wanted to track my splits.  My goal was to keep the 1:50 pace group behind me until mile 10, and then hang on for dear life! 
This course plays to a strategic kind of run-Miles 1-5 are decently flat, and then there is a big section of hills from mile 5.5-mile 8.  They aren’t crazy big hills, just enough of rollers to mess you up and wreck your pacing.  Mile 9-13 isn't too bad, some good downhills and a few elevation changes but nothing crazy.  My idea was to come out comfortably, build a bit of a pad before the hilly section, and then take it easy through the hills and finish with a strong 5k.

I lined up a bit fast for me, with the 1:40 pace group.  I had no intention of staying with them, but I knew I would rather clock a few fast miles and get away from the crazy dodging in the beginning of the race.  Before I knew it, we were off!  Miles 1-5 went by pretty quickly…no major gaffes.  My tummy was a little unhappy, and some jerk threw Gatorade on my shoe, but other than that, it was pretty steady.  I hit mile 5 at about 40:10…sweet.
Then the hills began.  I took them conservatively, placing strategic walk breaks at the worst ones.  10k split=49:47 (a new PR ).  I saw my cousin Karen and her fiance Tom at the top of the mile 7 hill, which was awesome (thanks guys!).  Miles 7-8 were pretty rough…I tried to be patient and took it easy on the uphills, and then coast through the flats and downhills.  My left calf started cramping up pretty good, and I stopped for about 30 seconds in Mt Hope Cemetery (yup, we ran through it!) to stretch it out.  (These 30 seconds would haunt me later, lol).  By mile 9, I was back on stride, upset stomach and crampy calf still sticking around, but I refused to let them ruin my day.  I hit mile 10 in 1:24 and felt really good about a PR (incidentally, I hit mile 10 at my mile 10.12 by my garmin, so I was hoping the mile markers were off.  This would not prove to be a correct assumption ) 
Mile 11 ticked by, and as I paused for my 3rd walk break, a guy ran by me and yelled at me to C”MON! Now, this isn’t typical.  Usually people are super nice when they pass you and they cheer you on or make sure you are ok, but this dude was straight up yelling at me!  Well, I couldn’t let him go at that, so I started running and caught up to him.  I thanked him for the kick in the tush, and before I knew it, we were at mile 12.  1:41:xx.
Could I do it?  We climbed up to the Ford St Bridge and my damn calf started locking up.  I stopped quickly to shake it out, and then ran that last mile with all I had left!  Mile 13 beeped on my garmin….1:48:36….but then I saw mile 13 on the course at 1:49:34…crap!!  I sprinted with all I had left and crossed the line at 1:50:09, 13.25 according to my garmin. 
Ok, ok, my big girl side says YAY!  A PR by 2:30!  A solid effort!  Awesome!

My inner 3 year old says….10 FLIPPIN SECONDS?  ARE YOU KIDDING ME??  THE COURSE WAS LONG!  WHERE THE F WAS THE 1:50 pacer??  (Yep, I never saw him.  That group finished behind me, so I am glad I didn’t bank on it!)

I think I’ll go with my  big girl side   2011 is the PR year, baby, I can feel it!

  Awesomesauce

Check out the medal!

 Doin' the PR happy dance!

 

Its a happy day!  Time to go ice them baby mooerslol) Happy Sunday!!