Race Report: Chicago Half Marathon 9/9/12

2:21:59 (pace 10:50) Another PR, totally blew my 7/22 PR outta the water by 12 minutes and 7 seconds! Report coming soon....

Uh, oops? So the website updated my time: 2:22:00, and my pace according to them was 10:49. (I swear yesterday it said 2:21:59. Whatever.) My 5 mile split was 53:40, 10 mile split 1:48:03. My Garmin was a bit off the entire race, distance-wise, but I will post the mile splits later anyway, it's close enough, I suppose.

************************************************************************ So, I was hoping to post my mile splits, but something funky happened with my Garmin and every run has been erased. But I had looked at the mile splits a few time in several moments of obsessive compulsive behavior, so I can generally report that the first few miles were clocking in at around 10:30 to 10:45, then around 6 through 10 I started creeping up a bit, clocked a few 10:50's in a row (is this my new pace?), clocked a few in the 11:05 to 11:15, and even had one around 11:25 when i took a GU.

But the rest of the race, there isn't that much to report. Why? Because I was in a zone...running on auto pilot. The weather at the start was perfect. I had absolutely zero doubts that I would finish and finish well. I literally just kept putting one foot in front of the other--even got a text from my biggest cheerleader reminding me to do that.

Speaking of cheerleaders, I saw Anthony, a former co-worker near Mile 1. Then I saw Melba, my neighbor and fellow runner (who wasn't running this race), close to Mile 11.

It was around Mile 11 when I realized that at the solid pace I was going, I was totally gonna smash my previous PR of 2:34:06. I started to feel a little anxious but pushed that right outta my head.

KEEP GOING.

Holy sh*t, is that 12 miles already? My watch was at around 2:11 or 2:12 and some change and I KNEW I had it in the bage. BIG TIME.

DON'T SMILE! KEEP GOING!!

Got a text somewhere around here that my favorite person was at the finish line. Stop thinking about that and run!!

3/4 mile to go, said the neon orange sign! KEEP GOING! 1/2 mile to go said the next sign. There's the turn up ahead! OH SNAP, I'M ABOUT TO BLOW THIS PR OUT OF THE WATER!!! Run! Run! RUN!!! I looked down at my Garmin and the pace was 8:58 at which point I was sure I was about to pass out. I was passing runners and wondering if I might have an asthma attack. I slowed it down a bit with my hyper self. No need to pass out right before the finish line.

13 MILES, .1 to go!!! At this point I was talking to myself. Go, go go go go you got this, go go go, you got this....my breathing seemed so loud. Go go go go FINISH...

OH HELLLLLLL YESSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!! (As in Oh Hell Yes, I'll take that water, and Oh Hell Yes, as in my frikkin watch says 2:22:22..but that was due to a little mishap at the beginning of the race.) Official time 2:22:00.

And for once I didn't doubt myself during the run. Almost zero negative thoughts. For a brief moment I thought "how the hell am I gonna run 20 miles next week?" and then I said to myself "you'll do it the same way as this--one foot in front of the other--but worry about that after this race!"

And then suddenly my texting friend's face magically appeared, just as happy about my run as I was. So that person now has my medal because really....having a solid support system and someone who knows exactly where you're coming from is a gamechanger.

E P I L O G U E

You know how at the end of books there's this (sometimes) profound ending and you're all like "wow" and what not? So my whole medal thing has got me to thinking. I have TONS of medals, but I honestly don't think I have given running my all until now. I've run before, and I've had long training runs, sure. But ever since that 2007 marathon debacle, I've never been as committed as I am now. I've always set artificial limits for no reason at all. I'm contemplating getting rid of all of those medals...not sure...but I feel like I am at a new starting point. They are symbols of half-ass trying, of so much negative thinking and beating myself up...not sure though. My first marathon one and first half marathon medal have some meaning. But the rest? I'm not that girl anymore.

Thoughts?