Finally, a Negative Split!

Negative split. Noun. Definition: when a runner's second half of a race is shorter than the first; a phenomenon unheard of in Mechelle's marathon training....until now!

Even though a negative split is something many runners shoot for, it's never been a goal of mine in training or races. So what if my first half of the race is faster? It's all about the finish time right? I prefer just running at the pace that feels good at that moment--so naturally in the first half of a run, you'll be able to do that before fatigue sets in. But with that said, I was getting sick and tired of my mile times drastically dropping off during the last few miles. Beyond that, I was discouraged by how dead I've been feeling as I've approached the end of my runs...heavy legs, hitting a wall. Obviously, in a marathon it would be good to have energy the whole race through, not just at the beginning!

Here's what I did differently for my 12-mile run this past Saturday that I'm sure has everything to do with helping me get a negative split, and is probably what I should have been doing all along--I woke up early and got in my long run before the day heated up. Sure, the thought of getting up earlier on a Saturday than I do during the week sounded terrible, but the cooler temperatures were worth it, and I will be doing it again for every long run. The temperature is going nowhere except straight up lately. Today it had to be at least 1,000 degrees, and it's the kind of humidity that fogs up your sunglasses the second you step outside. Not only is this unpleasant for long runs, but borderline dangerous if you're trying to build up your mileage. So, Saturday I was out the door by 7:30am, finished by 9:28, and it was THE best run I've had thus far in this program. Not only did I finish the 12 miles easily, but I FINALLY felt like I could have done a couple more. The time even flew by and it was a peaceful run as the town of Fishers was just waking up on a Saturday morning. I even caught myself listening to a few of the slower songs on my iPod that I would normally skip right past.

I really stuck to my goal of slowing down the first few miles, keeping a conservative 10 minute pace even when my body was saying speed up. It totally paid off in the end as my last 3 miles were the 3 fastest ones, with the 12th mile being an 8:50. And I STILL felt great!!

Here are some thoughts I had after the run:
1. If i was training for a half-marathon, I would be finished already!!
2. Since when does 12 miles seem like nothing to me? I've come so far with running in just a few years.
3. I'm finally running distances where I can say that I'll just have to double that amount for the marathon...instead of triple or quadruple the amount!
4. From here on out, each long run will be the farthest distance I've ever run in my life. Kind of a cool feeling that makes me anticipate each week! Goodbye old record of 13.1 :)