Hartford 1/2 Marathon - Run

Where to begin, okay I will begin at the start. :) National Anthem playing, the skies open up, like a monsoon. :) Start the run and feel pretty good although a little light headed. Step and fetch for the first 1/2 mile or so until the crowd thins out and then try and settle into a rythym. First mile 8:07, to fast. Try and get into cruise mode, second mile 7:50. Began to fast and this may have dampened (pun intended) the day. Actually felt really good through about mile 8, then my left ankle start to talk to me. Kind of a sharp burning sensation with each footstrike and push off, I hadn't twisted, it it just decided to complain about a long season. Okay, I tell myself, just lighten up the pace even more and keep chugging along. This seemed to be working until about mile 10 and then the ankle wasn't talking to me anymore, but yelling to the DUMBASS who was continuing to run on it even with the ankles persistant warnings for the last 3 miles. Well, as most who know me will attest I am hard headed, but I do have a full season planned next year and I want to be injury free, so walk it was. The last 3 or so miles I was walking about as fast as possible w/ little running breaks in between just to see if the pain was a figment of my imagination, it wasn't. Walking was okay, running not an option for more than about 20-30 paces. So I walked most of the last 3 miles in and just tried to make the best out of a rainy dreary day.

Mile 1 - 8:07 HR 164
Mile 2 - 7:50 HR 173
Mile 3 - 7:59 HR 175
Mile 4 - 8:24 HR 175
Mile 5 - 8:24 HR 175
Mile 6 - 8:29 HR 172
Mile 7 - 8:47 HR 172
Mile 8 - 8:36 HR 173
Mile 9 - 9:01 HR 174
Mile 10 - 9:01 HR 174
Mile 11 - 9:16 HR 169
Mile 12 - 11:28 HR 143
Mile 13 - 10:11 HR 162
Mile 0.1 - 1:28 HR 183

Not go out so fast and do my "no rain, 70 degrees and no humidity" dance the night before.

Met Rob and Mark (I think, sorry if I am wrong) at the finish and chatted about the race a little. Then I went looking for the med tent to get some ice for the ankle. Walked through all of Bushnell Park before ending up back at the Finish and finding the med tent. DOH!!!!! Got some ice and an ace bandage to hold it in place and went on the hunt for TriGirl069. What a training partner, she came to the race to watch the finish of me and several others that she knew in the monsoon. THANX. Unfortunately, I never found her and decided to try and get a massage. I am not a massage person, actually then only ones I have gotten, have been after races, but this was the worst of any by far. It was a useless waste of my time and I could have, and did, do a better job on myself afterwards. Had some post race food and tried not to cramp up to much, calves were not cooperating. Got my dry clothes which I did not put on because then they also would have been wet and gimped up to the truck to head home.

Once I got home and cleaned up and dried out, did the ice bath thing w/ my feet and continued to ice off an on throughout the evening. No swelling in the ankle however, it is a little stiff and if I am on it for a while it begins to ache.

Well race season is over, so sounds like a good time to hit the pool and bike and let the legs revover from running for a little.


Weather and heading out to fast. This is also a race that I did not train specifically for and my first stand alone 1/2 mary.


Liked the race, the massage could have been better, but then again the price was right, $0.00 . The weather made the post race activities not very enjoyable, however, there was great food and good vibes throughout the park.