I have been on run-centric training plan with focus on beating my half marathon PR of 1:19:30, set almost 2 years ago.

This was my summer to smash it but all races were cancelled! I have remained diligent in my self-designed training plan, glaring inefficiencies be damned!

(I am 6', 1", 200 lbs, 40 years old...lol)

So I had to set a day and stick with it. I kept pushing it back week after week making excuses to avoid the assured pain...

I finally committed to a taper week and raced the clock yesterday morning.

https://www.strava.com/activities/3615533243

It could have been better...

On the plus side this was my first race in Zoom 4% or whatever these things are, the green ones. I should hit 1:15 no problem right?!

I have been running consistent 20-35 mile weeks for 4 years now.

First excuse: The route has almost 600 ft of climbing which is not a lot I guess, but a lot of the vert is in one hill that gets ya. Long and drawn out over a mile. Right at 7 miles. So painful... Check out the shape in elev. profile. Mean bugger.

Second excuse: taper weeks suck when it is nice weather and I am in such habit of getting out there.
Saturday evening, beautiful sun out, warm. Go for easy mountain bike ride but then decide to spontaneously crush a couple Strava KOMs... so dumb. But I still figured I could pull out Sunday am if I wanted.

Sunday am felt pretty good. Race time!

First half felt pretty good, managed a 10k PR of 37:33 (up from 37:45 last year in 10k race)
The definitely cursed the damned Strava sections on the bike from mile 6 to 13 on the run. Fatigue. Nike Carbon sole no longer springing me to victory. Collapse in form last 2 miles, on deaths door.

Struggled to hold 6:15 for last few miles. fell to 6:30. The last .1 is up horrible little hill to finish with a whimper at 1:23.

At mile 5 I wanted to quite. And again at mile 10 (1:02:30) I wanted to quite because I knew was was not gonna get 1:19. Goggins popped in my head cursing insults at my weak character. Focus on form, focus on falling forward momentum.

Any way, it was fun in the end. Had to bike back and get truck and then took dog for hike up mountain for 1300' and 3 more miles, so I obviously did not push to complete exhaustion. hard to do with no competition I reckon!