Tough race day for me. We missed good weather by 1 day. A cool front is blowing in this afternoon and will drop the temperature about 30 degrees. It was a hot and muggy 71 degrees/67 dewpoint and a 10-15 mph wind to start and 78 degrees/67 dewpoint and a strong 10-15 mph head wind at the end of the race.
My original hope was to run a 1:34 but after mile 3 I knew that wasn't going to happen. I started back in the pace a ways as I always like to do and kept mile 1 fairly easy as planned and indicated by my HR. But into mile 2 I has already started to sweat profusely and pretty much know my 1:34 was going to be out of the question. Miles 3,4,5 all came in at exactly 7:36 with me trying just to keep a consistant pace. I was suprised they were all the same as this is not a flat course. At mile 6 I walked a little talking to another runner and assessing what my goal from this point on should be. I decided, at this point, that I had better really listen to my body and not do anything stupid and bonk. From my HR I knew I was running on the edge. Back to 7:35 for mile 7, 7:36 mile 8, 7:39 mile 9 and then the dreaded mile climb on mile 10 at 8:17. Again back to 7:36 on mile 11 and some more uphill on mile 12 and a 7:45. Last year I was increasing my pace nicely after 10 but I just couldn't do it this year. Mile 13 is mostly a gradual down hill and I hit that at 7:04 but was dissipointed I couldn't break into 6 at this point. Lots of runners were overheating, I could see that coming with many that I passed. I would talk to them for a bit and tell them they were doing great but as usual they would try to hang with me for a while and I would hear them begin to labor and I knew at that point they were going to bonk. (I talked to three of them after the race and confirmed my belief.) I wish I could calculate the equlivant effort to a better weather condition because I really thought 1:33 - 1:34 was not out of the question.
I ended up 10th overall, the best I've ever done in this race of about 1,000-1,200 but didn't feel like I did that great. 1st in my age division. I talked to the old guy that won 2nd in my age division and I think he though he had me beat but he didn't realise I has started in the middle of the pack and came and caught him! :-)
Hopefully this will be a springboard to good marathon training in the next few weeks but it really didn't build my confidence. This was my 3rd slowest Half Marathon.
| Mile |
Time |
HR |
HR % |
| 1 |
7:39:00 |
140 |
72% |
| 2 |
7:29:00 |
157 |
83% |
| 3 |
7:36:00 |
158 |
84% |
| 4 |
7:36:00 |
161 |
85% |
| 5 |
7:36:00 |
161 |
85% |
| 6 |
7:48:00 |
163 |
86% |
| 7 |
7:35:00 |
162 |
86% |
| 8 |
7:36:00 |
164 |
87% |
| 9 |
7:39:00 |
164 |
87% |
| 10 |
8:17:00 |
168 |
89% |
| 11 |
7:36:00 |
169 |
89% |
| 12 |
7:45:00 |
169 |
89% |
| 13 |
7:04:00 |
174 |
93% |
| 13.1 |
0:40:00 |
178 |
95% |
| Total |
99:56:00 |
162 |
86% |
| Pace |
7:37:43 |
|
|
| 