Garmin Time 1:59:29
Gun Time ??? will report back
Average Pace 9:06
Mid 30sF rising to low 40s F. Sunny with a bit of wind after mile 2. Clouds moving in at the end. Warm up of 1.7 miles with some strides
1 9:20
I am slowly learning to deal with the mental stress of a crowded start, but I still tend to get rattled. It took a good half mile for the field to thin out. We had a short flat stretch and then some rolling inclines and finally a hill you could really feel, less than a quarter mile I think.
2 8:45
This mile takes us down a long hill into the valley, where we stay for some time. I let myself go a little on the long downhill run. My short legs can handle the downhills pretty well without much cost.
3 9:03
I missed a water stop here. There was a line of runners waiting because cups weren't filled. I did stop briefly, feeling confused about what to do, then I just took off. The wind began to be a problem at this point, and I tried to stay relaxed and think of slicing through it rather than fighting it. I tried drafting on several runners, but no one around me was running my pace here. It seemed like a lot of folks went out too fast and were already slowing down and looking like they were in some trouble. But maybe it was the wind.
4 8:58
Somewhere around here I saw my first swans, a small group flying overhead. (Nookachamps runs through the migration path of Trumpeter Swans.) I did have 4 swans fly right over my car on the way into town, but these were the first I saw during the race. Everything felt great at this point, as I pondered why it is so hard to run a pace in workouts that feels easy on race day.
5 8:55
Second swan sighting, this time a huge group of them sitting in a field. Runner next to me, with whom I hadn't spoken at all, just said, "that them?" "Yep! That's them!" She was watching for them too I guess. I noticed here that I'd been having a hard time keeping an even pace, looking at my Garmin a lot and making lots of adjustments. I really envy runners who have such consistent splits. We had to watch for and dodge traffic whenever passing and I am sure that didn't help any. I remember I had that problem last year here too.
6 9:11
Walked briefly through a water stop. Ran through the tiny town of Clear Lake and up a very steep short hill, then down again. Woods instead of fields for a change. Still feel great.
7 9:11
More rural landscape and some more wind here as we came back into the open. I start feeling annoyed about the fact that everyone suddenly, and for no apparent reason, keeps crossing the road, en masse. It doesn't seem connected to any strategy of running the tangents. Feel like a lemming for following, but there is safety in numbers and some of these cars are going pretty fast.
8 8:49
Another good mile. I try to focus on staying in the moment, staying relaxed and enjoying the beautiful countryside.
Splits got off here … pieces of mile 9 & 10: 10:24, 8:53, 8:59, 9:00
After the 8 mile marker there is a water station that we see twice as we venture out and back, a mile each way, on a little country road (very few cars here). I was going to hit lap for the water stops to get an accurate picture of my splits and the amount of walking I was doing, but forgot to hit lap again and got off the exact mile. Now I wonder if my confusion resulted from the dislike I always have for this out-and-back. (I've run this race 3 or 4 times.) Last night I tried to think of something on which to focus to make it less dreadful, but didn't really come up with anything. In general, out and back races don't bother me. But this one spur always does. Finally, settled on "this will make me stronger," and that seemed to help. Still hated it though. This is the point at which the race became hard for me, the point at which my inner coward starts saying, "What the heck are you doing here?" and "Wouldn't it be nice to stop?"
11 9:54
Long hill in this mile. It's funny, but even though the mile split is slower, I didn't have any mental problems here. In years past I have walked parts of this hill, but I felt great just chugging up it (thank you, Leg Builder Hill!!) and I felt very peaceful and satisfied.
12 8:43
After the big hill, we get a few "rollers," and at this point I made a decision to really push the last two miles. I wondered how much I had left. I began pumping my arms and pretended I was in a much shorter race.
13 8:32
Lungs are burning, legs feeling weak. Fun-o-meter tanking. Aided by a slight downhill and then mostly flat. Telling myself to just hold on and keep pushing a little bit further…
Last .1 7:49
Uphill w/ short flat bit at the finish, as in years past. Running like crazy to get across that finish line in under 2 hours, now that I see I can make it. Ah! Did it! My second ever sub 2 half marathon! I see AuntieEm and she is volunteering at the finish line. She puts the medal on me (the first year this race has given out medals).
Post race thoughts and impressions…
I think I ran quite well. But I also feel like I can run faster. This past year, as I've been making progress -- but also getting older -- it's sometimes hard to know where I'm going with racing. Today I felt like I was running right on the edge - right where I should run for this distance, but also that with time and a continuation of my current training I could go a bit faster. I'm never going to be a push-yourself-til-you-puke kind of racer because I simply don't want to be. I just feel like I have a little more to develop, even at 51 years old, so that with the same effort level I will go a bit faster.
I'm just 7 weeks from Napa Valley Marathon. That will be another little test to see if I can shave off some minutes. Newport in June. And between now and June, just more of the same training: my beloved long runs on the weekend, tempo runs and hill repeats one week, intervals the next. And Leg Builder Hill, my mean but helpful friend on most Saturdays.
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