Dallas Rock n Roll, inaugural event. Must say it was well organized for a first time race - i would never have know if it hadn't been printed on everything between here and Dallas. Expo was amazing. There were so many different booths and things to see. My best buy? A new leash for Jenga. Its called a wacky walker and has a latex center so the dog is constantly pulling against a rubber area instead of my body... and oh how my body loves it!!!!
Onto the race. Another early morning due to Spring Forward (whoever thought of this sucks, and whoever continues to observe it sucks more) but I arrived in the starter village with about an hour before race time. If anyone has the opportunity to purchase a special potty pass for a race - suck it up and do it, best money ever spent to get a flushing toilet and running water!!! (thanks Craig). Anyways lined up in Corral 6 (felt so fast to be nearer the front then the back!) and awaited my opportunity to start. Just FYI, it was 45 degrees and at this point i had been without my warmups for about 30 minutes. Couldn't feel my feet or my hands for the first 3 miles...
Miles 1&2 were uneventful. The fun of waving to 5 or 6 cameras, the fun of the starting line and starting of the race...yea all that. Ran through downtown dallas - up the street where JFK was shoot and into the luxury apartment area. Mile 2.5 I saw my cheerleaders for the first time...also managed to lose my HR monitor from its secure place and it hung out as a belt until mile 7 when i ditched it.
Miles 3 & 4 felt great. was running at a steady pace, keeping around a 9:45 like planned. A few small uphills but i managed.
Mile 4.5 suddenly my legs felt like weights. huh???? what is this. shouldn't be feeling this for atleast another mile. Just passed a water stop but figure there's another one just ahead so I pop open my carboom and go after it. a some relief - and by the way, next water stop is 2.5 miles away...always memorize the map for water locations!!!!
Miles 5-7 was a war of wills. I kept telling myself to just keep running until the water stop then I could walk through it. So good thing the water stop was so far away cause it kept me going - but i was mentally getting taxed at this point.
Mile 7...water!!!! (you think i had been in a desert). And cheerleaders!!!! Dropped aforementioned HR monitor - told them i was dying and wasn't sure i would make it and plugged on. Thankfully the rest of the race was downhill (almost).
Miles 8-12 were just getting to the finish line. We had turned back in the direction of the finish which is always a plus and now I was just fighting not stopping completely. By this time my IT band was killing me and my achilles was super sore. All causing me to change my stride constantly and never get into rhythm. I played the run to water, walk the stop game for 4 miles just to make it to the finish. I also played a mind game that if i could keep all my splits below 10:28 that i would still PR and have a successful run. I really wish I could have enjoyed the route more, but I was so focused on finishing and looking at the runners in front of me to see what was around me. I'm bummed about that part for sure.
Mile 13 i'm in the fair park where the finish is, passing fans, the UT band (ick) and the majestic cotton bowl. I really wanted to kick it to the finish, but I just couldn't. I allowed my mind to relax about people passing me and just smiled knowing i didn't give up. 2:10:52. PR by 4:15. So success, but not really. I'm bummed that I just wasn't feeling it that morning and that I let my self get out of form enough to end up hobbling to the finish line it seems. It was the first attempt at my new goal which is always a challenge so I have to know that it is a learning experience.
First thing i learned - eat atleast 3 meals the day before. Make sure they have some nice complex carbs in them, and maybe not as much protein - save that for post race. At this point this is all that I can see affected actual race day. I think that being sick 3 weeks ago affected my endurance some also.
So there is race one of the season - Flying Pig look out, I'm going to Rock you!!!!
