Another race, another 7:00 average pace, which is about the same average pace as last month's Half Marathon. I'm getting frustrated with not being able to break into the 6:5X range in races. But I can attribute this race's 7:00 average pace entirely to weather. By the time the race started at 7 a.m., the marine layer had already burned off, and it was fully sunny - UV index 10+. I'm unlikely to get a lot of sympathy here but it was HOT...for San Diego. By the time I finished it was 73 degrees with 80% humidity.
My plan was to run 6:55 for the first half and 6:50 for the second half, if I could. I knew the course was perfectly flat, and there was no wind that morning. The race was on out-and-back course, starting in Coronado Tidelands Park (under the Coronado Bridge) and to the Navy's Amphibous Base, then back. The Naval base sounds more interesting than it actually was...the most interesting part was that there was an on-base McDonald's. And the french fries smelled delicious!
Each mile was really the same experience - flat and hot. I quickly revised my plan and just tried to maintain a 6:55-7:00 pace. The one mile that stands out was the last one...I suffered from a stomach stitch in the last 0.5 mile - probably from dehydration.
Still, it was a good effort. I stayed focused, and passed a lot of people in the second half. I was 12th female at the turn around point, and finished 8th female and first in my age group.
Mile 1 - 6:38
2 - 6:52
3 - 6:58
4 - 6:51
5 - 6:58
6 - 6:55
7 - 6:58
8 - 6:54
9 - 6:57
last part (0.49 by my watch) - 6:55 pace.
Official average pace was 7:02.
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