This is an environmentally friendly 1/2 marathon, the only 1/2 in HK during this training cycle. It is too hilly to be a good indicator, but ok for good workout and practicing racing in a long race. Here is the elevation chart http://www.mapmyrun.com/routes/view/54223238. I think it is a bit more rolly on the top of the hills than the elevation chart shows, but it truly is two nasty hills. I tracked 5k splits per garmin (theirs were short), and my splits really match the hilliness.
Woke up at 5:30, oatmeal, preping. Then a short walk to a bus pick up station. They picked us up at 6:30, but the race started at 7:30, so I knew I would only get a short warm up, which is ok because the first hill is the steepest and so will use the first 2.5k of the race as an additional warm up. Ran about 1.5 k warm up, good stretching, no strides. Three stars. I don't see any Italia running club, so I am on my own. Strategy is to take it easier on the uphills, knowing I haven't trained for them and that they'd kick my butt (esp the first one), then push as much as I could on the downhill and flat. Race for place not for time. But it is hard to not look at your watch and watch the time anyway :/ I wanted to keep my overall pace at marathon pace or better (3:55). My 5k splits were:
20:24 (4:05, net up), started nice and relaxed, hung behind a lot of guys going up the steep hill, then fly by perhaps 15 guys on the first downhill,
18:37 (3:43, net down) in this part of the race, I ran with two guys for a couple of k, one fell back and one pulled forward by the end of this k.
21:00 (4:12, net up) this bugger had a less steep but longer climb. The first k of this 5k was flatish, then long climb of approx 1.5-2k, then rolling
18:43 (3:45, net down) first part downhill, then rolling then the inverse of the steep hill (so downhill) at the beginning of this race. This hill was too steep to totally capitalize on.
final 515m: 1:49, or 3:32 pace, decent kick. Overall pace was 3:56, and the race converts to 1:23:01, just one second above target marathon pace. I'll take it.
Cooled down Legs felt pretty good, I was afraid they'd be banged up but they are just a bit sore in the hip and the opposite shin. | 