| 7/3 | 6 miles | 8:00 pace, felt effortless | | 7/4 | Rest day, Biked 16+ miles, Played in the surf | | 7/5 | 7 miles | 8:27 pace | | 7/6 | 6 miles | 8:17 pace | | 7/7 | 6 miles | 8:15 pace | | 7/8 | Rest day | | 7/9 | Bronx Half | 1:27:17 |
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Well, it wasn't a PR, but it was still a damn fine race. This is the first time I've ever won my age group in a NYRR race and third overall is the best I've ever placed, so I'm plenty pleased about that. I'd been hoping for a somewhat faster time, but I felt a little ragged right from the start. The day wasn't nearly as hot as it could have been and there was a reasonably cool breeze, but the sun and the glare were strong enough to really be factors. I actually worried that I started off too fast, running 6:30s for my first three miles, but I was able to stay steady between 6:30 and 6:50-ish for the entire distance, so I guess that's where the higher mileage really pays off.
There's not a whole lot to blab about here in terms of race reporting. I spent most of the race trying to just stay in sight of a teammate of mine, before losing contact with her for mile 6 - 9. At that point, I got a bit of a second wind from a CarbBoom gel and a mental boost from passing a West Side member who beat me in the last half. The last four miles weren't really any more painful than the rest of the race had been so I just kept pushing through to the end. I caught up to my teammate with a mile to go and just ran scared the rest of the way, knowing that she does a lot of speedwork and could probably outkick me at the end. Third-frickin-place. That's really something for me. And I'm pretty sure that means that I'm in the money for the NYRRC's Half Marathon Grand Prix series. Not a whole lotta cash, but something like $50 I think...enough to cover my entry fees at any rate and hey, who doesn't like winning money?