Newport 1/2 Marathon - Recap

The third year I have run this race.  2012 recap 2013 recap   Now I'm seeing the benefit of this blog and seeing what I wrote and remembering where I was in my life at these points.  Fascinating...

A lot has stayed the same and as much has changed.  The adrenaline/excitement of training for my first marathon was mostly what fueled 2012.  The exhaustion of a too hectic race schedule and over commitment de-fueled 2013.  I vowed to do things differently in 2014 and I have.  Still I was not looking forward to this race.  I had it as Registered - Debating on my race list.  My very short race list ( I learned a lesson - who knew at my advancing age I could learn a lesson???).

2012 was a success because it was a PR for me.  I remember that race and I was so high on everything.  I miss that feeling, I really do.  I kinda wish I was that thin again too...  it was too thin as I'm reminded...

2013 was a success because we got Nicole a PR 2:29, a 7 minute PR.  I read the recap and remember how I was really feeling... I'm glad for what I captured in writing.

2014 I did not follow my training plan to PR.  Nicole and I talked, I so wanted to bail on this race.  I missed the RI triple crown of road and trail racing due to that stupid cruise so really what was the point of any of this.  Nicole talked about wanting to PR, her PR is 2:24, we got that together in Providence.  Did I think I could pace her for a 2:20.  Sure.  I’ll give it a shot.  We have to stay under a 10:41 pace.  As the miles ticked off, I let her know if we were good or off pace, we had a couple quick miles and more than a couple slow miles, and I pushed her the last three miles, really pushing her last mile to get to the finish line.

Good training plan / Poor execution

I think the phrase “so what is the point of any of this” really sums this race up for me.

Going into this third Newport ½ I wasn't trained for what I wanted to do, sub 2 hours, I was even doubting my ability to even run 13.1 miles.  If it wasn't for Nicole really wanting a PR I may have turned off the alarm Sunday a.m. and went back to sleep.  It really helped me to have some needing me to help them. 

Getting to the race start was its usual mess of traffic.  People panicking that the last bus was really going to leave at 6:45 and they wouldn’t get to the race.  We got on a bus before 7 and they were lined up to get runners to the start.  Trip to the porta pottie, remembering that last year the ones at the end had the shortest lines, and again they did people we passed in line getting to the tail end of the line of porta potties were probably still in line.  The herd mentality is a funny thing.  We got lined up, kicking ourselves for no throw away gloves, all the while knowing we’d be warm by the end of the first mile.  Wondering if long sleeves were going to be a mistake.

Mile 1 I kept slowing Nicole down.  We talked a bit, not really all that much.  Mostly just take it easy the first couple miles, there will be middle miles you are thankful for the rest now.  Dead on with pacing.  10:41

Mile 2 we went fast, there was a good bit of downhill, I figured it would be ok we could cash in on these seconds later.

Mile 3 & 4 we slowed up a bit, still putting a little aside for the slower miles in the middle.

Mile 5 is what did us in last year, we stopped at the porta pottie, lost 6 minutes. 10"33, perfect.

Mile 6 probably the less scenic 10:23, still a little fast.  But I know how the end went last year...  I debated putting more or less in the bank.

Mile 7 – 10  along the ocean, we fought some wind and some rolling hills.  At this point we drafted a bit.  We should have done more to conserve energy (don’t worry, the people we drafted off of finished ahead of us).  Nicole was starting to really feel the pain of the pace.   Some spectator said you only have 2 miles to go, when we really had 2.8.  This was not nice, don’t do that people, please. 10:46 / 10:22 / 10:41 / 10:58   Yes, we lost a little ground.  I really need to learn to do math in my head.  

Mile 11 – 13.1 When we hit 10 I said it’s a 5K left, we were at 1:45.  35 minutes it was going to be tough to bring up our pace much over this last 5K.  Nicole was willing to endure the pain and I pushed her, mile 11  10:52 mile 12 10:51 mile 13 10:00 mile 0.1 9:02 mile  (negative splits at the hardest part). We had the last big downhill for mile 13 bringing down the pace, I banked on this too much, and I also banked on the spectators staying out of the race course.  Silly me.  I pulled Nicole with “COME ON NICOLE” through the last 0.3 miles.  She did it.  The absolute look of relief as she crossed that finish line and finally looked at her space watch 2:19!!!!!!!!!!!  We both screamed!  She did it!!  We did it!!

Nicole was so quiet the whole run, this was so odd.  I feared not running much with her had become a problem.   No she was focused and concentrating.

2:19:29  

And for Christy -- We passed a Team Beef singlet in the last mile of the race.  I thought of you!

We did it!  Another 1/2 with Nicole and another PR for Nicole!!!  The point I questioned, well, the point is success.  Seeing Nicole so happy and thrilled was all I needed.

Sincerely,

Beth, long sleeves were not a mistake!

PS - Ocean's Run in March will be my sub 2 race. Just putting that out there.  Speed work starts Tuesday, in earnest....