Miami

Living in Denver, it's not uncommon to experience great temperature fluctuations within mere hours. Particularly during the "shoulder seasons" the temperature can drop 50 degrees from noon to midnight. Nothing, however, prepared me for the brutal change in climate when I landed at DIA Monday night. Earlier that day, the ladies and I were lounging by the pool in Miami, getting our dose of vitamin D under brilliant skies. In a matter of four hours, we went from 75 to -4. Welcome home. I know many of you also are suffering through this mean winter weather, so I don't expect any sympathy. :-)

But I digress. This is about Miami itself and the race!! What to give attention to first?

I'll start with the main purpose of the trip: the race. I trained well, ate well, got stronger, and set a challenging yet realistic goal: sub-2-hours. This meant Lisa and I would have to average a pace of 9:13 min per mile or better. Very doable, especially considering how grossly I'd underestimated my potential performance at last year's half in Dallas. Very doable, too, because I am in quite a different place now than at this same time last year. I am clearer on what I'm capable of achieving. This race, then, was in many ways a test--a test of my training, my preparation, my mental toughness, and my realism in setting goals. Reading that, this sounds like a lot of pressure. But if I'm to set goals that push me beyond where I currently am, this is what I need to do.

About the race itself. It was similar to last year's Dallas race in that Lisa and I started off strong and quick. I love sea level!! :-) Also like Dallas, we kept a consistent pace that gradually chipped away at our average pace. And, as happened last year, I suffered a drop in physical and mental force at mile 11, but finished running my strongest and fastest.

And yet the race was simultaneously wholly unlike Dallas. Rather than chasing her, I actually ran with Lisa the whole way. We passed many more people (1) than passed us, and (2) than we passed in Dallas. And the biggest difference between Miami and Dallas? Our finish time and average pace: We crossed the 13.1-mile mark at 1:59 for an average pace of 9:07 min per mile. Yippeeeee!!!

Equally fun and rewarding was being with friends I love, women who feed my soul. Juli had a terrific race, completing her first-ever half-marathon in an amazing 2:16. Several other non-racing friends traveled with us to round out the group and take part in the celebration of friendship. Many times throughout the weekend I was struck with how blessed I am, to have these incredible women in my life.

When we weren't racing or doing race-related things, we were exploring downtown Miami and Miami beach. There was a perfect mix of activity and rest. True to my intent, it was a restorative trip. Even though I was gone for four days, it felt much longer. And, despite the inhuman cold awaiting me in Denver, I was ready to come home...home to Steve and our life here, home to my friends and family, home to the rest of Ironman training, and home to my quickly-approaching 40th birthday. On to the next great thing!