March Appetizers before Oceanside 70.3

So, I'm a bit of an introvert, a control freak, so I hold back to prepare for "just in case".  Well it took a few months, but my coach figured it out....I kind of let loose and gave a sneak peak by accident and had a few amazing workouts in a row.  Hmmm. my goal for SD Half marathon suddenly changed.  RUN HARD.  RUN TIL YOU PUKE.  I WANT YOU TO ALMOST DIE AT THE FINISHLINE.

umm really? shit..this is going to hurt... AGAIN.  SD Half is my PR run. 2:05.  emptied the tank in 2013 and I couldn't walk for 3 days.  NEVER AGAIN was my motto. PRs hurt.  I don't like it.

My plan was to whine enough to get my coach to buy in that 4 months after foot surgery wasn't enough time to have a good run so another PR was out.  I haven't been hill training and Washington and Noell hurt my non-flexible feet...so I want to brick on Saturday pre race and run 5 miles instead of running hard on Sunday. ok Coach? OH .HELL. NO.  I swear she had her fingers in her ears. GO RUN HARD. JUST GO. no HR monitoring, no pace monitoring, just let go.... need to see your max. ....sniffle sniffle sniffle....but but I haven't run that fast in a YEAR!!!  FINE.. hate you.

So, I start off with the same old plan.... chase the damn 2:00 pacer for as long as you can.. hey just see what happens.  BUT I can't find the pacer and the clock is ticking away...I found the 1:55 pacer in wave 3.  He said the next pacer would be in wave 4...ok so I waited in wave 4 with Marcus and Jay and Alexis...well, I will just pretend I can run their pace and chase THEM as long as I can. My 2:00 pacer was no where to be seen. (turns out I was with the 1:50 runners!)  I CAN'T run without a pacer people!  Oh LAWDY!

The Star Spangle Banner was sung so beautifully that I really think it lifted my spirits to just relax and run.  Off we went...I chased Jay for maybe 500 -- feet?  I don't know ..OMG he is fast but he got us out of the pack.  Then I saw Alexis...I chased and chased until she was a blur in front of me...I lost her and my watch lap went off..WTH??? 8:34?? that's impossible.  I can't run that fast. Keep chasing... I looked at feet, cadence, calves...whatever it took to keep a quick rhythm in my head so my feet would follow. Another lap marker..8:37?? I don't believe it....keep going...Tina the Beast says the run is the Hunt...GO HUNT those runners, she said!!!...another mile marker 8:53 ??? Really?  3 eight's in a row...well maybe I should adjust my goals.  I just PR'd a 5k...so I will give Julie my best 10k and then call it a day...the  miles ticked by 9:14, 9:25, 9:35... but I haven't really been running much faster than 9:50 - 10:00 on the treadmill so this is really insane speed for me. OMG 10k 56 minutes PR...but I thought I couldn't run a 10k under an hour?  ok let's add 2 more miles and give Julie our best EIGHT miles lifetime achievement award..another 9:35/9:38 tick by..still not 10 min pace yet?? WHOOPS slam on the brakes, here's Noell and Washington.. deep breath...grind it out...yes I slowed incredibly.. slower than last year due to no hill training..BUT it didn't hurt as much as last year so that's AWESOME !!! yea foot surgery!

Got to the top of Washington, took a deep breath, and picked up a quick cadence again. I tried to pickup my lost time. I lifted my chin and dug in for the hunt...I was ACTUALLY on track to PR!!! How is this possible?? GO GO GO GO... I know all the landmarks. Take deep cleansing breaths for a mile.  Finally we are running along Balboa Park.  First, it's the Bridge Club; Next it's the Chess Club. Woohoo it's all downhill from here! Run like you are on FIRE!! oh no that was last year... run in control but VERY fast!!  I hurry down the first hill, cutting the corner close. Then it's mile 12 and it's 2:01 and both calves start pulsating...firing like they want to explode but NOPE this is not happening to me.  I will NOT give in to the pain.  My calves got louder with cramping and I struggled to extend my legs. NOPE not stopping ... this will be a PR...I WILL PUKE if I have to...I can see the finish line now!!! What if this was IMAZ?  would I crumble and stop for a massage like others on the sideline?  OH. HELL. NO is my mantra....I am screaming and swinging my arms, nips to hips, as hard as I can while my calves kept cramping...why are there 3 timing mats???  Finally I cross the 3rd mat and stop my watch which says 2:05.  I weep.  Tied my finish time with last year.  Damn it .  I hate running. sniffle sniffle sniffle.

On the way home, I thought maybe the seconds would give me a PR so I decided to compare year over year "official" times and GUESS WHAT?? I did PR! by 28 seconds!  I just pushed my STOP a little late!!!  Wow...I can't believe it!  I set a PR when I thought it was impossible.

Race Results 2013
Bib:	8290	Overall:	2389 out of 5711
Name:	Lisa Serrano	Women:	910 out of 3124
Gender:	F	F 45-49:	75 out of 291
Age:	49	Age/Grade:	58.77% Place: 1052
Hometown:	San Diego, CA	Finish:	2:05:22 Pace: 9:34
Race Results 2014
Bib:	1780	Overall:	2204 out of 6031
Name:	Lisa Serrano	Women:	854 out of 3369
Gender:	F	F 50-54:	44 out of 235
Age:	50	Age/Grade:	59.71% Place: 922
Hometown:	San Diego, CA	Finish:	2:04:54 Pace: 9:32

And what does my coach say about my results of this amazing day?  Oh now my run pace for Oceanside has to be 10:00 min pace!! WHAT???? But Coach, I run 11 minute miles off the bike! I can't see me running a 10:00 minute pace.  Coach said... don't worry, I can see it.   OH LAWDY!

Next appetizer is next weekend 3/15:  Oceanside Tri simulation: 35 minutes ocean swim, 51 mile bike, 6 mile run. Empty tank. Puke if you have to but JUST DO IT.