The morning started at 4:00am (well, I’d been awake since 3:00am when Armando announced that it was raining outside). I got dressed and made up my nutrition, and was out the door by 4:20am, not even stopping to check the weather channel. I’ve learned that they race, rain or shine. Its weird driving that early on a Sunday, because really, where are people going at that time of day? Anyway I was able to find my way downtown and into parking at the convention center. I just relaxed for awhile, then did a warm-up run and stretches before heading out into the darkness of the early morning. It was around 40 degrees and very windy (but the rain was over), so I hunkered behind the crowd and listened to the nervous first-timers chatter as the national anthem was sung.

Finally, we were moving in mass in the middle of the street in the wee hours of the morning. Its really like running in a dream when its dark outside. The first mile was way too slow (10:30) and so I picked it up until I caught the marathoners in the 5:00-hour pace group. Too slow, so I sped up to the 4:15 group (9:45 pace). Nice pace, comfortable. I just zoned out, which was easy in the darkness (ever read The Long Walk by Richard Backman?). We ran quietly through the streets of Davis Island with the wind at our backs. Finally the sun started lighting up the sky and people awoke from their slumber. I chatted with a person or two, but really found it much more efficient to keep in my zone and just let my feet do the work. At mile 6 I was feeling great….the problem was that the marathon pace group was splitting off and I wasn’t sure how I was going to keep that pace on my own. I tracked four women who seemed to be right on, and let them be my pacers. I also kept my eye on a women up ahead who had been running with the pace group.

Mile 8 came and I thought back to just two years ago when I struggled with that distance…and it made me smile at my accomplishments. My gut was feeeling great, my legs were fresh, so I picked up the pace and drafted off the little lady I’d seen ahead (she didn’t make a great windshield btw). For the first time in my running career I began to “pick off” runners one by one….and man! That felt great! I passed people I’d seen at the start and watched as they struggled, and huffed and puffed, and slowed. That just put steam in my sail and I hopped along quicker. The sun came up over Tampa Bay and the wind gusted hard, but I was in a zone and kept picking up the pace little by little. By mile 11 I surely was running 9-ish minute miles (I’ll know more about my splits later) and kept pushing. At mile 12 I was in an all-out effort and for a short time felt like puking (been there, no need to repeat :p ). But that feeling passed when I saw the finish line up ahead and shortly after crossed it with a smile and a clap.

Stats:

Finish time: 2:01:20
Age group (30-34) #48 out of 151
Women #308 out of 1104
Overall #847 out of 2058

I’ll be damned if that one minute doesn’t kill me every time (IMG: 14:01)! In fact, I think I’m going to make it my signature trait. ..I’ll be called “The One-Minute Girl” or “O-One” and I’ll finish every race with a one-minute end-time. That might make it even more challenging! And FYI: last year I finished in 2:14:21…so I took off 13 minutes!

So what I learned today:

By pacing the first half, you can kick it up several notches in the second half (THANK YOU NOEL!)
Hammer Sustained Energy ROCKS!
Zoning out, finding that “transcendental state of mind” can be a useful tool in the IM
It feels darn great passing people!
I can run a 9-minute mile

For some of you big guys, this is a snail’s pace, but I feel like I had a break-through today. Everything came together...legs, cadence, nutrition, mental game. I can only hope this is a sign of the upcoming season. It makes me really excited about what’s to come, and I am ready (even with these heavy legs) to run another one! And for you "Goofy Challenge" people...why not come to Tampa and give our month-long pirate fest, Gasparilla, a chance next year?