So about Flower City half marathon. I needed a day to let this race simmer-in fact I didn’t even write a race recap until now (12:30pm). I’m not really sure why the race itself bothered me so much, but it did. I don’t even know what I was expecting to do but whatever it was-I didn’t do it.
So anyways, about the race. I went down to Rochester, NY the Saturday before. Picked up my race packet…all the jazz and was in bed by 10pm. I ended up driving down with Justin (awesome 50ker), Shannon (a cross country teammate of mine…her first half!) and Justin’s friend Evan. It was such a fun car ride (all crammed into my car…with gas station coffee of course).
The morning of the race, I was feeling good (not great) but a bit tired and groggy. We got to the race around 7 am (and it started at 7:30). Somehow the rest of my party (ie: the boys…ran off past Shannon and I and we never even saw them till after the race).
The race started and I threw off some shirt and began. It was quite cold, so I had to bring my first ever throw away article of clothing. It ended up being yellow so I looked like a giant lemon between my yellow shorts and shirt (poor wardrobe choice) I felt pretty good for the first mile (a bit stiff) but I hit mile 1 at 6:40. Immediately, my thought process spiraled downhill and I mentally checked out of the race…at mile 1.
I knew the hills at this race were going to push some of miles ABOVE 8 minutes (and they did). I knew it wasn’t a PRing race (and it wasn’t). I also knew there was another female very close to me and it just put me in a state of anxiousness (if I’m being honest…).
So with that, I hit the second mile in exactly 13:00. Then I kept a rough 6:30 pace until mile 7. At mile 4, they told the other girl and I we were number 9 and 10. (I literally could not see any other females AT ALL…and I could see about 2-3 min up). (Come to find out-an elite running group came and the first 6 females finished below 1:24)
So with that, we entered Highland Park. A brutal couple of hills. It climbs about 200 feet within less then half a mile…then flats and turns around and climbs an equally as painful hill. It hurts but I am a hill runner and I like to drop people on hills.
And I did. I didn’t see that girl again and my mind was put into ease. At mile 9, the 1:30 pacer paced me and it was honestly devastating. I didn’t even think I was going above a 1:30 pace, but it just put me more mentally down.
(Come to find out they finished the race in 1:27.5X!)
The rest of the race was a bit of a blur actually, I couldn’t get my gel open and it legit exploded on my face. I was just focused on finishing and getting this race done with. It wasn’t a race that I wanted to last forever (like last week). It was just a race that I wanted done and over with.
When I could see the end of the race, I picked it up as best as I could and ended up finishing in a 1:29.39. For the hills, this is a good time. For racing last week, this is a good time. I’m not thrilled with it but I’m willing to accept it and move on. Not every race can be your favorite. *I don’t need anyone to tell me to be ecstatic with my time or something along those lines and please don’t.
But on a side note my (brother’s that I stole) flats developed a hole on the side. lolz.
Questions for you:
Do you like hills?
How many miles do you put on your running shoes?









