How can you not be happy with a PR??

Yesterday I ran the Palos Bank Southwest Half Marathon. Standing at the start line of my first real race of 2011, I knew this would not be a great day for me. There are several reasons...I have had an injury prone spring (IT band and low back strain), I haven't been running all that much (only 3 days a week with no set schedule except to my long weekend runs, which I stuck to diligently), but namely because all week I hadn't treated my body all that well (AKA...lots of easter candy last week).

So I set out on a beautiful morning to run a nice 13 miler with my friend Dana, forgetting it was a race at all. BUT all that changed when we reached the turn around point and midway I was just seconds over an hour and I felt great. I began thinking that just maybe I could break the 2 hour mark. This was my goal last year and I missed it with a PR of 2:03:31 at the Disney Wine and Dine Half Marathon in October 2010. So off I went at about mile 9 I quit talking, turned up the IPOD, and raced the last 4 miles.

I haven't plugged my garmin in yet to see exactly what my pace was the last 4 miles, but I would bet I hovered around the 9 minute mark (pretty fast for me!). When I hit mile 12...checked my watch I knew I had under 9 minutes to do the last 1.1 miles. Unable to do that math in my oxygen depleted, endorphin highed brain....this is where the struggle began. When do you REALLY push it? I decided to keep motoring along until I hit 12.5...then I'd kick it in. And BOY did I...I could see the finish up ahead and as I entered the spectator shoot I sprinted as fast as I could. I remember once reading that if you are feeling depleted at the very end of the race you should visualize a cup of energy and yourself drinking from it. I used every ounce of speed, strength, attitude and guts I had left. I crossed the finish line and hit stop on the Garmin. After grabbing some powerade...I looked down. 2:00:15.

All I could think was 15 seconds...seriously, so close!! I had PR'd by over 3 minutes and all I could focus on were those 15 seconds. How could I NOT be happy with that?

In my Yoga class, one instructor says striving for perfection is a fault. You should strive to be the best you are on that day. I can honestly say on May 1st, 2011...I ran not only the best half marathon I have ever run, but the best half marathon I had in me.

Turns out my official time was 2:00:11 so I know I am inching closer to that 2 hour goal. More importantly...I know some day I will be blogging about a half marathon time that has a 1 in front of it.

Run Happy, Dr Misty

Half Marathon PR 2:00:11