Baltimore Half-Marathon - RunHalf Marathon

so many people at the start i basically had my pace set for me for the first mile. couldn't really move up or back, but i must have picked a good spot since it was about the pace i was trying for.

rain started around mile 2.5, just enough to make the roads slick, but not enough to wash all the oil away. thought i was going to slip quite a few times.

Long stretch of uphill started at mile 3 and didn't really end until lake montebello (mile 7). long, gradual, not all that painful until the end. It really took a lot out of me. Took me another mile until i got a little bit of legs left.

Had to dodge a lot of fallen gummy bears. Wet ground and gummy bears seemed like a slippery concept to me.

Last mile, everyone pretty much picked up the pace at the same time. That was pretty cool since i'm used to being sort of alone (i have only done smaller races with less than 2500 people. there were like 8k half marathoners and we join the marathon course so there were always people around).

Got onto Eutaw street and tried to pick up the pace a little more when i felt my calf start to cramp. slowed up a bit so i didn't have to walk in front of everyone. tried to pick it up again right at the finish line, but the calf just wasn't having it.

train more.

walked the the runners compound and remembered i didn't tell my wife where to meet me. hoped she was smart enough to come to the exit of the runners compound (she was). Got medal, blanket (didn't think they actually worked, but warmed me up good), food, water, beer tickets.

my kids were pretty much ready to pass out, so chugged my beers and make the walk to the car. everyone seemed to have a slight limp from tired hill work legs.


Overall, a PR for my 2nd half mary. want to take at least 10 more minutes off, but i think that will come with training.

I am probably going to start marathon training for the Yuengling Shamrock Marathon in March. That and bike training over the winter are my main focus.


i'll do it again.