Hello All!!!
This may be a bit long but feel free to refer to the cliff notes.
Leading up to race
10 days prior to the race I got a bad stomach bug, had to take 2 days off work, was in the bathroom for 2 days straight and lost about 5 lbs. I was unable to train for 3 days. That was the 1st week of a 3 week build period. So after getting healthy and taking it light Saturday and Sunday, I continued my build week 2. So I put in fairly significant volume and intensity Monday-Friday prior to the Saturday race. At this point in the season I have done 3 workouts/races faster than 7:00/mi pace. One was a 40 minute tempo at 6:47 pace, a 5 mile road race at 6:02 pace, and a 3 X 10 minute segment faster than half-marathon pace with 90 second jog in between (done Thursday prior to race).
Race Day
I came into the race with a 1:25:43 PB. The race was meant to be used as a hard workout, which would be a stepping stone for a big PB at a half marathon on January 26th. Race morning came in the NY and it was snowing fairly moderate. My fiance and I debated skipping the run because we had a 70+ minute drive to get there. Good thing we decided to go for it.
Goal on race day was 6:40-6:50 pace. After a 10 minute warm up, we went to the line ready to roll. Prior the the race the announcer was kind enough to let us know joining us would be 2 professional triathletes including a sub 9 hour IM guy. As the gun goes off the 2 pro’s and 1 kid take off. Must have been 5:50 pace or faster. I start off in 4th place and begin chugging along. After half a mile random guy pulls up along me and we’re talking a bit for first 2 miles. He ends up being a strong triathlete and 2:48 marathon guy. At 2 miles I know we’re going faster than I wanted but the guy is a massive talker. And I got sucked into staying at his pace. I ask him what we’re hitting and he said we were bouncing between 6:05-6:20 lol. So much for 6:50 pace.
For the next 2 miles, probably 6:30ish pace, I tell him about 3 times to go ahead without me but he refuses and tells me to tag along. I do my best to stick with him. This was a straight out and back 2 loop course. So we had to make 3 hairpin turns. At my 7, the second hairpin turn we were about 75 meters back on third place guy. He looked like he was struggling when he ran past us so after the turn we picked it up. The adrenaline of actually seeing a top 3 overall place so close was awesome.
We catch the kid and he hangs for a mile or so. He asks what pace we’re hitting and apparently 5:55ish lol. We slow it down a bit but I’m feeling great and before I know it I’m gapping both talkative guy, and former 3rd place guy. WTF all of a sudden I’m in 3rd place by myself about 30 meters up on 4th. As I approach the last hairpin turn, I see the top 2 running together, casually talking about 2-300 meters up. So I realize I’m not catching them.
The last 1.5 miles were absolute hell. The race was meant to be a hard workout, not me dying the last miles. Coming from a running background, I’ve never puked during a race. I was pretty close here the last mile. Regardless I’m still pumping as hard as I can because I would be unbelievably pissed off if I lost a top 3 overall spot in the last mile. I come to the finish looking like complete shit but cross the line at 1:22:54.X for a 2 minute 50 second PB and third place overall.
I couldn’t believe it. Again this was supposed to be a hard work out. I was looking to hit 1:29ish, but with the snow I had no idea where I would be. Combine that with the hairpin turns, my workload for the week, and I was shocked.
Moral of the story? I didn’t wear my Garmin for the second straight race, and for second straight time I surprised myself. I know if I had my Garmin and saw my splits I would have forced myself to slow down miles 1-5. Sometimes we just gotta go by feel. I felt awesome after a few miles, went for it, and was rewarded with a huge PB when I least expected it.
CLIFF NOTES: 2 Minute 50 Second PB in the snow, did not intend to race flat out
Go by feel, not watch/pace.
Fiance finishes with 6 minute PB in snow.