When I headed out I was feeling good. I originally was planning on doing 8 miles, but really like my 10 mile path so decided to bump it up a couple extra miles. Around mile 3 I realized that I was going to need to hit a bathroom before the end of my run. I was actually looking around to see if I would be able to pop-a-squat along my path until I remembered that they had put in a brand new hotel about a mile and a half down the road. I made it to the hotel and decided I would go in with confidence, acting like I owned the place, and they would have to let me use a potty. I ran up to the entrance, walked into the lobby, followed the signs to the spa, and then asked the receptionist if there was a restroom nearby. Thankfully the hotel is still very new so everyone was super friendly and willing to help. She walked me across the hall to the fitness room, used her keycard to let me in, and then showed me where to find the bathroom. Anyway, I used the potty and was back out on the road. The thing was that it threw me off. I don't know if it was having to take a break in the middle of my run or cooling down in the hotel a bit or running into the wind on my run back, but man, could I tell I was OFF for those last 5 miles. The first 5 I was under 44 minutes (probably averaging a 8:45 minute mile pace), the second 5 I was around 9:15 for each of my miles (again, not a bad time - normally I would have been thrilled, but because my first half started off so well I was slightly thrown that the second half didn't stay at that level). I ended up finished in 1:30, which is right at 9 minute mile pace (which is what I am going for in my next half marathon - to get me around 1:58 finishing time). I am glad I toughed it out for the second half and still finished my 10 strong.
Morale of the story, hopefully next time I will make sure I don't need to use the restroom and can finish the full ten all at once :)
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