i ran this race last year and it held my PR of 1:44:27. i have been training hard and REALLY wanted to beat that time! i had planned on “racing this half” and i was pretty confident, but you never know how things go come race day. i just tried to stay focused and make sure i was having fun.
my friend from high school, jess, came up friday night for the race. after staying up way too late chatting, we finally made it out the door saturday morning for a short recovery run (5.0 miles/49:34/9:55 avg pace). it was a beautiful day out and the sun was shining, but i hoped the sun would go away for race morning, just because 
we went to a few running stores, had lunch with tara, carb loaded, painted my nails (new pre-race tradition post CIM) and went to bed early since the alarm was going to be going off SO early with time change.
sunday morning the alarm went off at 4:15am… which was really 3:15am. GAH. SO. EARLY. i got up, had a cup of coffee and got the toast going. i got dressed and put on my PR shirt and hoped it would stay alive after today. i have worn the same shirt in both CIM’s i have ran, and in the shamrock’n half last year, so i call it my “PR shirt” and pretty much only wear it on races where i am going for a PR (except for one which i was intentionally running for fun). chris was running this race too, so we were all ready and out the door around 5:15 to make the hour+ drive to sacramento.
i remembered last year this race being really easy logistically… right off the freeway, parking is close to the start and finish, REAL bathrooms since it starts/finishes at the river cats stadium… and it was the same this morning. we got a great spot, made our first bathroom trip, and then went and sat in our car for a while to keep warm. it was pretty chilly by cali standards (feels like 35) but i knew once the sun came out it would warm up faster than CIM did (well actually CIM never warmed up). around 7:15 we made our way back to the bathrooms and planned on going to the start around 7:45. after hitting up the bathrooms we were hanging out and i ran into both page and rachael! i was very excited rachael saw me and that i got to wish her good luck on her first half!
i have this thing about having to pee pre-race. if i am standing around for any amount of time, i automatically think i have to go, no matter how many times i have gone. so while we were standing there i looked at my watch with just over 20 minutes to go and said “i need to go again.” jess came with me and we waited in the forever long line that was inching forward. i watched my watch nervously but now couldn’t NOT go, because i was already in line thinking about it so much. i know i am weird. so we waited and waited and finally got in to the bathroom around 7:50. we were in and out and running to the start line, but the problem was we still had our jackets on! the bag check was super packed and we couldn’t find anyone we knew that wasn’t running to hold on to them for us (we also ran into layla and holly during this temporary freak out). we decided to just stick them near a tree and hope for the best. we jogged around and made it to near the front of the start line with about a minute to spare. NOT how i like to start a race.
the gun went off and we were off! i tried to calm down a little bit but i was kind of frantic. i took a minute, just ran, no music, no looking at the watch, just settling down and finding my groove. it took a minute but i found it. i was in shorts, a tank, arm warmers and gloves and it felt perfect once i started going.
usually in races i start off too fast and it feels easy, this race was different. i don’t know if it was from all the running around the minutes before the race, but i was looking at my watch and it said an 8:00 minute mile and it felt a lot harder than that. i immediately started having thoughts that maybe today wasn’t the PR day but i just turned on the music and tried to find my rhythm.
mile 1 –7:59, mile 2 – 7:53
i knew this course was super accurate from last year and that if you run the tangents right, it can even come up a little short on your garmin. i was seeing this from the get go since every time i would pass a mile marker it would be around .98 on my watch. i knew since i was running high 7’s that if i would have been lapping at the mile marker it would have been even lower than that… i said in my report last year that i should have manually lapped, and i am saying it again, so maybe next year i will listen! the course has a ton of turns, but not bad ones at all, and you are constantly doing something new so it goes by really fast. i was trying to maintain 8:00 or just under (since my PR pace is 7:58) for the first 5 or so miles and then hoped to pick it up. around mile 4 i really started to feel better and ran a little too fast but then was really consistent after that. i took my first gu at mile 4.
mile 3 – 7:58, mile 4 –7:48
i saw chris somewhere on an out and back portion here and he was looking really strong. i also saw katie in here somewhere and chatted with her real quick before she went ahead. i saw kristin, rachael again, and ron all out there too! it was really fun seeing so many familiar faces during the out and back portions. i was feeling good and keeping the pace very consistent.
mile 5 – 7:58, mile 6 – 7:58
when i saw mile 7 i knew i was over half way there and i could hang on for 6 more miles. i just wanted to stay as consistent as i could up until mile 10 when i would really start pushing it. i continued to see friendly faces as we wound through sacramento. i took a second gu between miles 8 and 9.
mile 7 – 7:58, mile 8 – 7:57, mile 9 – 7:59
my playlist was awesome this race and some great power songs came on just after mile 10 when i needed them. i was getting tired but i was still able to push and i knew i had this PR in the bag if i just kept running hard. around 11.5 i came up on katie and tapped her on the arm and started pulling her with me a little. i was feeling really good here and started getting a big adrenaline boost. i was picking up the pace and passing people and pushing hard. i felt like my legs could go faster, but the rest of me (lungs, etc) couldn’t quite keep up. i was giving it everything i could though!
mile 10 – 8:02, mile 11 – 7:49
one mile to go! i knew i pushed hard in this mile last year and i knew it wasn’t the easiest mile with some climbing and twisting around. i knew the finish was close though and i just charged through it. we wound into the stadium and i could see the finish so i gave it everything, saw the clock with 1:42:XX and knew the PR was mine!
mile 12 - 7:47, mile 13 – 7:24
i stopped my watch and checked it and it said 1:42:34 and i was so happy. i saw katie and gave her a hug and then as i was walking up the stairs in the stadium chris grabbed my arm. i had been REALLY excited for him and this race. he has been training SO HARD and hadn’t had “his race” yet that he is proud of, until today. he has battled so many injuries since he started running and this is the first time he really was able to go out there and give it everything he had… and he did. i can’t hold my PR being faster over his head anymore since he killed mine and finished in 1:34:32! i was so proud of him
garmin: 13.0 miles/1:42:34/7:53 avg pace
official results: 13.1 miles/1:42:39/7:50 avg pace
age group: 22/616
overall: 358/4101
total miles for cutback week: 46.2
eventually i found my friends and found my jacket (it was still there!) and then we got out of there go get some lunch and recap our races. everyone did so great out there and i am so proud of all my buddies! there were a number of great PRs and a number of great races in general, it was definitely a good day and i am happy! it was SO fun seeing so many people out on the course today too.
kristin, me, tara and jess at the post race lunch
me and chris – big PRs!
kylie sporting the medal
our awesome tech shirt, medal and bibs.
i love when chris and i get consecutive numbers
the track and speed work has definitely been working! my legs aren’t sore at all or really even that tired. after the race i realized it was my lungs, breathing and the rest of my body that were having a harder time keeping up than my legs. i think with continuing to work at the track and tempo runs, this will get better. i am happy to know my legs are strong and feeling speedy and i can’t wait to keep working on them. now that i have gotten to the lower 1:40’s i am eyeing some other numbers in my future 2010 races seeing it pay off today just makes me want to get out there and work even harder.
Congrats on the PR – and to Chris too! Your hard work shows
Congrats to both you and Chris on the awesome PR!
Again, congrats to both of you!! So proud. See ya in the am girl!
Good job!!
Awesome job! It sounds like a perfectly run race. Congratulations on a stellar PR.
Great job!!!
AMAZING! a total inspiration
Congrats on a new PR!
Congrats to you and Chris on the PR! Very inspirational!
Great Job and great race report! Totally understand the prerace bathroom situation. I don't even drink anything on race mornings and I continually feel like I have to "go"! Nice PR-you'll be under 1:40 within the year with your training!!
Awesome! Congrats to both you and Chris on the race!
Congratulations Aron!!! Congrats to Chris too! You both smoked it!
I know what you mean about being successful and feeling even more motivated to work harder. What a great feeling!
Aron, you ran an amazing race. Look at that last mile time!!! Great job, you have been working hard and it is paying off.
Wahoo! Congrats on the PR and an awesome race for both you and Chris. It is such a great feeling to know your work has paid off!
)
Awesome! Glad you went for it! The track helps not only physically, but also mentally, as it gets the mind used to the suffering inherent in any good race!
Congratulations on the PR and on not letting the pre-race scramble mess you up too much!
Congrats on the PRs….
Congrats on the PR!!! I have the same 'pee' problem, before anything! I always have to go 'last minute'. DH is used to it, but it still annoys me lol. I can go 20 min before something and have to go again 3 min before. Curse our small (and nervous) bladders!
Yay! You smashed your own record. Nice job and great race report. Can you send me that shirt so I can wear it for my next race?
Congratulations!! Looks like your speedwork is paying dividends!
Yaaa! Awesome race. Sounds like you paced yourself perfectly. Well done Aron!!
Congrats to Chris too!!
Congrats on the PR!! Awesome! The race sounds like a lot of fun!
Congrats on such a great race and an awesome PR!!!
You knocked it out of the park! Great job. Your splits were so great–nice and even and then negative at the end. You should be proud of yourself.
congrats on the pr and to your husband too for great races! i'm sad i didn't see you. it was a great race and i'm glad i picked that one for my first half. i had a great time, ran with NO PAIN, and finished in under 3 hours.
congrats again on your awesome PR.
congrats on the PR! love the green bibs too.
You did awesome out there!! So proud of you! Thanks for picking me up out there!
Congrats on the amazing PR! I am too the same way about using the bathroom so much before running… it's a mental thing for me!
congrats!!!!!!!!!!!!!! to you and chris!!!!! double celebration!!!
Wow, what a great race!!!! Would love to see your playlist. I'm always looking for new music.
Congrats! You did awesome!
With your training ethics and hard work I am not surprised that you're being rewarded with amazing results.
Congratulations on another amazing day and it was great seeing you on the course.
All the best,
Ron
Again, awesome, awesome job out there! I'm so glad I got to see you cross the finish line…you looked so happy!
Congrats!
Congratulations on your PR!!! Way to go
So crazy! I saw you and Kristin run by yesterday! Great job out there!
That's always a fun race. I would have been running, but with the marathon next weekend I had to take it easy. 
Congratulations, Aron!!!
2 minutes is an impressive improvement in a half marathon. And your hubby, WOW, is he speedy. So glad he was able to run well too!
Wow sounds like a great race! Congrats on the PR!! And very cool your hubby is a runner too. I would love if my husband caught the bug.
Hooray! Congratulations on a great race and PR! You are so awesome and I agree that the track workouts are definitely working…you are getting super consistent and speedy! Go girl! ♥
what a great race! sounds like you ran it perfectly.
Congrats to you and hubby on PRs. 
And I must say that I LOVE the green race shirts. Super jealous. 
Congrats to you both! You're going ot have some super speedy kids.
)
Wow, those are two very fast times for you and Chris! Congratulations on awesome races! All that work definitely paid off for the two of you, and I'm sure it sets you guys up for a terrific year of running. I can totally identify with your husband's struggles with injury, and am really hoping that I can go into my first half-marathon in May injury free.
Wow. You held a super-consistent pace, and had enough left to kick it up for the last few miles. Amazing job, congrats!
Congrats to both you and your hubby on your awesome race!
Congrats on your PR! I guess you "raced" this one, huh?
(seejessrun)
Girl you totally killed it out there! Congrats Mrs. Speedy!!!
Congrats to you and Chris for PRing!
wooooooooooot congrats! you nailed it
GREAT job, Aron! Woo hoo!!!
Congratulations to you and Chris! Way to go!
Awesome job, Aron! You rock! Congrats to Chris too. And I love how your cut back week is 46 miles!
Nice PR!
I think the potty thing is common with most female runners
If I'm at a race early I'll pee several times! If Im standing around I just think I have to / better go. Its some psychological trap I think …
Congrats on the PR!! Awesome job Aron!
Congrats on the PR!! You're so speedy! Excellent race recap
Nice job on the race to both you and hubby! Your an amazing runner Aron! Keep up the great work!
Amazing! Congratulations to you and Chris! Wow…those are some sweet ass split you've got there
Consecutive bib numbers- how cute! Congrats on your PR and enjoy your cute shirt and medal!
Woohoo! Congrats on your race and big PR! Wow, look at those consistent splits. If I didn't know, I would've thought you did them all on a treadmill! Haha! Way to gut it out and put your pedal to the medal! So happy for you that you got your big PR that you were hoping for. Now I don't know what McMillian has to say about it, but I'm guessing there're a whole new set of PRs for you to chase after…
Congratulations!
great job and congrats to both of you!!!
Congrats on the PR! It sounds like you had a lot of fun too. Can't wait to hear about all the rest of your PRs this year!
Wowzers!! I, too, envision pretty PRs in your future :> Great racing!
woo hoo!! congrats on the pr girl! (and congrats to chris too – your pr used to be faster than his? so he cut like 10 mins off? crazy!!)
glad you had a good race (and that your jacket was still where you left it! i worry about lame stuff like that lol). interested to hear what new goals you have up your sleeve
So glad I got to meet you! We should of taken a picture! Next time!
Congrats again on the PR!
Congratulations on your new PR!!! I've been slacking on my speedwork and you are an encouragement to pick it back up. Way to go!!!
Tell Chris I am so proud of his awesome PR! Yah, yah, you too!! Tee hee. Great job Aron. You're only getting better and better.
Thanks so much for your support on my blog. Your comments always lift me up. It's great to know you care – it give me renewed strength every day.
Congrats to both of you on your PRs! All your hard work is paying off.
Congratulations! Great race recap.
Congrats girl! You are so dang fast!!!! You work so hard, way to go!
You have been kicking serious butt latley on so many levels, track, trails, roads! You are killing it out there. So glad you and Chris had a great race weekend!
WTG on the PR!!!!
Congrats Aron on a great race! I love being consecutive numbers! Great job and great PR!