Frisco Highline Boyscout Half-Marathon

  Everything fell into place today. I slept a solid 8 hrs last night....I mean slept! Woke up automatically at 6am, ate my waffles with peanut butter and honey! MMMM good!
  Was blessed in the natural realm....made it to the race site with about 1/2 hour to spare. 35 mile drive!
  Weather was perfect for me....a sultry 60ish with a light breeze and sunshine. A strong field for this area and considering there were two other races going on in the area...185 in the HM.
  I had three goals-Ultimate would of been 1:50, challenging 1:52.30 and acceptable 1:55.
  I did a short warm-up- talked with some friends-lined up middle right and off we went. I had my plan to hold back the first mile then kick it in to HM pace-around 8:27's.
  I was passed by dozens of people during this time.....common deal....bunches going out to fast.
  So I'm doing good...I kicked it in at 1 mile...I'm holding the pace clicking off some good miles...at around 5.5 miles I look at my watch and I am bleeding!
  My hand is covered in blood! What's the deal? My Garmin 305 was digging into the skin right behind my wrist! I keep running....I have to do something? So I take off the watch and decide to put it on my right arm....that isn't easy! As I'm making the change I must've accidentally stopped the time...messed up my splits! So.....at the turn I hit the lap so I could figure out time later....as it turns out I did the first half of the half in 55:22! I averaged exactly my HM pace to here!
  So I kept working at holding the pace....btw...I had been consistently picking off people and that continued all the way in with the exception of the finish.
  I had forgotten I had one gu with me and so I took it....felt like barfing it! Held it down though. I was losing the pace even though I strung together 3 8:42's! Very consistent pacing today. By mile 11 I was struggling a little but I was not going to slow into the 9's! Even though my watch was messed up I figured it was only off a few seconds (23)....I could smell a good time!
  I kept pushing...I thought about all the training I'd done, speed work, tempo runs, 25K race....Mile 12 was unbelievable! 8:27! Now only 11 tenths! Pass two more with confidence.....1/2 mile to go I hear someone coming....A guy I'd passed, I couldn't stay with him, around the bend about 100m and another person is closing....ain't gonna happen! I sucked it up and beat them to the finish! A 1:52.02! Official! The second half was a 56:40 or 8:39's.
  Needless to say I was elated!! The training is paying off! Now to the marathon!
 So I averaged 8:33's! By far the best HM I've run in years! I think the weight loss has something to do with this too....Oh, I met Jim Ryan today. Cool guy!
 Hope you had a great weekend....now a brief recovery and the 22 miler needs to get done! Breaking 4 hrs is a possibility!!:) Peace!