My plan was to run the 5k at an easy pace, around 23:00-24:00, and then run a solid half marathon from 1:45-1:50. For whatever reason, I felt great and broke those times in both races, leading to an amazing half marathon performance.
Saturday- 5k
The GF and I drove to the race start at Tempe Beach Park due to the race beginning almost two miles from the hotel. We were glad we did this as it was actually pretty chilly for Phoenix. It was probably in the low-40s but the wind was strong. I had more fun at this one than I normally have at 5ks for several reasons: my supportive GF was there, it was a nice sized 5k with almost 1500 finishers, and we had amazing pacers in running icons like Alan Webb, Ryan Hall and others! That was a very cool touch! I loved having the rare opportunity to run next to such legends.
I started out in the 8:00 pace group and felt a little tight for the first mile or so. I ran next to Alan Webb for the first mile which was amazing. We made our way north across the Salt River for some awesome views of the city. I passed this pace group at the end of mile one and started feeling pretty good. The course was flat and very scenic, with a nice view of Camelback Mountain north of Phoenix. I really picked up the pace and ran just over 7 minutes for mile 2. I wanted to catch up to the 7:15 group and made my way there near the end of the race. We crossed the Salt River again on the return and I kicked it for a very strong 22:38. This was good enough for 69/1488 overall and 9/82 in my age group. Not bad at all for an easy 5k. I probably could have hit around 21:00 at this race which would have put me in the top 30 or so. But I had to leave something in the tank for Sunday.
Sunday- Half Marathon
First, some pre-race pics!
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| With GF before race! |
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| I love this pic she took! |
We had an easy walk to the start and got there about a half hour before the start. I started out in Corral 2 so there wasn't much of a wait. This race had a real wave start and it helped tremendously. There were always people nearby, but I never once felt like the race was too big and crowded. We started by going west from Arizona State University and I felt pretty tight from the previous day's 5k. The first mile came in around 8:11 but was the last time I'd be above 8:00. Something happened during this one and I was in a zone for the rest of the run. I started clicking off 7:30 miles for the remainder of the race. There were no designs on running a PR at this point. I simply wanted to bank some time for when I crapped out late in the race due to it being my first of the year. The 5k came in at 24:05 which isn't a bad time for my first 3.1 in a half. My goal of hitting a 1:45 was looking realistic, but I was really shooting for a sub-1:50 at this one.
We headed north toward Scottsdale for the next few miles. This wasn't the prettiest part of the course but the long straightaway was nice. I was still hitting 7:30 miles and one or two below that. My 10k time came in at 47:08. Still really good for me, but I knew I would fall shy of hitting the first 8 miles in 1:00, which would mean a PR pace for me. Still, I was running well and enjoying the sites. We had an amazing view of Camelback Mountain and some of the rock formations north of the city. I was staying hydrated well, as I knew I would have to hit the water stops more frequently than normal for this race. I could certainly feel the heat and I did get some sun during this one.
There was a wicked uphill around 9 miles in, but we were treated by an amazing view of Phoenix once we crested the hill. It was gorgeous! We then turned around and were treated to an amazing downhill in which I ran about 7:05 for that mile. I hit the 10 mile mark in 1:15:18. I'll repeat that...1:15:18. How did that happen? I finally got it in my head that a PR was actually a possibility at my first race of the year. I definitely picked up the pace for the rest of the race.
The last few miles were similar to the 5k the day before. We made our way around a few rock formations. I was definitely pushing my pace and feeling it, but I have to try for a PR when the opportunity presents itself. I stopped watching my watch until I hit the 12 mile mark, clocking in just over 1:29. I actually knew I would break my PR of 1:39:32 at this point an wanted to break it by a few minutes. We made our way across the Salt River again and I kicked it in like the previous day. The pictures as I'm finishing are hilarious as I have a big grin on my face. I hit the finish line with a new PR of 1:37:26, good enough for 433/11181 overall and 52/591 in my age group. Talk about a shock of a race!
We even have some celebratory pictures!
I'm still getting over the fact I hit a new PR at my first 2015 race, especially after running a solid 5k the day before. GF was absolutely amazing and supportive!
I knew towards the end of last year that I was starting out too conservatively at races and it's something I look to improve upon this year.
Next race: Last Chance for Boston Half Marathon- Dublin, OH
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