Week thirteen + Riom 1/2 Marathon

M - 17 miles
T - 3.5 (morning) / 7 (evening)
W - 10.5 (5k tempo)
R - 6
F - 7
S - 5
S - 15 (Semi-marathon de Riom)
Total: 71 miles
Year to date: 734 miles

This morning I raced the Semi-marathon de Riom with Meredith. My main goal was to break my previous PR (1:32:36, set on an absolutely perfect course). I really wanted to dip under 1:30, though, so I had 1k, 5k, 10k, 15k, and 20k splits for a 1:30 finish written on my arm.

We got up obscenely early to drive to Riom, although the discomfort of the early hour was mitigated by the beautiful scenery of the Massif Central. We got a little lost once we got to Riom, but a guy taking an early morning Sunday stroll set us in the right direction.

After a short warm-up we lined up with the other runners. There was no countdown before the gun went off so the start was a bit of a shock. About four women took off in front of me, but before even hitting the 1k mark I had moved into 2nd place.

The course was 3 loops of rolling terrain with only a few flat stretches so it was hard to maintain even splits. Through the first loop we were more or less right on pace for a sub-1:30 finish.

In the second loop a wind started blowing, and somehow it never became a tailwind. At some point in here, some guy tucked himself behind me and drafted for a good 6k, letting me pace him, which always feels like a drain on my mental energy. I was pretty annoyed, and just about to ask him if he wanted to take a turn in the wind when he passed me fast. No matter: I blew by him in the last 4k.

I began the 3rd loop by setting a 15k PR. I knew I'd have to do this to hit my goal, and although it wasn't as fast as I needed for sub-1:30, it was a good confidence boost as the wind picked up. I knew I'd really have to run hard in the last 6k to break my old PR.

The last few kilometers of the loop were uphill, and I really struggled toward the end. Meredith was yelling at me and trying to coax a kick out of my poor legs, but they were awfully tired. I think that's normal, considering the distance and pace!

After 300m on the track we finished together in 1:31:51. I promptly bent over and puked on the track. I managed to make it through the chute, but before claiming my t-shirt, I spent a few more minutes on my hands and knees on the infield grass vomiting some more. I was pretty embarrassed, but I felt much better after.

I was the 2nd woman overall, and the 1st senior woman. This netted me a trophy, a rose, and a decent amount of cash. I was really excited to be called up to the podium until I saw the men's podium: The emcee insisted on interviewing the top finishers. I am still shaky with my French skills and certain I was going to embarrass myself, but he was very kind and spoke slowly with me.

All in all, I am very happy with the way the race turned out. Although I didn't break 1:30, I think it's definitely within my ability, especially on a flat windless course.