General Discussion Race Reports! » Heart 1/2 Marathon Rss Feed  
Moderators: k9car363, alicefoeller Reply

Heart 1/2 Marathon - RunHalf Marathon


View Member's Race Log View other race reports
Cincinnati, Ohio
United States
Mercy Mini Heart Marathon
70F / 21C
Sunny
Total Time = 1h 54m 57s
Overall Rank = 615/1671
Age Group = 50-54
Age Group Rank = 39/85
Pre-race routine:

Stayed at downtown Cinci Hilton on very sweet event rate. Beautiful historic hotel with awesome original 1930's French Art Deco decor. Unfortunately marginal night's sleep due to loud St Pat's Day parties going til 2:30AM. Woke at 6:15 for quick cup of tea & energy bar. Down to start line @7:20 only to find my trusty Forerunner's battery was dead. I ALWAYS run by HR so this was going to be different. Uneasy to be running by feel & time splits on a hillier course than I've ever run before.
Event warmup:

Few stretches & running in place. Then into the crowd for 7:45AM start in record warm temps for mid-March.
Run
  • 1h 54m 57s
  • 13.1 miles
  • 08m 46s  min/mile
Comments:

Mass start was ~4,500 runners with 15k & HM races sharing same start line. Been struggling with mild groin strain so did not know what to expect from the legs. Decided to start with 2hr pace group. They went out too fast (3mi@26min) then slowed back. I was feeling OK despite the hills so kept cruising. Survived short steep (15%?) hill just before hitting 7mi in ~1hr. Stayed steady through bridges into KY & back knowing PR would be close. With crampy calves the last 1.5mi uphill to finish was no fun. Did not find out I PR'ed until checking results table.
What would you do differently?:

Recheck pre-race charge on my Forerunner. Run 1st 2-3mi slower to ramp up to race pace. Wear water belt to hydrate between aid stations. I grabbed 2 cups @ each station (drink 1/douse 1 on my head) but still was dehydrated at finish.
Post race
Warm down:

Downed 2 quick 16oz bottles H2O. Stretched calves on sidewalk steps. Walked around waiting in line for snacks.

What limited your ability to perform faster:

Lack of serious hill training, although during race I tried to mind my hill technique (e.g. balance, stride length). Mild groin strain 2 wks pre-race. Missing my Forerunner to help guide pacing & efforts???
Actually pretty pleased with race considering groin issue, weather, & hilliest HM course I've ever raced.

Event comments:

35th year for this big well-organized charity event for Am Heart Assn. Good pre-race expo. Wished for a couple more water stations on that warm day. Good snacks at finish, although could have used more distribution tables. Nice touch that race organizers recognize not only big donors but cardiac athlete participants. Bands on course & post-race were great!
My spring training has been run-focused with highest run vol thru mid-March ever. It paid off with PR under less than ideal conditions & on tough (for me) course.




Last updated: 2012-03-21 12:00 AM
Running
01:54:57 | 13.1 miles | 08m 46s  min/mile
Age Group: 39/85
Overall: 615/1671
Performance: Good
No HRM worn. Ran by feel & mile times. Event results showed 5k splits were consistent with 8:46-8:50/mi ave paces.
Course: Hilly terrain along Ohio River with scenic bridge crossings into Kentucky & back. Approx 1100ft total climbing with multiple grades 5-10+%. Last 1.5mi is uphill (>100ft climbing). Nothing like out West, but challenging for flat-lander like me. http://www.halfmarathons.net/usa_half_marathons_ohio_heart_mini_half_marathon_map.html
Keeping cool Average Drinking Not enough
Post race
Weight change: %
Overall: Good
Mental exertion [1-5] 5
Physical exertion [1-5] 5
Good race? Yes
Evaluation
Course challenge Too hard
Organized? Yes
Events on-time? Yes
Lots of volunteers? Yes
Plenty of drinks? No
Post race activities: Good
Race evaluation [1-5] 4

{postbutton}
2012-03-22 1:18 PM

User image

Master
2426
200010010010010025
Central Indiana
Subject: Heart 1/2 Marathon
General Discussion-> Race Reports!
{postbutton}
General Discussion Race Reports! » Heart 1/2 Marathon Rss Feed