1:36:52 Running... How will the body respond? I started the run with a million questions in my head. How is my knee? How is my IT? How is my foot? Am I healthy? Has Muscle Works done enough? Have I done enough? These questions were answered quickly. All systems go! This was spectacular run course. Crowds of people the entire time. Breath taking ocean views with every glance to the South. Mostly flat run with only a few quick climbs. As this was an out and back course, every climb you did you was rewarded with the equivalent of a decline. I started out running a 7:10 mile with my heart rate right around 160. I kept telling myself to slow down as I usually feel good coming off the bike and then run myself into the ground leading to that negative experience I didn't want to have. Checked my watch and told myself to focus on heart rate and not speed. 3 miles, 6 miles, 9 miles.... still feeling great. I stayed within my heart rate zones prescribed to me by coach Keena and all was still good. No knee pain, check. No stomach pain, check! Rounding the last corner for the home stretch my wife asked me how I was doing? I yelled out "I feel great, this is easy!" Right as I said it I instantly felt bad for the other competitors around me who may be struggling. But it was true, I felt good and it was easy. I guess proper preparation, a game plan and good execution is the key.
I'm going to need to learn that heart rate zone business because I usually do the same thing on the run. I'd much rather finish the last 3 miles with negative splits instead of an increasingly slow pace. Nicely done. You ran as fast as I ran my last half marathon. You make me sick.
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