Top of Utah Half Marathon

The expectations for my performance in this race were really quite low.

"A" Goal: Break 1:40
"B" Goal: Break 1:50

I was so super nervous for this race. This, in turn, created some rather significant stomach problems before the race. But my stomach behaved after the gun went off, thankfully.

Weather was pretty chilly at the start, but it was perfect. Slightly cloudy through a canyon with a tailwind. Absolutely beautiful. These were the best conditions I have ever run in in my life.

The course was really pretty. It reminded me a lot of the Ogden Marathon course. The first 6 miles were downhill, and then rest of the course was pretty flat with a few rollers thrown in. Not too bad at all. Those people running the marathon next month are going to have a great time (well, as great of a time as you can have while running a marathon).

My strategy was just to run as fast as I could and as consistently as I could throughout the race. I took a Gu at mile 6/7 and had water only. My calves cramped up in the last half mile, which was weird. But it may have been because I had just done a trail run two days before.

I would do this race again.

And I ran a totally unexpected PR.

I feel a lot better about this upcoming marathon than I did yesterday.

Splits
(:34 from gun to start line)
8:22 (don't get me started)
7:16
7:00
7:19 (25 sec bathroom break)
6:44
6:37
6:39
6:48
7:02
7:00
7:18
7:44 (hill)
6:59
:41
Total time of 1:33:34
7:08 pace

4th in division of 311 (so close!)
22nd woman of 1323
100th overall of 1980