I thought I'd post a quick update of my race this past weekend. It was my second 1/2 marathon and I was looking forward to improving upon my 2:20 from last year. I was pretty confident as I had run a number of 19's and 20's at near my goal pace (I was shooting for 2:15) and those runs felt pretty darn good, but they were all done in fairly cool temps . As raceday was getting closer, I became more and more worried about the heat . . .
So, race morning I was prepped pretty well. I had a decent nights sleep, I had some food in me, I was rested and comfortable. When I first got downtown there was still a bit of a fog and the temp was actually quite nice. After it lifted though, I had a hunch I was going to be in trouble. My problem is that I just don't like heat. If there is anything I don't like more than heat, it's heat combined with direct sun, LOL.
So shortly after my corral got stared, I settled into a nice pace which was pretty close to my goal pace. It felt very good. My legs were fresh, the breathing was good and I was quite comfortable. First water station and out of cups. What???? No biggie I thought, I'll get some at the next one. Next station, out of cups again so I tried to drink my my hands. It was right about this time that I was thinking "this is a bad omen". The hand drinking didn't work so I just got some water dumped into my hat. This was at KM 5-6 I think. That's when I started to realize that the heat was getting pretty noticeable to me and my pace was really starting to slow down. I was also thanking God for the guy with the hose that drenched me as I ran by.
The next 10K or so of the race all sort of matched the same theme. Me getting way too hot and slowing down until the next water station so that I could take a couple of drinks and pour a couple on my head and down my back. Thankfully there were ample cups by this point in time. That brief reprieve was enough to keep me going for a KM or two after each station, but once the water had dried up and the cooling effect gone, it was back to the suffering. All I could really think about was that I had to finish this race.
By the time I hit the sponge station in Gatineau with I'm guessing about 5K left, I was just hoping I could finish up under 2:30. I had long since lost the 2:20 pace bunny, but the 2:30 was still within sight. As I started heading over the bridge back to Ottawa, I started to get some minor chills. All I could think of was how the heck it was possible to get chills when I was so damn hot. Well, I think minor heat stroke could explain it, LOL. I slowed down some more and tried to be more deliberate in my pace and just focus on putting one foot in front of the other. The incline on the bridge felt like a wall and I was basically speed walking of speed shuffling at that point, just trying to keep some semblance of a pace up.
Eventually I made it back to Ottawa and I was just starting to feel a tiny bit of fatigue in my legs. I was surprised they held out so long. They were actually in pretty good shape all things considered. It was just the overall fatigue from the heat that was taking its toll on me this day. As I got closer and closer to the finish, I realized that the suffering would soon be over so I just kept moving. After crossing the line I just wanted water and a snack. I looked down at my watch and it read 2:34 and change.
I learned a bunch of stuff on Sunday. I learned that expectations are only as good as the conditions. I learned that had it not been for the last 3-4 months of training, that 2:34 would have been much worse. I learned that I need to be smarter about the pace I pick when starting out in conditions like that. I learned that it's okay to not meet your goal if you learn something from it.
So here I am, after further reflection, very happy with a 2:34. I can say that because I know I'll be better the next time I have to deal with those conditions
