HOT AIR BALLOON HALF
Before you start reading this blog, you should know that this is not a real race and I was the only participant. :)
This weekend is the Hot Air Ballon Festival in Havasu and it started this morning with a mass assention of balloons at about 7:30. I decided I would run my own personal half marathon and try to do it at my goal pace (6:52) for my upcoming marathon. I had to drop off some stuff for my son at the high school on the way to the race, so I was a few minutes late for the 7:30 start. Luckily the race organizers waited for me before they started. After warming up my legs with some active stretching, the race started. The first couple miles felt difficult for marathon pace and I was have trouble settling in on a nice consistant pace, but I finally started to find my groove about mile 4. After going around the island once I crossed the London Bridge which was packed with race watchers (actually people watching the balloons) cheering me on. I headed out London Bridge which goes along the lake until the halfway turn around were I was at 44:38, just a little ahead of goal pace.
I turned around to head back toward the London Bridge and there must have been 40 to 50 balloons up in the sky over the lake. It was really pretty. Nice of them to all be up there in honor of my race. On mile 8, I lost my focus and had my only mile over 7:00 for the race. I regained focus quickly though and was back on pace as I crossed back over the London Bridge where I had a nice pick me up from the even larger crowds that had gathered to see the finish of my race. Then I just had one more time around the island. I was now having to work a bit, but all my splits were in the high 6:40s as I pushed through to the finish to win the inaugural Hot Air Balloon Half in a time of 1:29:49 (AP 6:51).
I would like to thank all the Balloon pilots for their efforts in making this race so fantastic and scenic, and all the spectators who came out to cheer. As the winner and current champion, I think I will start training hard so I can defend my title next year.
Seriously though, I wasn't sure if I could hit my marathon pace for 13.1 especially with no taper or carb load or anything special. I'm hoping to continue to improve over the next 6 weeks and be able to maintain that pace for a whole marathon. Only time will tell, but this gives me the confidence that it is possible.
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