Philadelphia Half Marathon Recap- Long run workout with a surprise PR!

Last Saturday I ran the Philadelphia Half Marathon. This was my 2^nd time running this race. I ran it in 2014 as my first half ever when it still coincided with the full marathon. Philly races are always special for me because I live 15 minutes outside of the city, and consider Philly to be home. I have taken part in Philadelphia Half/Marathon events for the past four years, and the weekend never disappoints. As much as I love the Philadelphia Marathon, this year I had to sit out, since my goal race (California International Marathon) is only 2 weeks after. I decided to take part in the Half instead and use it as a long run workout. I’ve never ran a race without the intention of actually racing, so I knew it would be tough to hold myself back. I had spoken with my coach prior and we decided that I would run the first 9-10 miles around goal marathon pace (6:45-6:50), and progressively speed up the last 3-4 miles. I was told NOT to try to PR. I actually was very happy with the race plan, since it would be a great tune-up workout to practice marathon pace miles before I race CIM. My current PR was 1:27:17, which was set in July at the Rock n Roll Half in Chicago. I know I have a way faster half in me, so although I would have loved to set a faster PR, this was not the ideal time to do so.

I traveled home to New Jersey Friday night and had no pre-race nerves! I was excited to get out there and have an enjoyable run. I woke up bright and early since I had to fit in a few miles before the race started. My schedule called for 17-18 miles for the day, so I would run a few warm up miles before and cool down afterwards. As I was on my way to the race I realized I forgot my Garmin watch. I’m honestly embarrassed at how dramatic I was about it. I freaked out to my dad and boyfriend in the car and legitimately started crying. How would I be able to stick to my prescribed paces if I had no watch?! I tried to snap myself out of the panic because there was nothing I could do about it and I was running this race watch-less. I texted my mom to complain about my stupid mistake, but she instantly reminded me to trust my body and have fun. That was probably the best advice I could have heard, and that is exactly what I did. I still can’t believe I actually cried over a stupid watch. I did a 3 mile warmup then anxiously waited in what felt like the longest security and bathroom lines. I made it into the corral with 5 minutes to start. Just enough time to do some last minute drills and stretching. I had qualified for a sub-elite corral spot, and we were supposed to start right behind the elites. However, the elites and sub-elites were all in the Gold corral so I found myself next to several other elite women before the gun went off. I tried to place myself a few rows back from the start since I didn’t want to get too caught up in the blazing fast pace that the other elites were going to take off in.

Since I ran without a watch, I don’t have the splits, but I’ll try my best to recap each mile.

The gun went off and people were passing me left and right, but I knew I had to stick to my plan and try my best to keep at goal marathon pace. I went through mile 1 in 6:34, which was fast but it felt easy and comfortable. After mile 1 I tried to settle into an uncomfortable yet comfortable pace that I knew I could easily sustain for 10 miles. Around mile 2 I found myself running next to fellow instagrammer/blogger Hollie and her friend. It was nice being able to share some miles with them. Hollie and I bounced back and forth for the next 7ish miles. She’s a strong half-marathon runner, so I just told myself to hang with her instead of worrying about the time on the clock at each mile marker.

I went through 10k in 41:14 (6:39 pace). When I ran the Rock N Roll Half in July my 10K split was almost the exact same time. However, this pace almost felt too comfortable, unlike how it felt back in July . As much as I wanted to pick up the pace I remembered that this was not my goal race and my coach specifically told me to hold back even at times when I felt I could go faster. I am usually stubborn, but I reluctantly, listened to his advice because I knew he was right.

The Philly Half Marathon course changed this year so I was anticipating some hills as well as windy conditions. I think my legs actually respond better to hilly courses. I like to surge up the hills and then let myself cruise down them. At mile 8.5, after climbing a significant hill I was antsy to pick up the pace. I waited until I hit the 9 mile marker then I tried making a move. I remember the clock was about to hit 1:01:00, so I knew I must have slowed down slightly since the 10k mark. I was hoping to finish in around 1:28, so I tried to do some quick math to figure out what pace I would need to run to hit 4.1 miles in 27 minutes. My brain turns to mush during races (probably due to the lack of oxygen), so I just stopped trying to be a mathematician and just told myself to run hard.

Miles 9-13 were really fun and the most exciting parts of the race for me. I am super competitive, so it’s fun to pass people, especially when you are the one feeling good at the end of the race. Usually I’m the one who feels like shit and ends up positive splitting. There was a huuuuge downhill around mile 11, which definitely helped me speed up. The last 2 miles were all about catching whoever was right in front of me. I think I passed around 6 or 7 females those last few miles, as well as several men. Runners are so supportive though, and it was nice to be getting words of encouragement (and giving them) as I passed people. With 1 mile to go I realized I could potentially PR, but it would be close. I’m thankful I didn’t have my watch. Instead of constantly checking it in that last mile, I just gunned it for the finish line. I knew my dad and boyfriend were going to be cheering my on at the finish, but I had no idea my mom was coming out to watch. Seeing her made me so happy, and of course all I could hear was my dad screaming at the top of his lungs per usual. I tried my best to give a final kick as the clock was nearing 1:27, and just squeaked by, finishing with a net time of 1:26:59.

I know I was told not to try to PR, but honestly I ran the race rather conservatively until the last 3 miles. This was definitely the confidence booster I needed with CIM only two weeks away (now only 1 week!). I am not afraid to say that I am shooting for another personal best at CIM. I felt relatively comfortable with a 6:38 pace for 13.1 miles, so I am staying confident that I can run slightly slower than that for the whole 26.2 miles. The Philly Half was the perfect way to end another great marathon build-up. One last thing I want to touch on is how freeing it was to run without a watch. I had no choice but to run by feel. I was able to truly enjoy the race, rather than be obsessively checking if I was on pace. I have to admit I’m thinking about covering up my race during CIM. I am going to wear it though because I still want to have the data. However, I loved that I was able to listen to my body to dictate the speed I was running, rather than some numbers on a watch.