So hot, So Slow...

Today was one of those races I'd like to forget. It was hot, yes. It was humid, yes. A lot of other people in the race struggled, yes. But I had tapered this week for a half, which I've never really done before. With the weather forecast I went out conservatively and was going pretty slowly in the first hilly 7.5 miles and then expected to pass lots of people in the flats. Then the side stitch from hell hit again around mile 9 and it just hurt so damn much and I had no goal that I was shooting for anymore that I basically jogged in the last 3 miles of the race at 7:15 to 7:30 pace. So that was the story of today's NYC Half and my awesome 1:29:54, which was in case anyone cared six seconds slower than my half split in the Jersey Marathon in May. I've only failed to break 1:30 in two of my 11 half marathons, and it was in my first and third ones ever---the first time before I had ever run 13 miles before and the other one after I had taken two weeks off running and it was equally hot.

 I could live with this all but I feel like it's becoming too much of a trend this summer with these slower times. I haven't run a good race since the marathon in May and that was already a step down from where I was in April. I ran one respectable 5K in 18:08 at the beginning of June and a half the weekend before that which all things considered wasn't so bad in 1:25:59 but suffered from a side stitch in that too. I don't feel beaten up or tired or anything right now I'm just slower than I should be. Every time I think all is lost I run a workout like the 16 miles at 7 minute pace that I did two weekends ago or the three one mile repeats a month ago in 5:42 average that make me think all is still well or at least might not be awful. But all these side stitches (this has been going on in longer races for years now) and all these slow races recently really have me questioning things. I guess I'm going to stick the course but maybe I should bag the marathon for this fall or just sort of do it and chill and wait until Boston next year because I sure don't see how I'm breaking 3 hours in New York this year right now. Sorry to vent, I'll get over it I promise!