Long Island Half Marathon - RunHalf Marathon

This was my first half marathon event ever. I ran it the first time two years ago in 2007, and ran a 1:48. I had a strong run focus following that race and the next year, 2008, I ran a 1:31, just missing a sub 1:30. This year my focus has been biking and swimming for triathlon and with half the mileage of the previous year logged, I am pretty satisfied with my results. After my first full Ironman, planned for 7/2010 ...I plan to return to a run focus and get my sub 1:30, and I plan to do it on this course.

The weather was perfect today: 55 degrees, no sun, and just a light enough drizzle to cool you off but not soak your shoes.

CONGRATULATIONS TO my buddy MIKE HALL for his first Sub 2:00 -- he crushed it with a 1:57:XX. Mike trained really hard for this event and the results were in the pudding. And CONGRATS to Ralph (rtocco) who blew past me at the 10k mark and crushed his personal best time. Both BT'ers and friends had great races, and it made me so happy to see them race well.

Before every half marathon, regardless of my conditioning, I'm always wondering if it could be the day for my sub 1:30. Somewhat foolishly I decided to start at a 6:50 pace and check every 5k split to see how long I could hold it. I was barely holding it by the skin of my teeth at the first 5k, and by the second 10k I was somewhere around 3 minutes off pace! So wisely, as per my prior game plan, I backed off to my 7:30 tempo pace and held that pace consistent to the end, and even had a nice kick for the last couple hundred yards.

The rains came so we left pretty quickly. Drank my Hammer Strawberry Recoverite, ate a Powerbar, stretched a little more, took a 20 minute ICE BATH, threw on my Zoot CompressRX Recovery tights, and played with my kids.


Aside from a lack of a run focus, lack of taper, and I'm knee deep in a Half Ironman Training Program - weight was a big limiter for me. I'm at 20% body fat and 9 pounds higher than my ideal race weight. I know if I'm to reach my full potential as an athlete, I have to get my BF% down to around 15%, and I gotta lose those stubborn last 9 pounds.


Long Island Marathon and Half Marathon is the marquis running event on Long Island. There is an overabundance of eager volunteers, a plethora of water stops, and this year especially, it was organized 100% perfectly. If I had to give this event an honest grade for set-up and organization - hands down it would get an A+.