Houston Marathon - RunMarathon


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Houston, Texas
United States
Houston Marathon Committee
50F / 10C
Sunny
 		Total Time = 2h 51m 27s
Overall Rank = 76/
Age Group = 30-35
Age Group Rank = 15/
Pre-race routine:

Stayed at the Four Seasons right by the start. Woke up early to eat a couple of mashed bananas with brown sugar. Wandered over with my two team-mates about half an hour before the start. Did a few striders to warm-up, took a GU, watched the start of the wheelchair race, dumped the outer layers and lined up towards the front of the first corral.
Event warmup:

Just the striders and a few dynamic stretches. Even though it was pre-dawn it wasn't so cold as to need much warming up.
Run
  • 2h 51m 27s
  • 26.2 miles
  • 06m 32s  min/mile
Comments:

The goal was to go through the half between 1:25 & 1:26 and then see how I feel on the backside. Was close to the front and had no problem hitting 6:30 pace early. Went through each of the first 13 miles within a second +/- of 6:30, hitting the half in 1:25:14. The crowd started to thin out then and with the half-marathoners peeling off at 8.5 the whole thing got a bit lonely. The slope on the road started to make itself known in my shin and hammy by 17 and I started to lose time from about halfway through the home leg. Was a struggle to stay motivated & focused, especially negotiating the steep underpasses. It's not as flat as advertised! There was a bit of wind late on and as we headed due east into the rising sun I was glad I remembered my sunglasses. The finish chute was great, nice and wide with the half-marathoners barricaded off to the side. Was nice to cross the line and stop moving!
What would you do differently?:

Hard to say. Perhaps I could have pushed harder in the second half and not got so down on myself. Might consider running this one with an ipod given how quiet it was out there.
Post race
Warm down:

Waited in the finish area for a bit, hoping to see my friends finish. After a while I was moved along and got my medal & t-shirt and went for a sit down & a stretch.

What limited your ability to perform faster:

Train more. Especially more longer faster runs. Probably did my long runs too easily.

Event comments:

It's a wonderfully organised race. Better than any marathon or tri I've done. The expo was quick and easy. The start was wide and open and had lots of potties. The mile markers were visible half a mile away and not only had clocks, but also had crews shouting times & paces. Plenty of gatorade & water. The finish area was smooth, the medal, t-shirt & food were great and the family reunion area was well marked. From start to finish, other than the running, it was just super easy... Bravo.




Last updated: 2010-01-20 12:00 AM
Running
02:51:27 | 26.2 miles | 06m 32s  min/mile
Age Group: 15/
Overall: 76/
Performance: Good
First half 1:25:14, Second half 1:26:13.
Course: Slightly dull. All concrete, with a wicked camber. Was like trying to run straight on a banked track. One of my legs is definitely shorter than the other now.
Keeping cool Good Drinking Just right
Post race
Weight change: %
Overall: Good
Mental exertion [1-5] 4
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