Salt Lake City Half Marathon Race Report.
Pre-Race
The started out early with the alarm going off at 4:45am. As any other race night goes, I didn't need it because I wasn't sleeping anyway. Shelby, Kylee and I shared a room and got ready together. We met Jana, two doors down, at 5:40am and we were off to the lobby to wait for the bus to take us to the start of the race. On the bus, Jana got way more info. about the guy sitting next to her than she wanted. (Another thing that always seems to happen) We ate our powerbars and drank our Gatorade and finally made it to the start. The four of us put our arms around each other as the star spangled banner was played. And let me tell you that was a nice break from the "get on down" number the choir was previously singing. :)(You'll only understand that if you were there.) During the anthem I did some personal reflection of the past year. I also thought about the previous year standing in the same spot with arms around Jeff,Lindsay, and Kylee waiting for the start. It was very nostalgic for me. It was a sweet moment for me. Enough nostalgia, it was race time!
The Race
As far as time goes, I was going to be really happy with finishing around 2hours and 10 minutes. I figured 10 minutes miles was doable and realistic for me. I knew that Jana was aiming for a 9 min. mile average and wanted to break 2 hours. My plan was to run with Jana for as long as I could hang with her and then slow down when I had to. Jana and I had been waiting a long time to run a race together. When the gun went off, we started out really fast. We were zooming in and out of people trying to find a spot where we fit into the pace of the runners. I was afraid to look at my watch to see how fast we were running. I knew it was faster than any training run I had done. I finally had to look at one point and we were running 7min.40sec. miles. I got a little nervous that I would hit a wall any minute at that pace. :) But then we slowed to a pace more around 8min30sec. miles and we went with it. We tried to drink water at the first aid station, but it was really hard to do when running. The next aide station I just passed because I was in a groove and knew that if I stopped, I may not get that pace back. When Jana and I reached the point where the marathoners break off from the half marathoners, Jana asked me how that felt. I was nervous before the race as to how I would feel at that point since I ran the marathon last year and had planned on running it this year, but just didn't get enough training in. Surprisingly, I told her it felt great! And it really did. I was glad to only be running the half and not the full and I was really glad to be doing it with Jana. (Kylee and Shelby ran together at a slower pace than Jana and me). When we split from the marathoners, we did a U-turn in the road and could then see racers coming our way. We were looking for Shelby and Kylee. Just before we made the turn that took us off that road, we were able to spot them and give them a wave. That was just the "pump me up" I needed. Just before we saw them, I told Jana I may have to let her go, I felt like I was losing steam. But after seeing the girls, I got a renewed boost of energy. I was really in the zone. The next aid station we passed I just ran by too. I didn't want to mess with the zone I was in and just had to keep going. Jana did stop for a quick drink. I looked behind me and she waved and was only about 10 yards behind. I just kept in my groove knowing she would catch up.
I think this camera guy was around mile 10.
I just ran my heart out until I hit the wall at mile 11. I looked at my watch and saw that if I ran the last two miles in 20 minutes, I could break the 2 hour mark. I couldn't believe it! I hadn't even dreamed of being able to run this race that fast, and here I was doing it! Since I was so close, I became DETERMINED to finish in under two hours. It was going to be hard though because I was really tired and there was a huge hill in front of me. I was looking for racers to make the turn before the hill, but no, they were all running up it. Ugg. So I took my last gel pack hoping that the benefits of that would outweigh the side effects. :)Mile 11 was also when I really started looking for Jana. I had peeked behind me a couple of times prior and didn't see her. But now I turned around at the aid station and walked backward for little bit, but I couldn't see her. I was really hoping she hadn't cramped up or been injured. And I was hoping at any second she would catch up to me. Our hotel we stayed at was on the race course, right about mile 11.75 and I was really hoping to see the family at that point. They hadn't decided if they were going to wait there of the finish line. I really needed a boost. But there weren't there. I was disappointed, but knew they weren't far away. After I made it up the rude hill they added to the course this year,
I told myself I had to really kick it up for the last mile. I got in the zone again and did my best to finish strong. Then I saw the family! Just like last year, I saw Jeff first and yelled his name. Then right after him I saw my babies! They were waving their little hearts out at me. It was so cute. Then I saw TJ, Lindser, Kimm, And all my nephews and my cutie niece. (thanks everyone for taking good care of my kids! Nate took his last final this day and couldn't be there)
The picture they took.
I didn't even stop to hug the kids because I was going fast and so close to breaking the 2 hour mark! I raced down the last stretch and to the finish line in 1 hour 58 minutes and 10 seconds. I was truly amazed at myself. I had NO IDEA I had it in me to run 9 minutes average miles! I have broken the 2 hour mark before in a half marathon race, but I was training at a faster pace then. I hadn't trained faster than 9 min. 30 sec. miles this time around. So it really was an unexpected joy for me. At the finish I made sure that this year when I put my arms in the air, I kept my head up so the camera guys could get a good picture. Last year I kept my head down.
Turns out no camera guys even took my picture this year. Rude. :)
I waited just past the finish line hoping to see Jana any second since I knew her goal was to break two hours! And sure enough she did it!! I'm so so so proud of her! She wasn't very far behind me at all!
I'm just sad that I didn't know she was so close. I would have waited for her when I saw my kids and we could have finished together! Oh well, next time! Here's our finisher picture the official camera guys took. I think you all know how much I love this girl!
Post Race Pics
The Half Marathon Girls 2009. Jana,Me,Shelbs,Kylee
Gage was mostly interested in my medal. He thinks I got first place and I sure didn't correct him. :)
EXTRA
This is the pic the fam took of Kylee. Poor Shelby didn't get a picture because they totally missed her running by! They blame it on her newly dyed black hair. :)
