Record Setting

So as the temperature rose on Saturday, October 6, 2007, so did my half marathon time. i attempted Grete's Great Gallop in Central Park on a 90% humidity day, and I fell apart. I started too fast for the 3rd long distance race in 3 weeks on a morning when the temperature and humidity were record setting for the NYC region. Before the first loop was over I was contemplating not finishing. Then I caught up with my teammate, Caroline, and she helped coax me into running and then walking through the water stations from mile 5 through mile 10. And then I walked until just before mile 12. I did manage to run the last ~1.5 miles at a 9 minute pace and I finished at 2:10 something. I got all choked up as I passed my Hellgate team and Eamonn cheering me on to the finish. Suzanne, my dear friend and team captain, ran me in the last 0.1 miles shouting words of encouragement. I was so embarassed and that was so silly! I know what I have accomplished, and I know what I am capable of, and I know it's ok to have a bad day.

Caroline and I warming up pre-race.

I think I needed to break that 2 hour barrier. As Eamonn said, it's better to have a bad race now than at the marathon. I needed to feel the way I felt on Saturday so I realize the importance of going out at the right pace and possibly adjusting that target pace on race day because of the weather. And it's not the end of the world to still finish a 13.1 mile race at a 10 minute/mile pace. I think as you train for a marathon you think that 13 miles isn't very long when you are constantly facing 15, 16, 18 and 20 miles. However, 13 is a long run. It's nothing to sneeze at. Especially when you do a great paced 18 mile race the week prior!

It's not possible to have a great race every time; you can't PR every race. And this has given me a goal of returning to Grete's Gallop next year and conquering it! I PR'd on the exact same course during the More Half last March. I know I can own that race and that distance. It's too close to the marathon to get down about it. I have to focus on feeling good at doing the 18 miles, nursing my ITB, and keeping healthy for the next 2 weeks and 5 days. Que sera, sera.