Time Goals for the race: Ultimate time goal 1:50 (although I didn't feel this was very realistic); Main time goal - PR which would take something better than 1:53:34
Well, the night before the race was my typical pre race night. I didn't do much - in fact I even took a little nap! I laid out all of my race stuff and went to bed around 10:30 planning to get up at 5 in the morning. I got up a little after 5 but had a hard time getting moving. Ate my normal PB&J for breakfast and started to get ready. I was supposed to meet friends at 6 but I was definitely not moving fast enough for that today. So I was finally ready to leave my house at 6; well I thought I was anyway! I didn't make it very far, fortunately, before I realized I forgot my sunglasses and decided to turn around and go back and get them (knowing that it was overcast and rain was predicted!). That didn't put me behind too much. So I was supposed to meet the group I have been training with all season just before 7 so I was definitely going to make that!
I made it downtown in no time and found a spot to park without any trouble. Got everything I needed out of the car and headed over to Slugger Field. I stopped at the bathrooms on the way - no lines! I made it to Slugger Field early and waited. Where was everyone?? Was I at the right statue?? So I second guessed myself and walked down to the other side of Slugger Field trying to remember if there was another statue. I didn't find anyone so I went back to where I was originally but still didn't see anyone. Walked around a bit and finally found some of them standing in the corral in front of the statue - well I didn't look inside the corrals! So, the four of us lined up and just waited patiently for the race to start. I was surprisingly warm and decided to not run with the arm sleeves that I had purchased. Thanks to my running buddy for carrying them for me during the race!!
So, it was finally time to start moving. We crossed the start line and took off - well sort of anyway. It was very crowded at first and funny there were quite a few walkers that we had to run around! This really makes me angry! I think it's great to walk the races but line up appropriately so no one gets hurt! So my friend and I hit the first mile at 9:02 which is slower than we wanted but we could make that up. We are still running all over the place trying to get around people and even running on the sidewalks as there were just so many people. Mile 2 - 8:35 - better! Mile 3 went by pretty quickly too 8:28!
Mile 4 - At some point we pass close to the office and then head down Broadway. Still moving along at a nice pace. 8:37. Feeling pretty good but seemed a little humid which started to worry me as I don't run well with high humidity. Also somewhere in here we meet a lady running her first Derby Mini - more on her later.
Mile 5 8:29! Feeling better now - doesn't seem quite so humid and there was a nice breeze. Mile 6 - Central Park. Clogging up a bit but saw a friend so that was motivation :) 8:45 definitely a lot of people through there. Still running with our new friend. Mile 7 & 8 - must have been in the zone because I really don't remember these miles 8:32 & 8:35.
Oh good. Mile 9. Churchill Downs. Ok, its not that I don't like Churchill Downs, but I just don't like running through it the way the course goes - I really hate those tunnels! There is no air in there and they are so narrow. And the smells :( Not as bad as last year but still . . . However, seeing the horses running was cool. In the tunnels, the GPS on the watch glitches too and signal was lost. So I'm just going to continue to post the splits based on whatever the watch said. 9:12 for this mile :(
Mile 10 - Picked it back up for this mile 8:36. We are still running with our new friend and have learned that she is new to the area and needs a race faster than 2:01 to PR and she doesn't train like most of us runners train - she does crossfit. Wow. I'm impressed. She looks like she is out on an easy jog! I feel like I'm dying off and she is doing great! Maybe there's something to the crossfit thing. 5k left.
Mile 11 - Ok, really tired now. Tell my friend that has helped me run so fast this far that I don't think I can keep it up. Just getting tired and my left leg is hurting. 8:39 for this mile. Well on our way back to downtown through the areas that we run all the time. It does help to know the course.
Miles 12 and 13 - I knew I was going to have to keep it up if I were going to PR. When I hit mile 11 I turned on the iPod - Motley Crue :) Ok, that is helping. I keep going. 8:42. At some point in here the GPS loses signal again (around the convention center). I am running as hard as I can at this point knowing that I might not make the PR. It would be close but I just wasn't sure I could do it. So instead of giving up I pushed through (digging deep and thinking of all the training runs and the speedworkouts and the words of encouragement from everyone) and managed to keep going. I turned down Main Street and really picked it up - or at least I thought I did. My garmin says 8:40 for mile 13. I am certain it was faster! My garmin also only read 13.05 for the course because of the gps outages so I think it was faster.
Okay, one more left turn and down the hill and across the finish line! I feel like I am flying now and I think I'm going to make the PR! I ran as hard as I could until I crossed the finish line and stopped the watch. It read 1:53:11 - that's a PR! My last little bit of running was at a 6:18 pace.
My official time was 1:53:07 so a PR of 27 seconds! This was a certified course and my previous PR was not on a certified course (so today's race was obviously longer!!!). The course is definitely a flat and fast course. The crowd support was pretty good (especially with the threat of rain!) The only part of the course that I really don't like are the tunnels in Churchill Downs. Today was a triumphant day for me! My previous PR was in Oct 2011 and 2012 was a tough running year for me. So my PR today means that I am back on track and improving over the rough year last year!
I absolutely could not have done this without my friend that ran with me the whole race today and to our training group! You guys rock!
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