3M Half Marathon
Today was my favorite race of the DC series. It's the third time I've run it and I have only been able to go full out once...last year when I PR'd by running a 7:30. This year I know I have to hold back a bit, but that's OK because Freescale is THE Goal!
I got up at 5 and drank my accelerade at home before I left the house. I ate a PBJ on the way to the race and had pants and a jacket on for the warmup. We did about a 1 mile warmup and then did some drills in the parking lot at Gateway. I changed into my long sleeve Gazelle shirt, took off my pants and headed off to the bag drop with Jay. I found a vacant dumpster to do our personal business and was good to go. I think I started out further back than I wanted, but found Kelly and Patrick and were ready to go. The weather started out cruddy, but the heavy rains held off. It was in the mid-40s at the start with a bit of drizzle.
Mile one was my slowest of the day with all the crowds. I tried to hold back through the chute going down Mesa and Spicewood Springs. It was harder than I expected, but I did hold back. I let Kelly, Diana, Marci and Patrick go. I really wanted to run with them all day and had the stamina to do it, but I wanted to be safe today rather than sorry in two weeks. I was really consistent after the first mile.
1 - 8:10
2 - 7:42
3 - 7:43
4 - 7:43
Once we we crossed MoPac we were in very familiar Freescale course territory. We ran this a few times during our training and I know it really well. I wanted to settle into my "happy place" for the rest of the race. I found my groove a bit and took some enervitene at mile 5. I took on water or gatorade at every place they offered even though it was cool and I wasn't thirsty. The miles seemed to fly by and I was feeling great.
5 - 7:40
6 - 7:42
7 - 7:42
The stretch down Burnet and to Guadalupe was uneventful. I paced with the same pack for the whole time. We traded positions a lot. They would pass me on the downhills and I would get them on the uphills. We went up the hill by Seton Medical Center and it was a breeze. Last year, I thought it was a mountain, but after a year with the Gazelles, it's nothing.
8 - 7:55
9 - 7:48
10 - 7:50
The final stretch down Guadalupe was all downhill. I picked it a little bit, but was still holding back. I let go the last mile which was the fastest of the day. The only part I let up on a little was the final .1 miles. It's a straight drop down and I was just in cruise control. Gilbert was actually cheering me for saving my quads. I sprinted the last little bit on the flat road and ended up with a 1:41:24.
11 - 7:45
12 - 7:43
13 - 7:16
0.1 - :45
The time was 3:12 slower than last year, but I felt like I could have held pace for the full marathon...exactly the way I wanted to feel. I went back up the the last hill and cheered on some other Gazelles as they came in. I ran with Jay the last little bit and then went and got my warm clothes. I was really cold! We hung out a bit and talked to some of the other folks in the group. We finally got too cold and Alex was kind enough to give us a ride back up to our cars at Gateway. I was another good day and another building block into my marathon foundation.
I got up at 5 and drank my accelerade at home before I left the house. I ate a PBJ on the way to the race and had pants and a jacket on for the warmup. We did about a 1 mile warmup and then did some drills in the parking lot at Gateway. I changed into my long sleeve Gazelle shirt, took off my pants and headed off to the bag drop with Jay. I found a vacant dumpster to do our personal business and was good to go. I think I started out further back than I wanted, but found Kelly and Patrick and were ready to go. The weather started out cruddy, but the heavy rains held off. It was in the mid-40s at the start with a bit of drizzle.
Mile one was my slowest of the day with all the crowds. I tried to hold back through the chute going down Mesa and Spicewood Springs. It was harder than I expected, but I did hold back. I let Kelly, Diana, Marci and Patrick go. I really wanted to run with them all day and had the stamina to do it, but I wanted to be safe today rather than sorry in two weeks. I was really consistent after the first mile.
1 - 8:10
2 - 7:42
3 - 7:43
4 - 7:43
Once we we crossed MoPac we were in very familiar Freescale course territory. We ran this a few times during our training and I know it really well. I wanted to settle into my "happy place" for the rest of the race. I found my groove a bit and took some enervitene at mile 5. I took on water or gatorade at every place they offered even though it was cool and I wasn't thirsty. The miles seemed to fly by and I was feeling great.
5 - 7:40
6 - 7:42
7 - 7:42
The stretch down Burnet and to Guadalupe was uneventful. I paced with the same pack for the whole time. We traded positions a lot. They would pass me on the downhills and I would get them on the uphills. We went up the hill by Seton Medical Center and it was a breeze. Last year, I thought it was a mountain, but after a year with the Gazelles, it's nothing.
8 - 7:55
9 - 7:48
10 - 7:50
The final stretch down Guadalupe was all downhill. I picked it a little bit, but was still holding back. I let go the last mile which was the fastest of the day. The only part I let up on a little was the final .1 miles. It's a straight drop down and I was just in cruise control. Gilbert was actually cheering me for saving my quads. I sprinted the last little bit on the flat road and ended up with a 1:41:24.
11 - 7:45
12 - 7:43
13 - 7:16
0.1 - :45
The time was 3:12 slower than last year, but I felt like I could have held pace for the full marathon...exactly the way I wanted to feel. I went back up the the last hill and cheered on some other Gazelles as they came in. I ran with Jay the last little bit and then went and got my warm clothes. I was really cold! We hung out a bit and talked to some of the other folks in the group. We finally got too cold and Alex was kind enough to give us a ride back up to our cars at Gateway. I was another good day and another building block into my marathon foundation.
posted by Paco at 7:11 PM
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