Austin 1/2 Marathon: Not good, not bad

Somedays you have it and somedays you don’t. Today I had it for 8 miles, and then I didn’t.

First and foremost, this is a great race with live bands along the course and a “few” hills. The course is always challenging with virtually no flat; and that guarantees you never get bored. Volunteers were extremely organized and as always, the key to the race. Thanks!!

So, I had high ambitions for myself today and decided to risk it and line up with the 3:00 hr marathon pace group so I could run a 1:30 ½ marathon. I knew it was a realistic goal as my training has been going well and I was down from altitude. So the gun goes off and we start climbing!! The first 3 miles of the course are up, up and more up…and I found myself keeping the pace group in sight, but not catching up to them. I knew then that 1:31-1:32 was realistic with my splits and I was feeling really good. The legs were turning over well and I could breath!
We then started a long downhill portion of the course which really gave the legs a chance to turnover quickly (something they don’t get to do much with my training program unless I am on the bike). Before long we were at mile 6 and I was deciding if I should “take it to the next level” and make it really hurt and see if I could bring the time back down to 1:30; and I took that risk. I figured ~10km to go, I can do that, and I can put up with the pain for that long. Things went well until mile 8 and then the legs decided they had enough of this “fast” stuff.

Try as I might, I pushed, but my legs didn’t go. I didn’t bonk because I was still moving at a fair clip; I didn’t feel like I was dying, I just couldn’t make my legs move “that fast”. The rolling hills started and I took them on with all my might, but my typical “pace” plagued me. At mile 10 the course branches off and the marathoners head into 16 miles of more hills and the ½ marathoners head back into the city. The thought of continuing on to the marathon did cross my mind; I was feeling confident I could PR with the way I was running, my endurance base, and the fact that I was not getting any faster on the ½ course…so why not add another 13 miles?? Simple, I don’t want a divorce and to have to face the wrath of Wolfgang.

So, I did my best to get these darn legs of mine to turn over for the final 3 miles (brutal uphills!)….it didn’t work and I ended up crossing the line just under 1 hr and 36 minutes. Not exactly what I had hoped for, but I learned a lot about my fitness level and where I need to improve.

I am happy about my “base” at the moment and am becoming more confident every week of training that I will have a successful Ironman race this year (if I get into one!!). I am realistic about Oceanside; my training is not geared towards speed right now, I think I can have a good race there, but if I want to “run” with the “big” girls, I need to do more intensity. Today was not about bonking or not being “ready” it was about not having the “speed” for 13 miles.

Finally, when I was running today, I had to think of the ladies I usually run with on Sunday! Miss y’all!! Hope you all had a great run too!

Now I begin my “hell week” of biking. I am really looking forward to getting some miles in my legs. I am also going to pay “Barton Springs” a visit to get some swimming in.

Austin is such a fun city! And the Whole Foods is from another planet! I could spend all day in that store.

OK, I am fixin to go get some eats with the hubby, Cheers!!