Queensland Half :) SUB 2!!!

Soooooo *grins*

1:56!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

That is officially a NINE minute PB ;)

*insert obligatory screaming, shouting, jumping up and down and jerry springer dances here* I'm still practically doing cartwheels as you can probably tell... I don't think it has quite sunk in yet that I FINALLY, FINALLY, FINALLY managed to do it - I finally managed to break 2 hours for the half and a little more besides!

Okay (getting self together) Bit of a race report:

Woke up feeling quite average but okay, got dressed, ate some porridge and headed out of the door. By the time I arrived, I was starting to feel nervous as all hell and consequently was jumpy as anything! Saw Phil who told me to go out steady and work my way forwards from there.

Wasn't sure how I was going to go at all - physically felt good from three days of no running but then I felt good before the Brisbane half, so I didn't want to take that as an indication.

Said hello to everyone and by the time I'd been to the loo twice (nerves!) we were on the start line. A very quick warm up and then we were off. I positioned myself next to the 2 hour pace group thinking I would heed Phil's advice, go slow to begin with then try and pull ahead. The 2 hour group were doing bang on my splits for the first couple of kms anyway!

After a while, I decided to try running infront of them and see if I could just maintain that position. Poor old Rell was running with me for a while but I was so focussed on the race I was incredibly antisocial! I stuck my music on, said nothing, hopped into the zone and just went for it. I managed to say hi to a few people along the way but a lot of people cheered me as I went by and I either didn't hear, didn't see or had no energy to say hi back! Sorry guys!

The best thing about all the long runs I've been doing, is that km markers now seem to tick by nicely when I race.... no more praying for them to come. Settled into a rhythym and before I knew it, we were at the 10km marker. I looked at my splits again and realised I was ahead quite significantly - crossed 10k at a new PB of 54:20! woo!

Though that was a nice motivator, it also worried me a bit and I wondered if I was going to get to 15km or so and just blow up if I didn't slow down. I decided just to try and hold my pace and see what happened. I could possibly have speeded up a little too at times, but held back just a smidge.

Saw the CR cheer squad who were in fine form - Davo and Cirque, you guys deserve a medal for cheering so loudly! It helps sooooo much. I can't wait until you guys run and then I can do the same for you again!

I hit 15km, checked splits, still a few minutes ahead and started passing people - poor Rell got left on her own and I realised as we went around the turns that I was starting to catch some familiar faces who normally leave me in the dust. It was probably at that point that it dawned on me that I might actually manage to go sub 2 but I tried to keep the idea out of my head incase I jinxed myself!

17km came around... still feeling fine.... 18km ditto..... at 19km I started having to work a bit more - particularly when a Pat Carroller lady with long black hair came by me and we kept playing cat and mouse with each other! She got me in the end but I resisted the urge to go after her for fear of blowing up before the finish.

Then, all of a sudden, I can see the race course and the final turn into the track... and there, standing on the side of the road is Phil. I look at my watch in disbelief and start grinning madly at him. He (in typical Phil-coach style) looks at me, nods and grins to himself and then says, "Well, come on then..... put some effort in!" shooshing me towards the finish as I go by *ROTFLMAO*

The best bit of the whole race is definitely the last 100m down the track to the finish - you go right by the grandstand and everyone is cheering and yelling. It rocks! I crossed the line and screamed and jumped up and down repeatedly, bouncing all over the place.

Unfortunately for Sam, she happened to be the first person I saw as I came over the line (she was only about 40m ahead of me) and I grabbed her and hugged her and carried on jumping up and down *L* Then I had soo much fun seeing how everyone went - it seemed to be PBs all round! I was so excited I even gave myself an asthma attack but a quick dose of inhaler (Thanks Tracey!) soon fixed that.

Afterwards, I caught up with Davo and Cirque, Robert Song and Tess and many other lovely CR faces. Also got to meet IronPete *waves*

I stayed for the presentations but alas the fab random draw prizes were not to be mine :( Not that it matters, I got my sub 2 and that's enough for me!

If you'd told me last year when I crossed the line in 2:30, that I'd do 1:56 today, I would have laughed my head off, but here I am! I surprised myself today in a really big way. It wasn't anywhere near as painful as I was expecting either! I had no idea I was capable of getting any lower than just under sub 2 and was half resigned to the idea that I might never manage it. That it just might not be in me!

Today was really like all my christmasses came at once :) six months of hard work, speedwork, long runs, training runs and events have finally paid off ;) What ever happens from here on out no one can take today away from me :) It's mine - all mine! :)

Congrats to everyone who ran today, hope you all had a fab race and thankyou to the cheersquad, the volunteers, helpers and organisers :) Can't wait for next year!