Not only did I finish and meet my goal, I demolished it.
Let me preface this by saying, I'm really not that fast of a runner. I love to run, and I love following all the bloggers who are crazy fast, but on a regular day, my splits tend to be in the mid 9:30s, especially on a distance run. On short runs and races, I can usually get my splits into the mid 8:00s, but I'm pushing it.
Given my turtle speed as a runner, I was hoping to finish the marathon somewhere in between 2:05-2:10. The course, although beautiful, was super hilly, so I wanted to give myself some extra time to get up those hills.
At the start of the race today, I tried to pace myself. In shorter races, I usually go out too fast and end up being winded by the end of the race. Although I usually feel like I want to collapse towards the end, I can push through because in a 5k and 10k, if you are feeling breathless half way through, you only have 1.5-3 miles left to go. In a half marathon, though, if I you go out to fast in the first few miles, you have ummmm....10 miles left!
Despite my best efforts to keep my pace under control, I got caught up in the wave of runners, and my first split was around 8:40. I tried to pace myself over the next few miles, but my legs wouldn't let me. No matter how much I tried to control my pace, my splits kept hovering between 8:00-8:50.
Although I was worried I would burn out, I DIDN"T!!!!
I finished my first half marathon in 1:52 minutes! (That's my unofficial time; I'll update you all with the official time once it's posted.
More pictures to come soon!!!
I'm so happy I pushed myself so hard in my training and was able to excel in my race!
What made the race even better was the fact that not only my parents but my three best friends were there to cheer me on!
I think I've caught the half marathon bug! I'm ready for my next!!
Do you ever exceed your expectations?
How was your weekend?
Wow congratulations lady, and that is such a great time too!
ReplyDeleteI am glad you caught the bug, it's a good one to catch :)