General Discussion Race Reports! » SLO Half Marathon Rss Feed  
Moderators: k9car363, alicefoeller Reply

SLO Half Marathon - Run


View Member's Race Log View other race reports
San Luis Obispo, California
United States
65F / 18C
Sunny
Total Time = 2h 03m 23s
Overall Rank = 602/2320
Age Group = M40-44
Age Group Rank = 27/59
Pre-race routine:

Packet pickup and cheered on the 5k event the day before the race. That evening I enjoyed my traditional pre-race sushi dinner and an early night.
Event warmup:

Woke up a bit earlier than desired to catch a ride in a carpool of runners and we arrived at the start area with more than an hour before gun time. As race time neared I warmed up legs a bit then lined up for the start.
Run
  • 2h 03m 23s
  • 13.1 miles
  • 09m 25s  min/mile
Comments:

The first mile is a gentle, almost imperceptible, downhill grade which feels fast as the course heads into the quaint downtown area of San Luis Obispo (aka "SLO"): past the historic Fremont theater, Spanish mission (with bells ringing to celebrate the runners) and down the tree lined main street. A few brave souls were on the streets cheering us on with coffee and signs in hand. At the edge of the downtown district the route turned around and the aforementioned grade was now ever so slightly uphill, slowing my pace just a touch.

Next up was the first major hill and the start of the hilly section of the course. While not a huge hill in comparison with other runs, "Johnson hill" is one of the longest and tallest hills within city limits and has a reputation among local runners. I try to run it once a week so I know how to pace it and cruised right up without trouble. We made our way to the city limits and past a crowd of spectators, it's amazing how a bit of cheering helps motivation!

The next couple of miles are rolling hills to a turn around and back. The hills are finishing their transition from wet season green to dry season gold with splashes of yellow and orange from flowers. The picture below was taken two weeks prior during a training run, on race day the road was solid runners going both ways to/from the turn around. On the way back into town the spectators cheered us on and it was a good boost after the hilly section.

The last 3 miles of the route were through a quiet neighborhood with a few more spectators out now that it was a little later in the morning. The last mile of every HM I've ran is when I start to feel it the distance and this was no different. I was feeling good and my pace was only slowed a bit. With just a 1/4 of a mile to the finish there is a small but steep rise that slows a lot of runners to a walk but I kept myself running and crested the hill. The run down to the finish was lined with cheering spectators and I finished as strong as I could.
What would you do differently?:

Good run, happy with results.
Post race
Warm down:

Stretched my legs and drank some chocolate milk while icing my foot. Cheered at the finish line while waiting for a friend who was running his first HM.

Event comments:

Nice challenging course in a great location.


Profile Album


Last updated: 2016-05-02 12:00 AM
Running
02:03:23 | 13.1 miles | 09m 25s  min/mile
Age Group: 27/59
Overall: 602/2320
Performance: Good
https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/1150925005
Course: Mix of town and country with rolling hills for the middle 6 miles.
Keeping cool Average Drinking Just right
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: Good
Race evaluation [1-5] 4

{postbutton}
2016-05-02 11:00 AM

User image

Regular
866
5001001001002525
Central Coast, CA
Subject: SLO Half Marathon


2016-05-02 12:50 PM
in reply to: #5179890

User image

Extreme Veteran
2098
2000252525
Alberta
Subject: RE: SLO Half Marathon

Great job on the race. Looks like a great location!

2016-05-03 8:57 AM
in reply to: #5179890

User image

Expert
1662
10005001002525
Spokane, WA
Subject: RE: SLO Half Marathon
Great effort. Sounds like a terrific course. Nice you can train on it.
General Discussion-> Race Reports!
{postbutton}
General Discussion Race Reports! » SLO Half Marathon Rss Feed  
RELATED POSTS

SLO Half Marathon

Started by MOlsen
Views: 948 Posts: 1

2015-04-28 5:28 PM MOlsen

SLO Half Marathon

Started by froglegs
Views: 1263 Posts: 2

2012-05-02 6:37 PM iswimslo

Oz Half Marathon (Formerly Olathe Half Marathon)

Started by willrunforchocolate
Views: 1644 Posts: 2

2011-04-16 5:36 PM linfieldpt

Tulsa Route 66 Marathon and Half (Run - Half Marathon)

Started by dimplespoo
Views: 3056 Posts: 2

2010-12-09 8:51 PM colesdad

Tulsa Route 66 Marathon and Half (Run - Half Marathon)

Started by DMann1
Views: 2204 Posts: 1

2009-11-24 8:59 AM DMann1
RELATED ARTICLES
date : April 28, 2015
author : hadleyusa
comments : 1
Training for a specific running event is not as easy as it might seem. Here are some tips and a weekly plan to avoid overtraining and to improve your performance.
 
date : May 24, 2010
author : Coach AJ
comments : 0
My question is am I playing with fire entering the half marathon this close to my primary goal for this season which is the HIM?
date : November 17, 2008
author : mat steinmetz
comments : 7
I just started doing tris this summer and I have two under my belt, both sprints. Is it reasonable to build up for a Oly in early ‘09, with a HIM in Oct of ‘09
 
date : June 10, 2008
author : kns57
comments : 0
Steady is our walk. Ignoring the pain that is radiating from my feet, I continue to place one foot in front of the other. Again I wonder, “Why am I doing this?”
date : July 10, 2007
author : Ontherun
comments : 0
Having three seasons under my belt I thought I knew what I was doing. That all changed with a few new challenges and a bunch of new friends.
 
date : October 24, 2005
author : mikericci
comments : 0
This program should be used for an athlete whose goal is to run a marathon in the 1:30-2:30 range and has a good running base in the past 8-12 weeks.
date : October 2, 2005
author : smeeko
comments : 2
I will assume you have not run consistently more than 6 miles and have never completed a half-marathon. I believe running your first half-marathon is a big task which requires dedication and work.
 
date : January 10, 2005
author : ewkfit
comments : 0
My training was taking off. I had never felt stronger. I was making bigger strides than I ever had. I was stronger and faster than I had imagined myself ever being.