Montana Governor's Cup Half Marathon Race Recap

I wasn't real sure how the run was going to go today.  I have not felt a lot of mojo in my runs the last couple weeks, although I do know by now that the old race day adrenaline would kick in and give me some of that mojo.  I woke up at 2 am.  Ugh not a good time to wake up, I didn't have to be up for another three hours.  So I tried to go back to sleep and I tossed and turned and finally fell asleep around 4:15ish.  All the while I was laying there awake I had ONE song stuck in my head over and over this was it

Happiness, hit her like a train on a track
Coming towards her, stuck still no turning back
She hid around corners and she hid under beds
She killed it with kisses and from it she fled
With every bubble she sank with a drink
And washed it away down the kitchen sink

The dog days are over
The dog days are done
The horses are coming
So you better run

Run fast for your mother run fast for your father
Run for your children for your sisters and brothers
Leave all your love and your longing behind you
Can't carry it with you if you want to survive

The dog days are over
The dog days are done
Can you hear the horses
'Cause here they come
And I never wanted anything from you
Except everything you had
And what was left after that too. oh.


I would post the whole song but that would make this very long post even longer!

Yep.  Over and over it played in my head.  I couldn't decide if that was a bad thing or a good thing.  I knew it was on my playlist for the race though..more on that later.

I got to meet up with three people this morning I head never met, but knew who they were through mutual friends for a ride out to the start.  I wish I would have taken some pictures now because we arrived in style! They were driving the pickup truck that the Montana Stockgrowers Association will be giving away at the Stockgrowers convention in December.  I stole this picture from their Facebook page instead. Thanks to Scott and Stacey Hughes, and Sarah Werthheimer for making me a part of the team and making me really feel welcome.  I am excited to get to know them all better.

They also gave me a Team Beef tank to wear in the half marathon.  It was fun to be a part of the team and get to support the beef industry.  The shirts were the ones the team sponsored by the Montana Beef Council wore for Hood to Coast.  Maybe some of you that ran HTC saw them?  Keeping my fingers crossed that the Montana Beef Council decides this week to sponsor a team again and that I get to be on it  :)

It says "Beef it's what's for dinner. Running powered by BEEF!"

Team ZIP zinc iron protein

Perfect weather for the run this morning, it was 52 degrees and overcast, so it was chilly before we started but I knew once we got going I was going to love it!  We stood in line for the porta potties forever once we got there and I had about three minutes to spare once I got done with business.

Miles 1,2, and 3
splits 7:14, 7:29, and 7:33
The gun went off and I worked pretty hard to not go off too fast. I kept reminding myself to run my own race every time I wanted to go to fast because someone had passed me.  I really wanted to stay with Sarah, another girl on Team Beef, but she went out pretty fast so I let her go and kept reminding myself I had miles to catch her and to run my own race.  I didn't have my iPod on for the first couple miles.  I listened to my breathing.  It was steady and even and I felt pretty good.

Miles 4, 5, 6
splits 7:21, 7:39, 7:27
Still feeling good, starting to think about picking up the pace.  I saw a lot of people I knew along the route cheering for me and that I must say felt really great and made me so happy.  I thought about all the encouraging comments my fellow bloggers had left me this last week and turned my music on at the start of the 5th mile.  I also ate some chomps during the 5th mile.

Miles 7, 8, 9
splits 7:07, 7:30, 7:30
Mile 7 was pretty fast but it had a pretty good downhill and we went past where the 10k racers were lined up, which really gave me a boost.  After that I felt like I was fighting to hold on to my pace a little, but I also knew I had a PR in the bag if I could just hold on to anything faster than 8 minute miles.

Miles 10, 11, 12, 13, and .1
splits 7:13, 7:14, 7:14, 7:10 and 1:04
Here I remembered what Britt commented on my blog. I read it this morning as I was headed out the door.  She wrote "Best of luck to you girl! I know that there is a sub 1:40 in those legs. Run your heart out and have fun, enjoy being fast!"  AND that song came on my iPod.  You know that one that had been in my head for over 2 hours.  Yep the Dog Days Are Over.  I was determined that the song had been stuck in my head for a good reason and not a bad.  I picked up the pace, passed some more people and kept the energy up with a couple more chomps.  I felt amazing.  My legs were getting tired, but my breathing was good. My mantras for the last four miles became "Go hard or go home" and "Enjoy being fast"

  I crossed the finish line and saw my Garmin time of 1:36:51  I nearly cried.  It was a nearly four minute PR.  Official time is 1:37:06, I think the difference if from running through a tunnel and my Garmin paused, so I am going with official time.  Not sure which mile it was in, somewhere in the first half.  Comes out to about 7:22
I was 2nd in my age group, 9 overall female and 28th out of 380 half marathon finishers.  Very happy with how I did.

The medal they gave out even looks pretty good with my racing shoes!

 The finishers shirt! Not a great picture of it, but it is a Brooks technical shirt.  Sadly it is unisex not female.  I like it otherwise.

The kids were ecstatic to get to do their own race today too.  Little Princess ran her little heart out and I am pretty sure she tied for first.  Little Cowboy ran as hard as he could too in his cowboy boots and was right in the front too.  I was just so proud of them for giving it their all and being fast like their momma!

PS. if you haven't voted for me for Team Refuel HERE , could you please?  You can vote once a day until October 15th.   THANKS  :)