The PR that almost was.... non-Mermaid Half Recap

Remember last week, when I was all hopped up making goals and PR attempts at my goal race on Sunday?

So I had a goal. 2:20. I felt READY - the course was totally flat, I hydrated and fueled like a pro. It was totally going to happen, I just knew it.

Saturday morning, I was supposed to go with Sarah and Pam to cheer on Skinny Runner at her first ultra, but couldn't make it work with some plans #1 made. So instead, I spent the morning chauffeuring the kid, and shopping.

I have resisted the Lulu-aide for so, so long. But everything there is like magic.

I actually walked out and didn't buy anything.

But the time is coming. I can't hold off much longer.

Anyway. Saturday, I did that stuff. And not much else. Drank tons of water. Ate tons of carbs. Went to bed super early, with an alarm set for 3:57.

Woke up. Coffee. Hung out. Dressed obnoxiously.

Drove the 90 minutes south to Mission Bay...

And getting closer, I note how overcast it is. Nice, I thought. I LOVE overcast.And then, around Del Mar, it starts pouring rain. I do NOT like running in cold, pouring rain.

Get to Mission Bay, and try to follow the directions on the Mermaid Half website - which I checked pretty obsessively, thinking I had the start time confused (note, I didn't). Driving. Circling. Huh. There's no start line.

Then I check their facebook page, thinking surely I can't be the only one confused about where to go.

And start seeing posts like,

and....

OH.

Aaaaannnnnnd, yeah. So, the race was Saturday. NOT Sunday.

Oops.

So, that sucked.

I drove back home, through the rain, and by the time I made it back to Irvine, it was getting toasty, and the sun was out. But I was ready, so I ran 13.1 anyway.

I ran a bike path loop twice (exactly 5 miles, each loop), then a loop around my neighborhood once (just over 3.1). I decided to follow my pace strategy anyway, and see what I could pull out, and run a pretend race. Because... why not, I guess. It's not like i had any other plans for the morning....

1-2.5 - shooting for 11min pace. I think I averaged 11:15 - I was blah and not really feeling like running, and had an earphone malfunction, and walked to sort out my cords. Oh, plus this out part of the loop is a slight uphill the whole way - it's the last piece of the PCRF course in May. Rude.

2.5-5 - wheeeeee downhill. Shooting for 11-10:45ish. I think I hit this - but I haven't really looked at my Garmin data yet.

5-7.5 - mother effer up hill again. Unsure why I would do this to myself. Seriously, it's like a build-your-own-race-course, and I choose this? Dumb. Shooting for 10:40-10:30. I think I was pretty close.

7.5-10 - wheeeeee downhill again. Felt FANTASTIC. Aiming for 10:30-10:15. Did well under - mile 9 was 9:50. Felt like I could run this pace for DAYS.

10-11.5 - Shooting for 10:15-10. Mile 10 was sub-10. Mile 11 started same pace. Hit about mile 11.5, and within 20 feet it was as if I could not move another step. the 9:45 pace that felt effortless 400m ago, was immediately turned into 11:40, and HARD. Eff that.

11.5-13 - Shoulda been 10-9:45. Eeked out a 10:20-ish. Want to die. Roasting, it's a thousand degrees and sunny. Pretty sure I will not survive. Want to take advantage of auto-pause, but I feel like that's cheating, so I don't. I walk a bit. I run. I hate life. I'm miserable.

13-13.1 - 8:55. Done.

My shiny new PR*: 2:19:24.

I had a secret, back-of-my-mind goal of 2:15. Considering Mermaid is pretty pancake flat, and was in cooler, less sunny weather, I bet I would have made it.

Oh well.

Maybe next time.