SLC 26.2 Race Report

Up at 4:45 immediately ate a banana with almond butter

Got ready

Start line by 6:15

Ate some of a Power bar and some of an orange

Got in line

Going into the race Coach Teresa and I had decided:

-         Go out very conservatively.  Where I did not get many long runs in I needed to make sure I did not blow up

-         She told me my race did not start until about mile 20 so I needed to make sure to have mantras in mind when people were passing me to continue to keep my pace slow.  

Usually I turn my Garmin on when I hear the anthem, didn’t hear it this time, so the race was starting as my Garmin was searching for satellites!  First mile I think my time is messed up because of it.  I had planned to stick with the 4 hour pace group the first half of the race but I never found the pacer.

Mile 1-6

9:03, 9:03, 8:42, 8:49, 8:50, 9:02

-         Pace felt VERY easy and controlled.  I felt like I was just jogging along.

-         Most of these miles were downhill

* *Took first GU at mile 5, grabbed water at mile 6 and spilled it everywhere!

Mile 7-13.1

9:13, 9:06, 9:38, 9:08, 9:07, 9:02, 9:18

-         Pace still felt very controlled and easy.  Small hills felt easy to get up.

-         Started to get hot in this section.  Every aid station from here I poured water down my head.  People were handing out Popsicles at mile 9, I grabbed 2 and held them in each of my hands to try to stay cool. 

-         Mile 10 a police man started running with me and asked me for my number! Ha :)

-         Turned music at mile 11 

-         Crossed 13.1 at 1:57:XX Was really happy at this point, thought I’d make it under 4 hours, everything was downhill from here until state street at mile 25.

**Took GU at mile 10 then water at 11

**Took GU and water at mile 13.1

Mile 14-18

9:02, 8:54, 9:06, 9:06, 9:02

-         I was trying to interact with the little kids along the street during this section and it really made the time go by so fast 

-         Mile 16 I got to see Julia and Rachelle!  The whole race I was on the look out for Julia and gave me such a boost to see her sweet face!!!

-         14-15 was beautiful running by those expensive houses and lots of tree cover.  Mile 16-18 was SUPER hot along Van Winkle and no tree cover at all.

-         I really wanted to speed it up here but I kept telling myself, ‘your race does not start until mile 20’

** Took GU and Water at 16

** Took Power Aid at 18

Mile 19-21

9:38, 9:38, 9:18

-         Pace started to slow...I was getting HOT.  Up until this point I felt amazing – not tired or sore at all.  I still felt good here but was loosing some energy.  Now that I write this down I stopped taking GU’s at mile 16 which was probably why.  

-         Somewhere along mile 20 I saw a house that had a ‘temptation station’ with a whole table filled with alcohol and shot glasses… really? Just thinking of taking a shot right then made me want to throw up!

Mile 22

15:05

-SUCKED!  I don’t know what happened but right after I left Liberty Park my hamstrings cramped up so bad I couldn’t even walk.  I had to completely stop and stretch them out.

*While I was stretching I drank a full cup of Power Aid and poured about 4 cups of water on my head

Mile 23-26

9:14, 8:42, 9:27, 9:00,    1:47

-         After I started running again I knew that the sub 4 was out of the picture so I really just tried to enjoy the rest of the race

-          

    Coming around the corned and looking up State Street at mile 25 is humbling for sure! During this whole incline I was saying out load ‘I Run This Body – BTM’ over and over and over…

            Last .2 had a nice kick at 7:21 pace

 4:06:09

14/519 AG

87/2799 Female

-- I really like taking a GU about a half a mile before an upcoming aid station, then washing it down with water.

-- The last portion of the race I stopped taking GU and replaced it with Power Aid – shouldn’t have done this.

-- Starting of conservatively is key!  Those first miles were very downhill but I still might have started out too fast for what I was pacing for.

-- Took an ice bath right after and it seriously felt sooooo good.

-- My body was so salty after the race.  Maybe this is why I cramped up so bad at mile 22? Maybe I should try taking those salt tablets. 

-- After the race until today I have been very thirsty but no appetite. Been forcing myself to get down some protein.

So happy that I even got to run this race! 

2 weeks ago I thought I was going to have to sit this one out and 

I ended up getting a 24 minute PR.   

If I can decrease my time that amount again marathon #3 will be a BQ! :D