Can't Win 'Em All!

As I have progressed in running and racing the past 3 years, I have fallen into somewhat of a training cycle MO of running mid-distance races in the spring (15K and half-marathons), working on faster races in the summer (5Ks and 10Ks) and then a big fall marathon. Right now I don't foresee myself being willing to run both spring and fall marathons (except in the event that I qualify for Boston) and so this strategy has been working well. Having some spring races on the calendar has been key for staying motivated to keep running through the cold, dark winter months when I tend to struggle with staying consistent.

This spring I had 3 half-marathons on my agenda. The first one was Cowtown in Ft. Worth at the end of February, then the Rock 'n Roll San Francisco Half on April 7, and then the Irving Marathon Half on April 27. Surprisingly, I PR'd at Cowtown which I didn't expect since my training in January was pretty sub-par. Being able to run so well so early in the spring made me excited to see what I could do at the Irving Half toward the end of the season. I went to San Francisco not really planning on it being my big goal race. That race was more for the experience and for fun although I never really completely blow off a race or don't try to run my best. I was happy with how I ran in San Francisco but I was really setting my sights on Irving to try to improve on my PR.

I followed my training plan pretty closely all April and got almost all my runs and workouts and miles in on target paces. My Garmin race predictor and VO2max was improving and I got lots of rest so it seemed everything was primed for a good race.

However, I didn't take into account how warm the race would be on April 27. I have had very few runs or workouts in warm, humid weather this spring so clearly my body has not acclimated back to heat. It was already 65 degrees when I arrived at the race and the sun hadn't come up yet. It was a bright sunny day and temps quickly rose into the 70s. There wasn't a lot of shade on the course. I felt pretty good the first half of the race but around mile 7-8 I could tell I was fading a bit. I went ahead and took my Clif shot earlier than normal and tried to hydrate at every water station (which slowed me down some because there were quite a few aid stations) but around mile 10-11, there was another long incline that really took a lot out of me. I started to slow down a lot and couldn't find the ability to pick my pace back up. The combination of the heat and that final incline seemed to completely zap my strength. The last 2 or 3 miles were tough. I knew I was running too slow for a PR but I just couldn't seem to push harder. Typically I get stronger throughout a race and almost always negative split the second half. However, for the first time that I can recall, my last 3 miles were the slowest. I ended up crossing the finish line at 1:50:01 which was kind of annoying to be that close to a sub 1:50 without squeaking under. I immediately regretted slowing down through so many water stops and not carrying my own handheld water bottle but it is what it is. It was only a few seconds faster than my half three weeks ago in San Francisco and not anywhere near the 1:46 or 1:47 I had hoped for. So even though it was still my third fastest half-marathon, I felt disappointed. I was thrown off by how awful I felt the last few miles and it shook my confidence a lot. I guess I've gotten used to making so much progress from race to race that to be stagnant was disappointing. I had to remind myself that heat and humidity may have played a role in how I felt toward the end of the race and also just that there are going to be ups and downs in anybody's running journey. It was still a strong race and finish even if I didn't feel like it was my best...but it left me feeling a little flat.

Running is so addicting! No matter how tough the race is, it always leaves me wanting more...always wondering if I can go a little further or a little faster next time. I think that thirst for progress, for wanting to be better, for wanting to discover one's full potential is a good thing but it can be a little challenging to work through when things don't go as you hoped or planned or worked for. Right now I'm working to not allow one race to shake my confidence or to cause me to question my goals or even my potential. As I struggled through those last miles, I began to question who the heck I think I am to even think I could ever qualify for Boston. I am really trying to not allow 3 tough miles to affect my thinking so negatively yet I feel the need to try to redeem myself. I hadn't planned on doing another half but I have an opportunity run one in Waco for free at the end of May. Part of me thinks it may not go any better because it will be even hotter and more humid, but another part of me thinks that three more weeks of training and heat acclimatization might make a difference. I just don't want to end my spring training and go into fall marathon training on less than a high note....so I'm going to give it a go!

New week, new month, new goal, new determination....let's see what May holds!