Yesterday I ran the San Dieguito half marathon. I've been training for the Rock-n-Roll marathon for about a month now, and I thought this would be a good way to get my long run in for the week, and also to gauge my progress.
I had a strategy for this race. My plan was to start slow to warm up and conserve energy, running no faster than a 9 min/mile pace for the first two miles. I would then increase my speed to a comfortable race pace (approx. 8:30 per mile) for miles 3-8. I would slow my pace again for miles 9-10, and then kick it in for the last 3.1 miles. My ultimate goad was to finish in under 2 hours (just over a 9 minute/mile pace), but obviously I was hoping for much better.
The morning was cool and slightly drizzly. I had my trusted MP3 player around my arm and three carbo- and electrolyte-loaded gel shots in my pocket.
As I started the race, I saw right away that the first half mile was downhill. Although downhill sections are good, this was discouraged me for many reasons:
1. I had not done any hill training before this race.
2. A downhill at the beginning meant an uphill at the end.
3. It is common sense in racing strategy to open your stride to take advantage of downhill sections. I was forced to take the first mile faster than I had intended. My pre-race strategy was out the window even before the first mile was over.
Mile 1 split - 8 minutes, 10 seconds (00:08:10)
Wow! That first mile was way too fast! I had visions of expending all of my energy way too early and "hitting the wall" before the end of the race. I knew I had to slow the pace, but portions of Mile 2 were also downhill, and I needed to open my stride again to take advantage. I ended up running Mile 2 at almost the same pace as Mile 1.
Mile 2 split - 00:16:25
As I began Mile 3, I already felt tired. The course now started a graduall uphill, and I knew I had to shorten my stride and slow a bit if I was going to stay alive in this race. About halfway through Mile 3, I felt a little energy coming back and was able to keep a decent pace. Mile 3 was significantly slower than the first two, but I was finally feeling like I was getting into a groove.
Mile 3 split - 00:25:32
The pace quickened in Mile 4, and there were some nice downhill sections. I was really starting to feel good, and I would have no significant problems until after Mile 9.
Mile 4 split - 00:33:00 (all times form here on are approximate; best guess from memory)
For some reason there was no one giving split times at Mile 5. I had to wait two miles to gauge my progress, at Mile 6.
Mile 6 split - 00:48:30
After Mile 6 I took a gel shot at one of the water stations to replenish some carbs and electrolytes. I was really encouraged by the Mile 6 split time. If I could get Mile 7 in under an hour, that was looking really good for my goal. Unfortunately, there were no split times again at Mile 7, and I had to wait until Mile 8 to once again gauge my progress.
Mile 8 split - 01:04:00
Unbelieveable! I was really in a groove. I was about 8 minutes under my ideal race pace. I was feeling pretty good.
Mile 9 split - 1:13:00
Then disaster struck. I felt my right calf start to tighten a little. I dismissed it and tried to run through it, but eventually it felt like a knot was forming, the telletale signs of a cramp. I cursed to myself for not taking in enough electrolytes before the race; I knew that if I got a full-on cramp when I was still four miles from the finish, my race might be over. I tred to slow a little but it did not go away. I figured that if the cramp was going to set in, there was nothing I could do about it, so I tried to increase speed and run through it.
Mile 10 split - 1:21:30
I was so relieved when, during Mile 11, the tightness started to fade. It didn't give me any more problems until after the race. I took a gel shot at one of the water stations to make sure, and kept the pace up.
Mile 11 split - 1:29:30
Mile 12 split - 1:38:00
The only problem I faced the rest of the race was fatigue. Inevitably, I hit that long uphill stretch at the end of the race, and although it slowed me up a bit, I finished strong.
Final race time (13.1 miles) - 1:48:30
I had a strategy for this race. My plan was to start slow to warm up and conserve energy, running no faster than a 9 min/mile pace for the first two miles. I would then increase my speed to a comfortable race pace (approx. 8:30 per mile) for miles 3-8. I would slow my pace again for miles 9-10, and then kick it in for the last 3.1 miles. My ultimate goad was to finish in under 2 hours (just over a 9 minute/mile pace), but obviously I was hoping for much better.
The morning was cool and slightly drizzly. I had my trusted MP3 player around my arm and three carbo- and electrolyte-loaded gel shots in my pocket.
As I started the race, I saw right away that the first half mile was downhill. Although downhill sections are good, this was discouraged me for many reasons:
1. I had not done any hill training before this race.
2. A downhill at the beginning meant an uphill at the end.
3. It is common sense in racing strategy to open your stride to take advantage of downhill sections. I was forced to take the first mile faster than I had intended. My pre-race strategy was out the window even before the first mile was over.
Mile 1 split - 8 minutes, 10 seconds (00:08:10)
Wow! That first mile was way too fast! I had visions of expending all of my energy way too early and "hitting the wall" before the end of the race. I knew I had to slow the pace, but portions of Mile 2 were also downhill, and I needed to open my stride again to take advantage. I ended up running Mile 2 at almost the same pace as Mile 1.
Mile 2 split - 00:16:25
As I began Mile 3, I already felt tired. The course now started a graduall uphill, and I knew I had to shorten my stride and slow a bit if I was going to stay alive in this race. About halfway through Mile 3, I felt a little energy coming back and was able to keep a decent pace. Mile 3 was significantly slower than the first two, but I was finally feeling like I was getting into a groove.
Mile 3 split - 00:25:32
The pace quickened in Mile 4, and there were some nice downhill sections. I was really starting to feel good, and I would have no significant problems until after Mile 9.
Mile 4 split - 00:33:00 (all times form here on are approximate; best guess from memory)
For some reason there was no one giving split times at Mile 5. I had to wait two miles to gauge my progress, at Mile 6.
Mile 6 split - 00:48:30
After Mile 6 I took a gel shot at one of the water stations to replenish some carbs and electrolytes. I was really encouraged by the Mile 6 split time. If I could get Mile 7 in under an hour, that was looking really good for my goal. Unfortunately, there were no split times again at Mile 7, and I had to wait until Mile 8 to once again gauge my progress.
Mile 8 split - 01:04:00
Unbelieveable! I was really in a groove. I was about 8 minutes under my ideal race pace. I was feeling pretty good.
Mile 9 split - 1:13:00
Then disaster struck. I felt my right calf start to tighten a little. I dismissed it and tried to run through it, but eventually it felt like a knot was forming, the telletale signs of a cramp. I cursed to myself for not taking in enough electrolytes before the race; I knew that if I got a full-on cramp when I was still four miles from the finish, my race might be over. I tred to slow a little but it did not go away. I figured that if the cramp was going to set in, there was nothing I could do about it, so I tried to increase speed and run through it.
Mile 10 split - 1:21:30
I was so relieved when, during Mile 11, the tightness started to fade. It didn't give me any more problems until after the race. I took a gel shot at one of the water stations to make sure, and kept the pace up.
Mile 11 split - 1:29:30
Mile 12 split - 1:38:00
The only problem I faced the rest of the race was fatigue. Inevitably, I hit that long uphill stretch at the end of the race, and although it slowed me up a bit, I finished strong.
Final race time (13.1 miles) - 1:48:30
(click here to view the video of my triumphant finish)
According to my calculations, that put me at an 8 minute, 17 second per mile pace for the entire race, well below my goal. It was a small victory towards my ultimate marathon goal, but I reminded myself to not get too cocky. This was a difficult race for me, and it is only HALF of the real race I would be running in June.
Some lessons learned for me:
1. HILL WORK! I ned more experience and conditioning on hills.
2. ROADS. I need to get off my comfortable track and start running on the roads, in the same conditions which I will have to run the marathon.
2. STRATEGY. My race strategy was a sound one, but I need to be ready to adapt it if conditions warrant, like with the hills. I think I did a pretty good job this race.
4. CONTINUITY. I need to do more runs during the week, shorter runs to build my speed intermixed with the long endurance runs I do already. That last mile was painful, and I should have been kicking it in rather than slowing down that close to the end of the race.
Whew, what a race! Monday is definitely a rest day for me. By the way, Lady Anne ran the event's 5k at the same time I as toiling through the half marathon. She finished in about 40 minutes. Good job!!
According to my calculations, that put me at an 8 minute, 17 second per mile pace for the entire race, well below my goal. It was a small victory towards my ultimate marathon goal, but I reminded myself to not get too cocky. This was a difficult race for me, and it is only HALF of the real race I would be running in June.
Some lessons learned for me:
1. HILL WORK! I ned more experience and conditioning on hills.
2. ROADS. I need to get off my comfortable track and start running on the roads, in the same conditions which I will have to run the marathon.
2. STRATEGY. My race strategy was a sound one, but I need to be ready to adapt it if conditions warrant, like with the hills. I think I did a pretty good job this race.
4. CONTINUITY. I need to do more runs during the week, shorter runs to build my speed intermixed with the long endurance runs I do already. That last mile was painful, and I should have been kicking it in rather than slowing down that close to the end of the race.
Whew, what a race! Monday is definitely a rest day for me. By the way, Lady Anne ran the event's 5k at the same time I as toiling through the half marathon. She finished in about 40 minutes. Good job!!
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