Nebo Half Marathon 2014

NEBO!  I love this race!  I have been waiting all year for it!

I ran this race in 2:09 last year, so I had high hopes of running my first sub-2 half at Nebo this year.  Unfortunately my marathons and then a lack of energy/motivation all summer caused me to not be as in good of shape as I hoped going into this race.  But I ran my heart out and finished with a PR of 2:02:53.  I am really proud of that time, even though it was a bit disappointing to miss my goal by less than 3 minutes!  My mind keeps replaying the race and seeing ways I could have shaved off those blasted minutes, but in the end, this really was my BEST.  And, it's a solid 5-minute PR, so I'm proud of that.

On Friday evening, I headed down to Payson to get my packet and spend the night in Salem.  It was just my mom and I, so we had a nice time visiting and picking peaches from the backyard.  And by picking peaches, I mean that I was standing ten feet away from the tree freaking out over spiders, while my awesome mother was up on a step-stool, happy as a clam....and shooting me looks about how pathetic I am.  Meh.  I'm a wimp.  But fresh peaches are good!

I got to bed at a decent hour that night.  I actually wasn't feeling great.  I was a tad worried about running, but I wasn't going to NOT run, so I prayed I'd get through the race.  I woke up feeling fine, so I was really relieved about that!  I headed over to Payson High, where the parking lot was already full.

Or was it??

Lookie who saved me a spot!  Joshua and Susette!  Hilarious!  And awesome.  I was parked right next to the finish line, which proved to be a blessing, because post-Nebo hobbling is misery!

We loaded onto the buses.  Joshua and I were out of it.  Susette, on the other hand, was HYPER!  I love that girl so much!

At the start line, we met up with Robert Merriman, Cathy, the Massa's and several other RA peeps.  I love seeing everybody!  Especially at a race like Nebo, where PR's abound!  Susette and I snuggled together to keep warm as we waited in line for the honey buckets.  Then we threw our drop bags onto the bus, and headed over to the starting line.

Sonja and Ty were supposed to pace me to a 1:59 finish, but both ended up not running.  Cathy had the same goal as me, so we decided to stick together and see what we could do.  I was SO grateful to have someone to run with!  I had run with her on a training run a few weeks ago, so I knew we would have a good time, and she would push me.

The gun went off, and off we went!  Cathy and I settled into a nice pace and decided to try to stay between the 1:55 and 2:00 pacers.  Give ourselves a little cushion.  It always takes me about 3-4 miles to get my legs warmed up and get into a groove.  This course is awesome.  A nice downhill for the first 9-10 miles, then it ends with some obnoxious, but doable gentle rolling hills.  Last year, the course finished RIGHT when you got out of the canyon.  But this year, they moved us down half a mile at the start and had us run an extra half mile to Payson High.  Kind of annoying....it just messed with all of our heads a bit.

Anyway, Cathy and I kept a solid pace.  At about Mile 5, we passed the 1:55 pacers, and when we hit mile 6.5 (halfway), our time was 55 minutes.  Amazing!!  We were on pace to run a 1:50!!  I knew we'd slow down once the course flattened out, but I could NOT believe we were staying under a 9:00 pace.  I have NEVER run that fast before!  I was stoked!

At about Mile 4, I started to have a small (and by small, I mean huge) problem.  CHAFING.  I was wearing my running skirt, which I have worn on countless runs!  I did NOT think this would be an issue!  I always chafe under my arms, but I've learned to deal with that, and it rarely affects my run.  But for some reason, the little shorts under this skirt were irritating my inner thighs (sorry about the TMI....such is the life of a runner!), and just a few miles in, my skin was already rubbed raw.  It HURT.  BAD.  Within less than a mile, the raw skin was starting to bleed, and every step stung SO bad.  I knew I was in trouble....I still had 8 miles to go!  While I was running, the pain was what it was, and it wouldn't really get worse, so I could just bear it.  But any time I paused for water or energy chews or a little walk break, the pain would subside and then start all over again, and I'd have to ease back into dealing with it.  SO frustrating.  I don't know if it cost me my sub-2, but it sure wasn't helping!

Miles 5-9 were awesome, as always.  Those are my FAVORITE miles of every half.  I'm warmed up, not too dead, and I always run my fasted miles then.  Cathy and I ran into the 7:50's a few times on some of the REALLY steep parts, without even noticing!  Love it.  We were hyper and excited and felt like we had this in the bag!

But then Miles 10-13 happened.  Ugh.  I almost always crash and burn at mile 10, and I know what I need to do to train my body to NOT do that, but like I said, this summer just wasn't the training it needed to be.  I ran the first 9 miles in 1:20, so I had a solid 40 minutes to run the last 4 miles.  I thought I could do it.  But between the chafing (blood now ALL over my legs.....awesome.  And sexy.), the lack of shade, the rolling hills and my exhausted body from holding an 8:45-ish pace, I just couldn't do it.  I tried my best though.  I really did!  The 1:55 pacers passed me, followed by the 2:00 pacer.  It was discouraging, but it was what it was.

At Mile 12.5, I turned a corner, and my sweet friend, Dulci, was standing there.  She saw me and started jumping up and down at me and grabbed her stuff and started running with me.  I almost cried!  I had lost Cathy by then (she was only a few minutes behind me), but it was SO helpful!  She kept telling me I had this and I was so close.  I cannot thank her enough for helping me those last few minutes!

When I entered the Payson High track for the last 0.1 miles, I knew I had already hit 2 hours.  But I was in for an awesome PR, so I ran as hard as I could around that blasted track.  It felt ETERNAL!  Robert Merriman ran alongside me and kept yelling that I was about to PR.  I adore that man!

So, I didn't reach my goal.  BUT, I got a 5-minute PR, and I am so SO ecstatic about how well I ran those first 9 miles.  I am learning so much about myself and what I'm capable of.  I am seeing my potential start to come out, and I'm excited to work hard this next year and reach it.  My goal for next year at Nebo is a 1:50, and I WILL do it.

Can I brag about my friends for a minute now?

SUSETTE!!!!  She got a 19-minute PR and first in her age group with a 1:34!!  I cannot believe it!  Robert Merriman PR's and placed, and so did Vince! My sweet Katheryn got not only a PR, but her FIRST sub-2 with a 1:59!!!  SO proud of everyone!  Nebo is such a great race!