Flat Kim (picture on the left) became less-than-flat Kim today (picture on the right) for the annual pilgrimage to the Indianapolis Half Marathon at Fort Ben. The picture on the right is missing a key figure. I'll get there, though.
Highlights:
- My long run was scheduled to be 15 miles to prep for Dopey, so I planned to get to the 13.1 race early, run two miles, and then jump into the race with a couple of minutes to spare at the start (and a fresh pair of shoes and a dry shirt). I did it. Doing it was actually the highlight. There was a lot of me that wanted to call it good if I just did the 13.1 in a race (we all usually push harder in a race), but I know I need the miles on my legs for Dopey. So I got to the race site at 7:15, headed out for a two-mile run at 7:30, stopped back at the car and changed into a fresh pair of shoes and a clean shirt, and made it to the race start. The two miles were also in a flat park with several clean porta potties, so I got three (yes, three) stops in at the porta potties before heading to the long lines at the race start.
- My other goal for today was to run a 60/30 run/walk for all 15 miles. I was hoping to finish feeling just fine. That's the best phrase I can come up with. Just fine. And I did. All the way through. In fact, I was so "just fine" that I was laughing and smiling as I finished the race (but that was mostly for some giddiness related to two bullets from now).
- My nutrition plan mostly worked. I went with my new Nathan pack . I filled the bladder with water and put an amphipod bottle filled with one pack of Ucan in the front of the vest. I took a drink from the UCan bottle every eight minutes or so until it was gone, and I never felt like I had a major dip in energy. I was hungry, though... so I ended up supplementing with gels earlier and more often than I had planned.
- I beat the woman wearing the striped tights. Every race, I seem to have someone whom I'd really like to beat. At the Tampa marathon, it was the woman in the black tube top (I didn't beat her). At the Flying Pig, it was (so many!) the guy dressed like Forrest Gump, the couple who were holding hands as they ran, and the juggler (I wanted to punch that guy in the throat). (I didn't beat any of them.) Today, I was trading places with two or three people through the whole race. I picked up striped tights girl at mile 4, and we traded places over an over again. I knew she was my person for this race. I caught her at mile 11.5. She passed me one more time. And then it was game on/game over. I was determined to beat her in. And I did. (And I get how random and strange that seems--she may have started after I did...what do I know? But I play interesting mental games with myself when I'm running.)
Lowlights:
- Clearly, there's no Jen in the picture at the start line. We always take a picture at the start together. And then she goes on and kicks my ass in the race. But we always start together. And she couldn't come this time. It was a lonely, strange morning without Jen there.
- I have been maintaining about 12:30 pace with my run/walks in training, so I was hoping to hit that today. I ended up at exactly 13:00 pace. I can go faster. But I didn't. Part of the reason I didn't was because I knew I would be driving myself home (two+ hours), and I didn't actually want to be completely gassed on the front end. Sometimes I prioritize one goal over another, and today it was most important to me that I maintain consistency in my intervals.
- Technology continues to be a bit of a challenge. To maintain battery life, I turned off the heart rate piece of my Apple Watch, but I wonder if that also somehow made the watch less accurate? My final mileage on the AW was 13.83. I asked a couple of people as we were closing in on the finish line, though, and theirs were closer to accurate. It was hard to check progress during the race (hindered, too, by having to fight the "I'm two miles ahead!" mentality).
- Last lowlight came right before the race. I tried my new Nathan pack today, and I realized right before the race that I didn't get Bodyglide in the right spots on my arms. I stopped in the med tent, found three men in there, and they asked me what I needed. I asked if they had Vaseline. They managed to take me seriously for about three seconds and then broke out in giggles. They tried to hide it, but it was ridiculous. A little bit douche-baggy, really. (And I didn't chafe on my arms, btw. I did chafe in a couple of other spots. Holy HECK!)
Next actual scheduled race is Dopey's 5K. I updated my log today, and I have 933 miles in for the year. Closing in on that 1,000 mark really quickly. Here's hoping for an injury-free fall.
