I rocked the SH!T out of my 1/2 today!!! (now w/ Re-Cap)

[spunkypenguin]

I did the Iron Girl 1/2 in MD this morning and PR'ed by 6:30!!  From my first half only 6 weeks ago - which was much cooler and MUCH flatter.  I even had to make an impromptu potty pitstop in the bushes (PS - who doesn't have portapotties for 8 effing miles???).  My first 1/2 time was 2:24:02 - today I came in at 2:17:31.  It was awesome!

I will update with an actual race report later when I get back home.  Getting cleaned up and packed to head home

Update:  Yesterday I headed into DC to have lunch/brunch with some other great GBCN'ers on my way to Columbia.  Got in to Columbia around 4ish, settled into the hotel room and went back to get all my stuff at the expo.  I'm still pretty new the longer distance races w/ swag and expos, but I was impressed.  The swag included a fuel belt!  I was planning to buy one soon, but this one has two small bottles and should get me through for a while.  Yesterday was also my anniversary, so after the expo, we headed to the Melting Pot for my pre-race dinner (which proved to be good pre-race fuel!)

I was staying at the host hotel, so the start line was practically outside my hotel room door.  I set the alarm for 5am, but I woke up and looked at the clock around 4:19...my mind started going and I never really fell back asleep.  Alarm went off and I was up, got ready, had coffee and my bagel with PB.  Headed out to the start line around 6:40 for the 7am start.  At the expo, I put myself on the list for the 2:30 pace group - my confidence has been lacking since bombing the metric marathon 2 weeks ago and it's warmer, so I didn't think I could hit my PR of 2:24 again.  This morning, I was feeling good and lined up with the 11mm pacer.  There was a bit of a delay in the start.  I felt the twinge of needing to pee again, but figured it was just nerves and didn't want to miss the start.

A little after 7am and we were off!  I hung with the pacer for a while and was feeling good about my choice to go with the 2:25 pace group instead of 2:30.  There were some rolling hills in the first few miles, but not enough to phase me.  Around mile 4, I was really hitting my groove and feeling good.  At mile 5, I started to feel amazing.  By mile 6, I was ready to roll and decided to go ahead and break away from the pace group. There was a nice downhill right after the halfway point.  I knew from looking at the elevation map that there was a big climb up ahead.  I let everyone charge down the hill around me, knowing that I was going to save it for the uphill.  
After the downhill, it leveled off for a minute before the uphill.  I kicked it into high gear and crushed that damn hill!  It felt so awesome to pass everyone who was stopping to walk - it was a killer hill.  I got up the steep part, but the climb wasn't over...it was a gradual incline for a little while longer and I was still passing people - just rocking out to my music in my own little world (I may have looked crazy b/c I was half running/half dancing up the hill).  When I passed the mile 8 sign, my Garmin was about .5mi off - I don't know if it was the course or if my Garmin lost me for a little while under the trees.

After that, I started to realize that I had to pee...I had passed the bathrooms around mile 6.  I started looking, but didn't see any.  Few more miles, still nothing.  I needed to fuel again, but couldn't handle any more water until I found a bathroom.  By mile 10, I had to run into the bushes.  This was a first for me.  I run long distances on country roads all the time w/o having to go.  I didn't see potties again until Mile 12.  That would have to be my one complaint about this race - that's a long stretch and the one that I presume most people probably need them on.  My little detour (and the slowdown from trying to hold it) cost me a little, but I the rest was great.

I was smiling again and ready to head to the finish.  I was still ahead of the 11mm pacer, so I knew it was going to be a PR.  After passing the Mile 12 marker, I tried to kick it up a little more.  I thought most of the hills were done with, but there were a couple more inclines in that last mile.  I was really hoping to hit 2:15 at that point, but the hills held me back.  I am still THRILLED with my getting under 2:20.

Overall, a really great race.  It was my first all-women's event and I definitely liked the vibe.  They also had pink porta-potties at the start/finish line which amused me more than it probably should have.  I would recommend this race and will probably do it again next year (if I don't get persuaded to to Nike instead).

Now I've got my confidence back and I'm ready to conquer my races next weekend.  Frederick here I come!

[venice2007]

Awesome! Congrats!!

[kams]

Wow!! Fantastic job!

[coconutbug]

What an awesome improvement! Congrats!!

[MrsE]

Congratulations!!

[cinco]

Yay! Glad you had such a great race!

[sadlebred]

Great job!!

[hannahb]

Great job! That course is hilly too, right? I think it's in Columbia?

[hannahb]

Nevermind. Just re-read it was flatter. Where was it? And if it was Columbia, what race did you do that had more hills?

[runaways]

Nice work!

[gncorman]

Congrats!!!!

[enfuego23]

Yay!!! Congrats on the PR!!!!

[fdcritt76]

Woohoo!! Congrats!

[Wines Not Whines]

Awesome job! Congrats!

[gt7301b]

Great job!!

[humpforfree]

Woo hoo! spunkypenguin I think I saw you!! I had the Channing tatum sign & dog! You rock! 

[jchokie79]

That's awesome, congrats!!!

[al320]

Great job!!

[skwcm80]

Awesome job!!

[cole]

That's awesome! Great job!!

[zoidberg]

Good job! That is a huge PR!

[klindstrom]

Awesome! Great Job!

[ebeth]

Congrats! Great work!

[gvsu04]

Way to go!

[spunkypenguin]

Apr 28, 2013 12:14:27 GMT -5 humpforfree said:

Woo hoo! spunkypenguin I think I saw you!! I had the Channing tatum sign & dog! You rock! 

Yes!  I remember you! Thanks for being out there cheering everyone on  

[katinthehat]

wonderful job!! congrats!

[Deleted]

Sounds like an awesome race experience and congrats on the PR! 

[humpforfree]

I love the recap! You rocked it!

[mcc]

Great job, congrats!

[rxbeth]

Fantastic improvement! Great job.