It was another perfect day for running for this year’s 3M Half. I decided months ago that I’d run this one hard to see where I was instead of holding back as usual for the marathon a couple weeks later. Unfortunately, I had been sick all week, and I was coughing up gunk the whole time I ran. I still put in a really solid effort, though, and I improved on my personal best time.
Things started out smoothly enough with a carpool trip from RunTex up to the start at Gateway. I put in about a mile and a half of warm-up and found my way to the starting area.
I had room to run from the start, and I stuck with my plan pretty well for a few miles. I wasn’t watching my splits or anything. I was just running how I felt. The race route is generally pretty easy, and the cool weather really made for some good running. When I did look at my splits later, I realized that I went a bit too fast down Spicewood Springs (mile 5) and paid for it later. I just felt kind of off on the long stretch down Burnet, and that was apparently why. I picked things back up again in the last few miles and had a nice strong finish.
My time was 1:25:37, which is a healthy PR at this distance, and I just feel a little tired. I can tell all the work I’ve been doing on my running form is paying off. I wish I could have maintained the pace I ran in the first half, but I figure with being sick and all I did well enough. My heart rate was a lot lower than it was at Indy, so perhaps I do still have a little room to run faster when I am feeling 100% as well.
I hung around in the finish area for a while snacking and enjoying the music before strolling back over to RunTex with Jay and Frank. It was an awesome morning!