Provo City Half

I got up at 3 am, got ready, and caught a ride down to Provo with my mom and dad. My mom and I were planning on running the Provo City Half. She was going to take a little longer than I was so, after standing around for 2 hours (we caught the first bus) in the cold trying to inch our way into the circle of people around the little fire pits we parted ways when they were about to start. I was planning on going with the 2.30 pacer as long as I could like I had been doing with the past races. Mom was going to start at the end of the pack and was aiming for around a 3 hr half. 

 I made a last minute decision to run with the 2.20 pacer when I saw it was my friend Susette who was pacing it and Josh was with her. I figured I could always drop back if I had to. 

Things started out great and I was really surprised at how well I was feeling considering I was struggling the weekend before at the Thanksgiving Point half with all those hills. I'm sure it really helped that there was a big downhill with running in the canyon and all. 

Around mile 2 Susette had to hand off the pacing sign to Josh and we ran together until Susette caught up a couple miles later. Talk about tough! I don't think I would have been able to do what she did. I think if I had to fall back like that I wouldn't have been able to run and catch up! Josh did an amazing job at pacing. He has an amazing story and is such a great guy. It was really nice running with him. He's so much taller than me so, it made me have to lengthen my stride and what I noticed was, it's SO MUCH EASIER! It's easier to run with a longer stride than the normal little trot I do. My legs felt good, my lungs felt good, and mentally I was totally in it. There was nothing holding me back... until mile 10ish.

Josh had to drop back around mile 9-10 and I was running along with Susette. We were on pace to be in a little before 2.20, but the mile markers were off by about .25, so we weren't 100% sure how much early we'd be in. Around mile 10 my legs kept telling me to walk. I pushed it until mile 11, where I walked through the aid station and continued running. I was warn out, but I could see the finish line and I knew I could make it under 2.30. Susette had gone ahead around mile 10 and I tried my hardest to keep her in sight. I knew I'd only be about 5 minutes behind her if I just kept moving. 

When I came up close enough to the finish line to see the clock I was shocked to see it was 2.18! I was totally going to get it under 2.20!!! I pushed it and finished in 2.20.22!

I PR'd!! I wasn't expecting to PR at all. I didn't go into this race thinking that I'd do anything other than stick with the 2.30 and hopefully the downhill would help me a little, but I wasn't expecting a PR at all!! 

It was a great race with great friends. Josh had me promise him when he dropped back that I'd PR and sure enough, I did!! 

I called my mom when I was at mile 6 and she was at 4 and feeling good. 

Somewhere around mile 9 she hit a wall and it took her forever to finish the last 4 miles. I think a lot of it had to do with the heat and her not being dressed for it. She was dressed for the cool of the canyon, but not the hot of the road when you came out of the canyon. I was there with my dad, Jason, and a couple of their missionaries waiting on her to come in.  She ended up finishing in 3.17.58. She was so tired and exhausted. She was going to run the Utah Valley Half with me, but decided to push it back to next year, which is a good idea. She'll be totally prepared by then. :) 

My next half is the Utah Valley Half. It's about the same course so, we'll see if I can PR again. I'm debating to running with the 2.10 pacer this time. We'll see what I do...