That Dam Half Race Report

My alarm was set for 5:45 am. I was planning on leaving the house at 6:40 am, given the 35 minute commute to Lewisville. I had my clothes all set out, but because of Parker’s party going on til 10 pm (yes, my 4 year old’s party was rockin!), I didn’t get to bed until nearly 11 pm. Not ideal for a pre race night’s sleep.

Fast forward to this morning. I woke once at 4 am but decided I could go back to bed since I had a little more time… well, I had a lot more time, because that 5:45 alarm never happened. I had accidentally set a PM alarm in my haste last night!

So I popped out of bed at 6:38 am, pretty much my leave time. I scrambled around the house frantic. I didn’t get breakfast, didn’t get coffee, didn’t remember my clif blocks, and forgot my wireless earbuds. Not the best start. But I was pulsing with adrenaline. And I did get in my car at 6:55 am.

I arrived to the race at 7:30 am and actually had plenty of time to park and get comfortable. I ran into some friends running the race and jogged a bit to warm up.

I felt a little twang in my tummy that I couldn’t tell if it was from hunger or if it was from the birthday crap I had eaten the day before (pizza, cake and champagne – all not normal things for me aside from champagne). I decided it was probably the food from the party rather than hunger and figured I had plenty of fuel for the race (since I forgot mine).

As the race got underway, I started off a tad too fast. This always happens. It was cool out, 60 degrees, and the sickness I’ve gotten over wasn’t there, but a nagging little cough was. I could tell I’d be the phlegm girl today. Nice.

My first mile I paced at 7:46 and I settled in slower around 8 after that. I looked around at everyone running and the gorgeous lake and said to myself “this is no one else’s race but mine”. So even if and when people pass me, I won’t get anxious. I will focus on me. I will focus on my race. I will focus on my goals.

My high hamstring tendonopathy was irritated from the get go today (I’ve been doing more speed lately and I think that’s the cause) and while I would love to say I felt great today, my high hamstrings (where my hamstrings attach to my glutes nagged with every turnover). I was hoping by mile 3 it would go away, but it didn’t. But again, I kept thinking, this moment is transient and my body is so capable.

I had a surge of energy about mile 6 that came out of nowhere and then mile 7/8 hit me hard because we had to run uphill for all of mile 7 and then along the dam for all of 8/9. The wind just slammed me and momentarily I got defeated.

I felt tired and like there was no way I could keep my pace and then I decided to run the rest of my race for my family. I did mile 10 for Carleigh (totally appropriate with the Miley Cirus jams I was listening to), mile 11 for Parker, mile 12 for Dustin and mile 13 for God. I figured having someone to run for gave me purpose and definitely helped me focus.

There were lots of turns on this race which wasn’t great and it had a semi-tough hill at mile 7, but the weather was fantastic, the volunteers were amazing, the race was well organized, and the most important thing: my mental game was there!

That’s what I’ve learned from today. Even if I have the physical capability, it doesn’t matter if my mental game is not there.

And from here I plan to push the envelope on my “comfortable” running levels so I avoid plateau. But first a little rest for my hamstrings this week. Easy runs on the agenda.

Official time – 1:48:53 pace 8:18 per mile.

Splits:

• Mile 1 7:46
• Mile 2 8:14
• Mile 3 8:20
• Mile 4 8:09
• Mile 5 8:20
• Mile 6 7:47
• Mile 7 8:18
• Mile 8 8:36
• Mile 9 8:23
• Mile 10 8:21
• Mile 11 8:21
• Mile 12 8:13
• Mile 13 8:21
• .24 (watch had me further than .1) 7:01

XOXO,

Jess