The Geist Half Marathon...better than I expected

After getting off the bus that transported me from the packet pick up location to the race start, I was rather calm. Normally, I am really nervouse. Many people have their own pre-race rituals but most have the one thing in common....requisite pre race bathroom stop or 2 or 3. During a triathlon race, I normally visit Mr. Johnny on the Spot 2-3 times. Today...only twice.

My strategy was simple:

1. Finish
2. Finish
3. Do not stop
4. Maintain a steady pace.
5. Do not worry about other passing me.
6. Be positive.
7. Drink at my own pace.

I lined up in the 2:30 section of the line. This was my first half marathon so I realized that they have pace sections.

I stood at the national anthem with my hand on my heart and cheered as planes flew over during the end.

I heard the race being and I was off....

It was a little difficult to know my pace in the beginning but I tried base it on my heart rate monitor. I was averaging 155bpm which told me that I wasn't working too hard. After mile 1, I was maintaining the same bmp and clocked in a time of 11:30...that was a little fast for my training.

What surprised me were people who would pass me, then a few minutes later, I would see them walking, then they would run passed me, and the cycle was repeated for 13 miles. What don't they just try running a consistent pace?

The course was beautiful...we ran through the nicest neighborhoods of Indianapolis and through the Geist Resovoir.

There were some inclines but after hitting all the mile markers, my pace stayed between 11:30 and 11:46. I was pacing three females and an older gentleman who was speed walking. He was pretty fast for speed walking...maybe he was running then.

When Mile 7.5 came, so came the hills...nice long, rolling hills. My paced dropped to as low as 12:45. I was thinking about tweeting during the race, but I wanted to stay focused.

People tell me that in a half marathon, there are two parts to it: 1) the first 10 mile and 2) the last 3.1 miles. Same thing with a marathon. I kept telling myself that I didn't want to belive that....any sport is more mental than physical. The mind is definitely more powerful than the body.

At mile 10, I was fine...I felt really good. During the race, I only ate one GU gel....at about 1:00 into the race.

When mile 11 hit, I was getting tired...I was very tempted to stop and walk, but I knew if I stopped, I may not finish....so I kept going...mile 11 was the last hill also. I decided to just try to shuffle and maintain some sort of pace.

When I saw the bridge crossing the resovoir, I knew was almost at the end. I really wanted to stop but I kept going and knowing that it was almost over. There were a group that I was running with the last 6 miles and they were ahead of me so I decided that I wanted to pass them...it was my own little victory and that no one would pass me during the last quarter mile. While in the middle of the bridge, I sprinted, passed the group and kept going...around the corner and finally to the finish line....FINALLY!!!!

I finished my first half marathon of the season. My longest run before that was 8 miles so I was really happy. This race would be the benchmark for my runnning for the season. I believed that if I performed well, than I was on pace to finish Ironman Louisville...we will see.

After I stopped, I was hurting...really hurting...my knees and and thighs were in a lot of pain and stairs....forget it.....