Saturday, April 7, 2012

High Speed Pursuit Half Marathon

My friend, Mike, and I registered for the High Speed Pursuit (aka Prison Break) Half Marathon yesterday.  As in the-day-before-the-race yesterday. We're smart like that.  Before I got a Robie bib I had planned on this being my first half of the season and after I got a Robie bib I almost stopped thinking about the HSP race...almost.  It's been in the back of my mind for the past few months because it's 2 weeks until Robie and my training plan for this weekend consisted of either a 11-12 miler on hills or this race.  Earlier this week I still couldn't decide what I wanted to do, so I posted this on facebook on Wednesday and got the following responses, none of them telling me what to do:

I'm taking suggestions: do I register for the High Speed Pursuit Half Marathon for this Saturday (http://www.usatf.org/routes/view.asp?rID=450191) or take one last 10-12 miler up/down Shaw Mtn. Rd for Robie training???






Awesome, thanks everyone...sheesh!  That same day I had a text conversation with Mike and randomly asked if he wanted to run the High Speed Pursuit with me.  He said "yes" and I kind of threw up a little bit in the back of my mouth.  We finally registered on Friday morning...rather, Mike registered both of us because I was in the field all day visiting kids.  


As of last night I was still trying to figure out if I wanted to run with my Garmin or just go nekkid.  Thankfully, my facebook post requesting someone make a decision for me yielded better results and I ran with it today.  I didn't have very many expectations going into it this morning.  I had a stellar 10 mile run in Fresno last weekend and did some calculating on this site before I went to bed last night.  I got to the start line this morning and shared with Mike that I was going to try to hold a 10:45 pace for the run but that if that didn't pan out, I wouldn't be heartbroken.  I figured if I could keep my running pace around 10:45, my average pace with walking through some water stops would put me somewhere between 11:00 and 11:15/mile.  I knew it would be tough for me to run that fast at higher elevation but I thought I'd give it a shot.  I also knew that it could be tough for me to match my last run in Chicago (2:27:11).  In all, expectations were low which I think helped me in the end. 

I ran the first mile trailing a man and his wife.  They kept a good pace and I felt pretty good.  I ended up making some conversation with them for a few miles (it was their first half!)  but eventually picked up the pace and continued on. 

And I felt amazing.  Seriously. 

I got to mile 6 and felt great and at mile 6.5 my Garmin read 1:10.  I calculated in my head: if I can keep up this pace for the next half of the race, I can finish in 2:20...a 7 minute PR.  A SEVEN MINUTE PR, PEOPLE!  I trudged on and continued to feel pretty freaking great until somewhere between miles 8 and 9....because that's when the wind hit, and it was brutal. 

I had to walk.  The wind was damn near blowing my hat off of my head and when I got to mile 10 I didn't want to think about running anymore.  I commiserated with a few other runners before I took off running again and when I finally got to mile 12, I stared up at a big ol' hill with the wind blowing all over me and I walked it.  I had no shame...until I got to the top and the photographer was there taking photos.  I pretended to enjoy running at that point and when I passed him, I slowed to a walk again.  I finally turned into the entrance to the prison (where the race was held, in case you didn't pick up on that one) and picked off another runner (cruel, I know, but that was all I had left to enjoy) and looked up to see Mike, God bless him, waiting for me around mile 12.5.  My watch said 2:24 and I told him I had really started to hope I'd PR again.  He encouraged me and ran into the finish with me.  

I crossed the finish line in 2:28:15.  I swear if that headwind hadn't been so terrible I would have had a HUGE PR at that race.  I guess there's always next time!  

We hung around for the age group awards and Mike got 3rd in the 30-39 age group for men with his time of 1:51:16!  That guy is fast!

Overall, it was a pretty good day at a pretty good race with some pretty good grub that followed at Brewforia.  
Posted by Miranda at 4/07/2012 09:33:00 PM

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