Having been a long time resident of Dallas, this is an event that I have been aware of for quite some time. This event hosts about 20,000 runners, including some of the best in the world.
Earlier in the year, I thought that I might target this run as my 1st 26.2, but, sporadic training and, perhaps, a little sanity set in a few months ago.
This event, like The Cowtown, has the feel of a "big" event, with a big expo, elite runners, lots of sponsors, etc. I suspect this will remain a constant on my racing schedule.
As mentioned in several of my previous posts, my training had been inconsistent over the past few months, but, I was excited about this race, as I knew I could complete the distance, and, I needed a trigger event to jumpstart my 70.3 training, as I am a few weeks behind.
I fought some insomnia on Saturday night, but, was up and moving early, as I wanted to arrive in plenty of time to find parking, get settled, etc. While the forecast throughout the week called for rain all day, I arrived to an unseasonably warm day. There was a bit of humidity in the air, but, otherwise fairly comfortable. Short sleeves and shorts comfortable.
I knew several folks participating in this one, and saw several more either participating or cheering along the way.
My plan was to pace with the 2:10 pacer, with hopes of a PR.
I got off to a steady start, and once I warmed up, found good rhythm. I was ultimately passed by the 2:10 pace group, and reset my sights on 2:15.
Early on I realized that I was extending my distance. As early as mile 1, I was over the posted distance per my Garmin.
I continued with a steady pace until about the 10k mark, when I knew I needed to stop and pee. The lines for the toilets added 3-4 minutes to my time, I suspect. just after leaving the rest stop, I felt a tug on my shirt...there was Hider. Hider was running his 1st 26.2. We ran together for the next 3-4 miles, until the 13.1 / 26.2 split. It was fun to run with a buddy and visit along the way.
This was just before the split, at about 15k:
I had a 1st ever experience on this one, as there was a group of people handing out beer at about mile 8. Needless to say, I had one.
I continued with a consistent pace for the duration of the race. I did notice that I was getting pretty sore and achy by the end. I suspect that my lack of training has led to some of that.
with only about .2 miles to go, I felt a bad cramp in my right calf. It made the finish tough, but, there was no way I was going to stop.
All in all, a good day. I suspect I may have PR'd had it not been for the bathroom stop and longer route.
13.3 in 2:18:05 total time per Strava. http://www.strava.com/activities/229401666.
An added bonus for this one is the "dallas duo" medal for those that completed the RNR half in march and the Dallas half in December.
I'll definitely be back for this one. It may make some sense to consider a room at the Omni or Hyatt next year.
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