13.1 miles in 1:49:51 [8:23 AP] 179/485 Overall 56/284 Female 24/105 Female 20-29 (of course 2 VT college XC teams were in my age group!)
As the saying goes, "Vermont Ain't Flat." That was the course description for the Middlebury Maple Run--The Sweetest Half that I ran today.... they were not kidding! There weren't really any super steep hills but there were lots and lots and lots of hills, one after another after another for the entire race! That's about all I can even think to mention in the race report! It was a beautiful bright, sunny warm day in Vermont and I went out at 7:43 for my first two miles then slowed a bit because I knew that was too fast. What I remember being the steepest hill was at about mile 3 and I held my pace right up it and felt pretty good. Figuring it would be like most other races I've done, I figured that would be the only hill and I sadly I wasn't even close. I kept it together and got to mile 6 at 48:18 if I remember correctly which I was really happy with. Then the hills started to get me mentally, I was still getting up them fine and passing people on them, but it was up, up, up, down a smidge, up, up, up, up,up and you could see them all coming right in front of you. I felt myself slowing a bit but I knew I needed to. At about mile 9 (when you pass the finish line for a hilly out and back) I was done mentally, I didn't want to play anymore.....but I kept going and I think I was happier to see the 13 mile marker than I was the 26 marker in the marathon! Right at the 13 mile mark, there was a right hand turn and the 0.1 mile straightaway to the finish line. I saw a girl about half way between me and the finish line and I told myself now or never, beat her! And somehow my legs just went into full out cheetah sprint mode, and I beat her steps from the finish line, she never even had a clue I was coming! I was so proud that I beat my best (and only) 1/2 marathon time by just seconds shy of 15 MINUTES on such a crazy tough (for me anyway since I don't really train hills much and certainly not that many in a row!) course! I can't wait to see what I can do on a flatter course!!
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