Garden Spot Village Half Marathon - RunHalf Marathon


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New Holland, Pennsylvania
United States
Garden Spot Village
48F / 9C
Overcast
Total Time = 3h 13m 51s
Overall Rank = 569/606
Age Group = M40-44
Age Group Rank = 34/36
Pre-race routine:

Up early for the two hour drive to New Holland. Skipped regular homemade eggs, and got a low-fiber sheetz egg and cheese biscuit on the drive.
Event warmup:

Not much to speak of. I count the brisk walk from the car to the start, and the shivering while standing around in the cold.
Run
  • 3h 13m 51s
  • 13.24 miles
  • 14m 38s  min/mile
Comments:

I felt strong the whole way through. This was a vast improvement over my first half-marathon, less than three months ago, at Disneyworld. I had no doubts about finishing, and as I got closer to the end, I realized my time was vastly improved and I shot for a 45 minute gain. I fell short by a few seconds, but I had a fantastic race. I did make my 3:15 goal.
What would you do differently?:

I wouldn't "carbo-load" as much the day before. I probably overdid that a bit, especially since I've been in weight loss mode. Two days after the race, I'm weighing in 5 pounds heavier than 3 days before the race. I'm actually glad to be back to my high-fiber, calorie restricted routine as of Monday morning.
Post race
Warm down:

Walked around for a bit, tried to stay warm. Enjoyed great post-race amenities. Had a very needed massage.

What limited your ability to perform faster:

Today, nothing. I always say weight. Well, that's true. But losing over 25 pounds since the last half-marathon, and feeling confident and strong, I can say that on March 31, I ran to my fullest potential available on that day. I will get faster. But I have no "regrets" about this race. I felt great and gave it a true effort.

Event comments:

It's only in its fourth year, but this is a wonderful, well-run event. They seamlessly handle a full, half and relay on the same course. The community clearly has great love for the event and the organization it supports.

Access to showers, a pool, and a hot tub post-race are the gu on the honey stinger waffle. (That's my sad attempt to re-do icing on the cake for endurance athletes.)

I had my first post-race massage at this event.

If they keep it on a Saturday, I hope to return each year. I may make this my first full marathon some day.


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Last updated: 2011-11-07 12:00 AM
Running
03:13:51 | 13.24 miles | 14m 38s  min/mile
Age Group: 34/36
Overall: 36/606
Performance: Good
Course: Beautiful rolling hills in Amish country. So many people were out to watch what my wife called "The English Parade." Lots of dogs along the way, all of them well-behaved.
Keeping cool Good Drinking Just right
Post race
Weight change: %
Overall: Good
Mental exertion [1-5] 5
Physical exertion [1-5] 5
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] 5