Race Report: 2009 Hungry Duck Half Marathon
Here we are, the middle run in three weeks of hard racing. This is the harder of the three races, because the recovery for this race might overlap with the 5K next weekend. I was really wishy washy about either this race, or a 5/10K in Whitmore Lake. But this half was so early in the morning(7am), and the weather forecast was excellent that I had to run it. This race is in Brighton, MI, so it's a little farther away than the Whitmore Lake races, but what the heck!
So the weather for this race was amazing. It was 54 at race start, and the course is tree lined country roads, so there was little or no sun for all of the race. The course is a little hilly, with some rolling hills at 3-4, 9-10, and 12-13, but otherwise, a nice flat Northern Plains run.
My goals for this race were muted. I just wanted to do better than April's Glass City Half, where I ran 1:30:30. I figured with a 10K just a week ago, and a harder workout on Thursday (a tempo run at 15K/half pace), that that would be just fine.
For the first time, I signed up for a race on race day, and I didn't get a shirt. Usually, even race day registrants get lucky, but not me today. They had a warning up front saying this, but I figured it was just to cover their butts. Too bad too, because it looked like a nice Tech shirt.
The race started at a very imaginary start line on a back street in Brighton. At the gun, I started out pretty comfortably, and about 9 or 10 other guys started out just as fast or faster. Most of the first mile is flat to uphill as it goes over I-96. As I hit the first mile split, I felt like I was probably going too fast, but I wasn't sure HOW fast. Sure enough, the first mile was 6:31. Sure enough, faster than last weeks' 10K opening split. Great.
I knew that I couldn't hold that kind of pace for very long, but wouldn't you know it, here comes someone right up behind me. I let him pull up ahead, and continued to slow a bit, AND started feeling sorry for myself a little bit. I was feeling a little winded, and just crappy, and my mind just wasn't in the game.
At this point, I ask myself, "Why am I letting this guy go? Lets just hold on here, maybe things will come around?" So, I work my way back to his shoulder, and follow him for a little bit. I'm not sure, but I felt like he worked the pace up a little to try to shake me (this was mile 3 at this point), but I just hung on. About this time, I FINALLY feel like I have some rhythm, and I note that HE'S getting tired and winded. Time to take off a bit. This time he lets go of me, and by mile 4, I'm gone. All alone in 9th place.
At this point, I'm running the numbers in my head a little bit as I roll off splits (6:49-6:41-6:51-6:33-6:44), and I realize that I'm running about as fast so far as I did for the race for the week before! WHAAAAAT? Sure enough, as I realize this, my body tells me that this IS awfully fast, and the pace falters a bit. As I'm running alone for most of this, this is not a shock, there really wasn't anything to help me sustain this pace.
So the next 4 went by pretty slowly, relatively: 6:58-6:56-6:57-6:57, until, of course, I hear footsteps. Peeking a bit, I see that I've dropped the guy I raced earlier, but I've picked up two shadows. I pick up the pace, but I'm unable to sustain anything uptempo, even at mile 11. I'm only able to barely keep pace (6:46-6:54 (uphill). Even a fast last 1.1 (6:32 pace), isn't enough to catch them, and they actually increase the gap. Looking at my watch, I may not have been able to keep up, but...
Finish time: 1:28:49.4
overall place: 11/188
ag place: 2/11
Wow! Not a PR, but my fastest half marathon in over 5 years! Great! I guess all it takes is a kick in the pants sometimes. I felt like I was ready to throw in the towel early on, but hanging on with that guy really turned this race around.
This was great encouragement after the week before, and this is more like where I think I should be, but with the hot weather I just don't notice it right now. With my goal race currently the Brooksie Way half marathon in October, I think that I have the opportunity to crush this PR, and drive it near 1:26, perhaps?
Next weekend is a 5K. Hopefully I'll be recovered from this by then?
So the weather for this race was amazing. It was 54 at race start, and the course is tree lined country roads, so there was little or no sun for all of the race. The course is a little hilly, with some rolling hills at 3-4, 9-10, and 12-13, but otherwise, a nice flat Northern Plains run.
My goals for this race were muted. I just wanted to do better than April's Glass City Half, where I ran 1:30:30. I figured with a 10K just a week ago, and a harder workout on Thursday (a tempo run at 15K/half pace), that that would be just fine.
For the first time, I signed up for a race on race day, and I didn't get a shirt. Usually, even race day registrants get lucky, but not me today. They had a warning up front saying this, but I figured it was just to cover their butts. Too bad too, because it looked like a nice Tech shirt.
The race started at a very imaginary start line on a back street in Brighton. At the gun, I started out pretty comfortably, and about 9 or 10 other guys started out just as fast or faster. Most of the first mile is flat to uphill as it goes over I-96. As I hit the first mile split, I felt like I was probably going too fast, but I wasn't sure HOW fast. Sure enough, the first mile was 6:31. Sure enough, faster than last weeks' 10K opening split. Great.
I knew that I couldn't hold that kind of pace for very long, but wouldn't you know it, here comes someone right up behind me. I let him pull up ahead, and continued to slow a bit, AND started feeling sorry for myself a little bit. I was feeling a little winded, and just crappy, and my mind just wasn't in the game.
At this point, I ask myself, "Why am I letting this guy go? Lets just hold on here, maybe things will come around?" So, I work my way back to his shoulder, and follow him for a little bit. I'm not sure, but I felt like he worked the pace up a little to try to shake me (this was mile 3 at this point), but I just hung on. About this time, I FINALLY feel like I have some rhythm, and I note that HE'S getting tired and winded. Time to take off a bit. This time he lets go of me, and by mile 4, I'm gone. All alone in 9th place.
At this point, I'm running the numbers in my head a little bit as I roll off splits (6:49-6:41-6:51-6:33-6:44), and I realize that I'm running about as fast so far as I did for the race for the week before! WHAAAAAT? Sure enough, as I realize this, my body tells me that this IS awfully fast, and the pace falters a bit. As I'm running alone for most of this, this is not a shock, there really wasn't anything to help me sustain this pace.
So the next 4 went by pretty slowly, relatively: 6:58-6:56-6:57-6:57, until, of course, I hear footsteps. Peeking a bit, I see that I've dropped the guy I raced earlier, but I've picked up two shadows. I pick up the pace, but I'm unable to sustain anything uptempo, even at mile 11. I'm only able to barely keep pace (6:46-6:54 (uphill). Even a fast last 1.1 (6:32 pace), isn't enough to catch them, and they actually increase the gap. Looking at my watch, I may not have been able to keep up, but...
Finish time: 1:28:49.4
overall place: 11/188
ag place: 2/11
Wow! Not a PR, but my fastest half marathon in over 5 years! Great! I guess all it takes is a kick in the pants sometimes. I felt like I was ready to throw in the towel early on, but hanging on with that guy really turned this race around.
This was great encouragement after the week before, and this is more like where I think I should be, but with the hot weather I just don't notice it right now. With my goal race currently the Brooksie Way half marathon in October, I think that I have the opportunity to crush this PR, and drive it near 1:26, perhaps?
Next weekend is a 5K. Hopefully I'll be recovered from this by then?