For starters, I have some history with this particular event. Two years ago, this was the very first race I ever did and was the launching point for everything that I do now. I hurt myself pretty badly really based on a simple lack of experience. I spent some time in PT, and a lot of time not running. Most of all, it scared me into not pushing myself on the run in any event for fear of aggravating my knees again. This race is really the source of a lot of heartache, as well as a lot of work and motivation to become a triathlete.

I may not have trained for this race like I could have, but there was one thing that made a world of difference this time around: knee braces. I have no idea why I never thought of it before, that I possibly need some extra support to keep everything nice and in place while running long distances. Well, needless to say it worked, and I only began to feel some aggravation with about 1 mile to go. But enough about that, lets start from the beginning.

I took the advice of many and attempted to break the race down into thirds:2 10ks and one final mile. It worked for a bit, but I eventually zoned out and could not really focus on anything specific. Pacing was fine, and I chased one runner for a few miles before loosing him in the chaos of an aid station. Next thing you know, I look up and see the mile 7 marker. Holy cow, this is great! No pain, still plenty of energy, and I knew I was on track to a PR. Eventually the steps became more and more difficult, and I was definitely feeling it in my calves and lower back, but I just continued to power through. This worked and I eventually crossed the finish line.

I was originally aiming for sub 2 hours (a moderately easy goal, but for me, something that was not well within grasp, at least in my opinion). As I rounded the corner into the finishers shoot, tears swelled into my eyes as I see 1:50 on the clock. Holy hell, I beat my goal by 10 minutes. This is awesome! However, my surprise and joy would not end there, when I discover that my chip time registered at 1:48. A 45 minute improvement in my half time, this is huge. At that moment, I realized how my work had paid off. 2 years of going from someone with no athletic history or prowess to what I am today, and it was all summed up in a number. Improving a half time by 45 minutes is great, but its only the beginning. Lets see if next year I can break my record and go 1:35 or 1:30 even. Finally, I feel like a runner.

Go with a training plan and stick to it. I know my improvement was great, but it would have been massive if I would have properly and diligently trained for this specific event.