Renaissance Half Marathon - RunHalf Marathon


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Ridgeland, Mississippi
United States
Marathon Makeover
90F / 32C
Sunny
 		Total Time = 2h 15m 21s
Overall Rank = 231/924
Age Group = 45-49
Age Group Rank = 15/85
Pre-race routine:

Met up with Jen at the expo the afternoon before, and we just enjoyed a very nice time visiting. Hubby was out of the house before 4a (volunteer coordinator), and we were up and about around 4:15. It was already over 80 degrees out.
Event warmup:

None. I was not "racing" this race. The weather and where I am in training simply didn't warrant it. Today was to be a long, catered training with 900+ of my closest friends.
Run
  • 2h 15m 21s
  • 13.1 miles
  • 10m 20s  min/mile
Comments:

Even though this wasn't a "race" for me, I think I nailed me effort almost perfectly. I set my Garmin to give me 15min/30sec run/walk intervals, and my overall goal for the first half was to keep my HR in zone 2, low zone 3 (on the hills). I felt great. Smooth and comfortable. I was just over a 10 min/mile pace and thought I might actually be able to negative split. But I had forgotten about the rollers through Bridgewater and then the long gradual uphill on Richardson (miles 7-9 or so). That took a lot out of me and my pace began to slow quite a bit. I took longer walk breaks at some of the water stops and really had to concentrate on not walking the last 5k. My heart rate was spiking onto zone 5 at this point. Surprisingly, this is also where I passed a ton of people. I was pretty happy to see that finish line and even managed a short little burst of speed that might qualify as a sprint.
What would you do differently?:

Nothing really. The times definitely tell the story. I was surprised that I was 15th in my age group with such a slow time, and I was only 15 minutes back of the age group winner...usually it's quite a bit more than that. This was a good confidence building run.
Post race
Warm down:

Lots of water. Copping a squat on the curb.

What limited your ability to perform faster:

I dubbed this the "Quad H" race: hazy, hot, humid, and horseflies.

Event comments:

I have to give this race a great rating because Hubby was so involved. :) Nonetheless, it was very well done and very well managed under tough conditions. Some of the best volunteers.




Last updated: 2010-02-17 12:00 AM
Running
02:15:21 | 13.1 miles | 10m 20s  min/mile
Age Group: 15/85
Overall: 231/924
Performance: Below average
Training log has HR and lap data.
Course: Starts with an out-and-back along Highland Colony Parkway and then heads for the more tree covered neighborhoods (some relief anyway) for a while, before coming back onto Highland Colony and the last loop around to the finish. It's a good course that I like very much. Just challenging enough with some decent hills.
Keeping cool Average Drinking Just right
Post race
Weight change: %
Overall: Good
Mental exertion [1-5] 4
Physical exertion [1-5] 4
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