The 2012 Publix Half Marathon was definitely one of the hardest races I have completed (2nd to 2011 Florida 70.3). I had really high hopes going into this race because of my performance on this course last year.
Just like in 2011, I took a cruise vacation to Cozumel and Costa Maya the week prior…however, one thing never crossed my mind. Last year we had returned on a Friday, so I had an entire day to relax and recover from the craziness of Mexico. This year we got back on Saturday, had a 10 hour drive back, finally arriving home at 8:45 pm. With a 4:15am wake up on Sunday, I knew the odds of me waking up very tired were high.
And that is what happened. I felt fairly good through mile one, wanting to cruise the downhill start in 6:10-6:15, but proceeded to run a 5:45. The second mile is when it hit me; my body is not going to cooperate with me today. It also didn’t help that this course is extremely hilly, and they changed the course this year that added an entire extra hill section (roughly a mile running uphill).
I managed to average about 6 minute pace through 4, but then those numbers were not seen again. I would drag myself through the finish line in 1:24:15, an entire 1 minute and 9 seconds slower than last year. But given the circumstances, I can’t really complain.
I think this race was the perfect example of how your mental state is a big part of racing. All I wanted to do was walk/drop out/slow down, but I had a goal to at least get as close to my PR as I could. In the end, I may have not hit my goal, but I learned a little more about myself as a competitor.
Next up: St. Anthony’s Tri on April 29th. First Tri of the season!
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