Dam to, Damn that was hot!

The Short Version of the Dam to Dam Half Marathon:

The heat and humidity won this one!  I adjusted my pace goal going into the race since it was terribly sticky (70s with 92% humidity), focusing more on my secondary goal of placing in the top 10 in the competitive field.  I knew the conditions would slow me down, but I didn't realize how much!  I nabbed my top 10 spot with 8th overall and won the 35-39 age group with a 1:26:19; a time grossly off what I'd trained for but that represented all that I had that day.  Even though I was disappointed to be in PR shape yet come nowhere near a PR to show for it, I had an amazingly fun girls' race trip with my friend Missy, and we both took comfort in learning that everyone was 4-9 minutes off their times that day.  The race itself was amazing, the city of Des Moines was great, and Missy and I planned our return to the event in 2018 on the drive home!

One should always celebrate another God-given day & run!

The Long Version:

The Dam to Dam half can be summed up as:  heat, humidity, headwind, and humbling!  I revised my goals for the race several times.  For most of the 8 weeks or so leading up to the event, my goal was to PR.  My workout PRs in May confirmed that this was a realistic goal, the point-to-point course looked fast and is my favorite type, historically the field has been thick and competitive, and last year it was 58* for the race.  My other goal was to place in the top 10, which past results indicated would take me running a PR or close to it to accomplish, but my primary goals are almost always time-centered because I can control my pacing strategy, but I can't control who else shows up.  Plus, my biggest competition is always myself!

As race day neared and the forecast got worse and worse, I knew that my main goal was out.  I knew with high humidity, temperatures in the 70s, and a headwind on my favorite type of course, there was no way I could better the PR I'd run under nearly perfect weather conditions.  I was in better shape, but not THAT much better, and at this point it's splitting hairs on pace goals to PR (e.g., 6:10 vs 6:12).  I also started getting more and more scared because a week prior to the event I ran a short long run with the Iron Horse 5K in the middle, and I suffered that day; in that 5K tempo I couldn't quite match the pace I'd just run for twice the distance in a 6 mile tempo at 55*.  I remembered how much harder 70* is in May than in August (or maybe I'm just getting worse at running in warm weather, I'm not sure!)!  All of my key workouts and long runs had been in much cooler temperatures.  Wednesday before the race I ran in long sleeves at a temperature I'd usually run in a sport bra only in (63*) for one last ditch effort at heat acclimation.  I struggled with my attitude about the race too, at one point telling my husband that I might as well not even go since I knew I wouldn't PR.  I love running so that was a ridiculous proposition; however, it was a difficult paradigm shift since I'd been focusing on this as a PR-attempt race for quite some time.

My training partner Missy and I were accepted into the elite field for the race, and we made a fun girls' weekend out of it.  We drove up to Des Moines on Friday morning, checked into our hotel, attended the race expo (including hanging out in the elite athlete welcoming room with a meal), and explored downtown Des Moines on Friday afternoon and evening.  The elite coordinator was extremely nice and helpful, and overall the hospitality was amazing. 

Downtown Des Moines

Downtown Des Moines

While I had a hard time giving up my pace goal, I knew I needed to start off slower or I'd blow up.  I settled on 6:25 as a goal pace; 15 seconds/mile slower than the 6:10 pace I was going to aim for at 55*.  That would put me in at 1:24, but honestly I hoped I'd be able to negative split and come in at 1:22-1:23...not a PR, but a time I'd be very happy with.

Race morning

Elite charter bus

As I ran my warm-up and pre-race drills, I tried to convince myself that it didn't feel "that bad" out.  I ran in as little clothing as possible (sports bra and shorts, no compression socks even) and planned to dump water on myself at every aid station and to drink sports drink along the course.  Typically when running for under 90 minutes I don't even take water!

Dam 1

I stuck to my 6:25 pace plan almost exactly for 5 miles, with some fluctuations based on elevation changes.  I also stuck to dumping water on myself at every aid station, but none of the water was cold, even early on.  I passed the course mile 5 at 32:06, which is exactly 6:25 average.  I never felt like I was running hard or fast, but I never felt like I could speed up any either; it was an odd feeling.  My split for mile 5 was 6:29 but it felt like about 5:59 effort, so I decided I was done looking at my watch -- so the rest of these splits I didn't look at until after the fact.  I tried to stay positive, but I could tell I wasn't going to negative split and that the second half the race was probably not going to be pretty.  I was pulling up on another female during mile 6 and just focused on reeling her in, reminding myself that everyone else out there was hurting too.  My mile 6 split was 6:20 because of gunning for the woman, and in retrospect I wish I'd have looked at the split during the race, because I think it would have given me a little boost since I thought I'd slowed down.  I passed the female and tried to look ahead for another.

Miles 7-9 were the toughest part of my race (splits of 6:37, 6:52, 6:31).  There was a gradual but very long hill in mile 8, and we got to run down it after going up it, but going up it just ate me up.  My legs felt like they had nothing and I was really concerned that soon I was going to have to choose between dropping and finishing at 7:30+ pace.  I kept thinking about how horrible I'd feel to drop after receiving all of the elite perks, but also wondered which was worse - dropping or completely bombing?  I also reminded myself that it could turn around; I've felt bad early on in halves before and been able to come back or at least to rally for an okay finish. 

I then passed an ice station the race had set up.  They'd been issuing heat/humidity warnings for a couple of days prior to the event and even announced at the start that everyone should slow down a minute per mile, so I bet this was a last minute addition.  That ice station saved me!  I took the cup of ice and shoved all of the ice in my sports bra, then spread it out so it was all around my torso.  I believe that the cooling effect I got from doing that is the only reason I was able to finish this race not at 7:30 pace, and I sure wish they'd had more ice stations!  My pace was back into the 6:30 range (although it felt much slower, which is why I didn't look because I thought I'd be super discouraged), and once I got past mile 9 I knew I could make it in.  I also passed another woman before mile 10, which gave me a boost.

Course elevation

Miles 10 and 11 weren't awful (of course they weren't good; no miles in this race were good), and I split them in 6:36 and 6:37.  I still felt like I was slowing, but I was confident about finishing, and at the mile 10 course mark I looked at my watch time and calculated that I'd run a 1:25 if I maintained 6:30ish pace.  Then right before the mile 11 aid station, I was hit with an awful side cramp.  It was similar to what I experienced during the Prairie Fire spring half in 2015, and towards the end of the Prairie Fire fall full in 2016.  I've narrowed the causes down to running against the wind or consuming electrolyte products that I'm not used to, or some combination of the two.  Both factors were again at play at Dam to Dam since I drank sports drink at some of the aid stations, and when that cramp hit I realized that finishing in 1:25 certainly wasn't guaranteed.  Having dealt with similar cramps before, I knew I could keep running, but I've always slowed down some with them.  I worked on breathing it out and also slowed to drink at that aid station (I came very, very close to walking through it but did not let myself out of fear I would never get started again).

The cramp never went away, but it let up slightly, and I just kept putting one foot in front of the other.  I couldn't see any other females in front of me, and I told myself that if someone came up on me I would go with her (I am not sure if I actually could have and I am glad I didn't get to find out!).  To add insult to injury, the end of the race was uphill.  The only reason miles 12-13 weren't as bad for me as miles 7-9 was because I was much closer to the finish.  My final two mile splits were 6:41 and 6:48, and then I mustered a finishing kick of 6:12 (ironically, slower than my good weather goal pace for the entire 13.1).  It was a long journey to that finish line, and by the time I got there I was just glad the clock read 1:26 and not 1:46 -- especially considering that it felt like I'd been out there about 2:46!

After finishing I was pulled aside to the elite tent, where the coordinator told me that I'd placed 8th overall female.  I welcomed that news and what it meant -- it meant that everyone was off their game, because I'd been one of the slower entrants in the elite field of 20-some women; most had PRs under 1:20.  I went back to the finish line to cheer Missy in, and I saw elite women continue to come in at 1:29, 1:30, 1:31.  Missy finished in 1:32, and from training with her almost every day I can tell you I know she is in shape for a 1:24-1:25.  The final elite female in crossed at 1:38.  Considering that to get into the open elite field, you had to have a qualifying time under 1:24:00, these times speak to the poor weather conditions we had.  I've never heard so many people say, "I couldn't even hit my marathon pace!" after a half (I was among these -- humbling!).  One of the elite men we'd talked to said he was 5 minutes off his goal of 1:02 (ah, to be that disappointed with a 1:07, right?!).  The ladies who finished behind me in 9th and 10th have run 1:18-1:19 halves.  So here are all of my excuses and asterisks by this 1:26, but the bottom line is that I just didn't have anything more that "dam" day.  Official results are here.

I was thrilled with my 8th overall placing and resultant cash prize, and I also won the 35-39 age group.  Missy was 2nd masters female and won age group 40-44!  Just like at Rock the Parkway, I hit/exceeded my place goal with a time that shouldn't have placed anywhere near what it did.  Darn Midwest weather...apparently I need to stick to racing in Arizona in the winter.  Although it's a bummer to have workout PRs not lead to anywhere near a race PR, I hope that knowing I ran the tempo and repeat times I did helps me in my next training cycle and lets me build from there (plus the workouts were a blast!). 

I learn things from every race, and sometimes I learn more from the bad ones.  The obvious take away is that adding 15 seconds/mile to my goal pace wasn't enough under those weather conditions when I wasn't yet acclimated to them (perhaps in August it would be enough).  Another is to stop comparing times run under poor conditions to times run under perfect conditions.  I ran a half in May 2015 that much like this was among my first hard efforts of the season in warmer temperatures, and I ran a 1:30 then.  I ran a super sticky one in June 2015 in 1:31.  In 2016 I was wise enough not to run any hot halves, but I did bonk in a July 5K with a 6:31 final mile!  So I am choosing to compare Dam to Dam with those times instead of what I've done in ideal weather.  I'd like to think I can perform no matter what the weather is like, and it seems like some people can -- but I simply can't. 

I also fully realize that a disappointing race time is such a first world problem, and I'm always thankful for how "easy" such problems are.  On the day of the race, this was the Bible verse I got in my daily verse email:  "When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you.  When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze." - Isaiah 43:2

I'll get you next time 1:19-1:20!

Thankful for a strong training partner & one of my best friends

I drank it AND poured it over my head (AND considered that ride to the finish!)

The race TOLD me not to PR!