Last Saturday, I completed a half-marathon race in preparation for November’s NYC Marathon.  The race was held in Central Park and was part of the Norway Festival sponsored by the New York Road Runners.

Over the past few weeks, I have been doing many long training runs out of town – one weekend in Maryland (15 miles) when I was visiting my parents and the other weekend in Napa, CA (18 miles) during a trip with a friend.  Both runs in MD and CA consisted of many large hills. And while my pace was consistent, it was slower than I wanted it to be, averaging out to around 11:00 pace/mile.

At the 1/2 marathon start line on Saturday, I was tired and drained.  I have had a lot going on in my personal life and that has affected my ability to train with a clear conscience. Thus, I wasn’t sure how my 13.1 mile run would go that morning.  Luckily, the weather was perfect, with cool temperature and lots of sun.

I met a few of the Gilda’s Club team runners and other clients/friends at the starting line.  I hoped everyone had a strategy and was prepared with hydration and gels. My personal plan was to run consistently at a 10min pace for the first 6-7 miles then turn it up if I had the energy on the last half of the race. I knew this race would consist of several big hills on the west side and around by Lasker Pool, so pacing was tremendously important.

I completed the race’s first mile at a 9:34 pace, making me think that I better slow down, as I was not sure if I could maintain this for 13 miles.  The next few miles were slightly slower as I hit the hills, but I still maintained an average around 10 minutes per miles. I started taking gels and hydration after the first 30 minutes and was on target to have my best run through the first six miles of any training run so far this season.

When I came around the first lap marker I was really pleased with my pace and time, but I wondered if I could push myself harder and faster for the 2nd loop?

My strategy was to stay consistent on the flats and push much harder on the downhills. My heart rate was dancing around my lactate threshold so I knew I couldn’t go too much faster without risking blowing up.  As the miles passed by I felt amazingly good.  The last 2 miles on the home stretch were downhill and mostly flat so I picked up the pace and ran 9min and 8:57min respectively.

Crossing the finish line in 2:05, I was really pleased with my time.  I was tired (I just ran 13 miles!) but I actually felt really good.  My Achilles tendon was achy on my left foot but I knew a few days of icing it would heal the inflammation in time for my next run.

At the finish line, I met up with my client Michele – she did great as well finishing in 1:48! A fast 8:15 pace.  My plan this week includes recovery and a few short runs. On Sunday, I’m going to try to tackle 20 miles here in NYC with a mix of Central Park and the west side bike path.

Saturday at both 9:30am and 11:00am I’ll be teaching a Central Park workout to benefit my charity team – Gilda’s Club NYC – An organization that offers FREE counseling and programs for people affected by cancer. Details are as follows:

• Donation is $20 minimum
• Meet at 60th Street and 5th Avenue on the NW corner at the benches.
• Please RSVP so I know how many people will attend.
• Pre-register at www.firstgiving.com/saradimmick or email: sara@physeeq.com

And if you cannot attend, a donation on the website is much appreciated to help me reach my fundraising goal!