Seacoast Half Marathon - RunHalf Marathon


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Portsmouth, New Hampshire
United States
Runner's Alley
51F / 11C
Overcast
Total Time = 2h 25m 39s
Overall Rank = 938/1036
Age Group = M3039
Age Group Rank = 151/155
Pre-race routine:

Woke up at 5:15am, left at 5:30. Arrived at the race site at 7:00am, checked in and got my number, which was #1234. Went back out to the car with my packet, where I realized that the timing chip didn't have a strap (damn runners) so I spent 10 minutes figuring out how to weave the chip into my SpeedLaces without undoing them. Finally figured it out, then sat until about 8:00 listening to the radio. Went into the school building for a last-minute bathroom break, then waited until 8:20 to line up outside.
Run
  • 2h 25m 39s
  • 13.3 miles
  • 10m 57s  min/mile
Comments:

At the start of the race my right shin was hurting pretty good, so I was not sure what the day would have in store for me. My goal was to run an 11:00 average pace for the first 10 miles, then see what I had left for the remaining 5k. Maintaining pace was not too bad, and once I was really warmed up (after 3-4 miles) my shin stopped hurting. Around mile 6 or 7 I started passing people who had gone out too fast and we're either walking or just shuffling along. It wasn't hot, so I made the mistake of not drinking enough until I got to around mile 9 or 10. I tried drinking more to "catch up" but that made my stomach churn so I slowed down my drinking. At mile 11 we hit a vicious headwind that lasted a 1/2 mile or so, and then around 11.5 my calves cramped up and started screaming at me. But by this time I had maintained my 11:00 pace the whole way, so I just "sucked it up" and plowed through the last 1.5 miles. During the last 1.5 miles I passed even more people, several of who commented on how "fresh" I still looked. But given that I finished 100 places from the end, at some point I must have been pretty far back!
What would you do differently?:

Drink more evenly throughout the race, drinking at every mile marker. I had a hydration belt so I wouldn't be reliant on the aid stations, so I had no excuse for not drinking enough.
Post race
Warm down:

Walked around outside until my HR started coming down (I ran the last 1.5 miles pretty hard), then went inside and got in the food line. Took my plate of food and ate it while waiting for a massage. It was by far the best post-event massage I've ever had!

What limited your ability to perform faster:

Lack of experience running, lack of mileage under my belt. Also playing volleyball the last two weeks put additional strain on my shins that I could have done without.

Event comments:

For my first attempt at a standalone 1/2 marathon, I was very pleased with my results. My goals (in order) were to (1) finish (2) run the whole way without walking and (3) maintain an 11:00 pace as far as I could. I achieved all three, so I'm pretty happy.




Last updated: 2008-09-02 12:00 AM
Running
02:25:39 | 13.3 miles | 10m 57s  min/mile
Age Group: 151/155
Overall: 938/1036
Performance: Good
Course: Mostly flat, winding through Portsmouth and Rye NH, some parts along the coast.
Keeping cool Good Drinking Not enough
Post race
Weight change: %
Overall: Good
Mental exertion [1-5] 4
Physical exertion [1-5] 4
Good race? Yes
Evaluation
Course challenge Just right
Organized? Yes
Events on-time? Yes
Lots of volunteers? Yes
Plenty of drinks? Yes
Post race activities: Average
Race evaluation [1-5] 4