Renaissance Half Marathon - RunHalf Marathon


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Ridgeland, Mississippi
United States
marathonmakeover.com
55F / 13C
Sunny
Total Time = 2h 07m 32s
Overall Rank = 273/680
Age Group = M 30-39
Age Group Rank = 57/85
Pre-race routine:

After a less that ideal night with a whining dog waking me up I got out of bed around 4:45am, got dressed and at a banana. Had a power bar on the way to the race. During training for this race I was experiencing some issues with my left calf being tight due to (probably) compartment syndrome. I did some reading (calf heart attack article from running times) and followed the steps there to try and remedy the problem. I managed two runs over 10 miles withing the three weeks leading up to the race so I felt confident I could finish without walking much, if at all. I finished my only other HM in 2:19 so I was hoping to come in around that but expecting to be a little slower.
Event warmup:

Jogged around for about 2 min to warm the legs a little but not use any energy. Stretched some, a little less than I wanted but I got tight on time. Ate a Clif shot. Talked to a friend I hadn't seen in a while. Setup my running playlist on my phone for the race.

Run
  • 2h 07m 32s
  • 13.1 miles
  • 09m 44s  min/mile
Comments:

I started out in a group that was keeping about a 10min pace that felt really comfortable. I headed into this thinking that I would take it easy and see how things went. The first 4 miles had us looping back and seeing the leaders (and everyone else ahead of us). This was really uplifting and got my mind much more in a race mentality.

At this point I was still feeling pretty good so I picked up the pace just a bit. I got past the halfway mark feeling strong so I took my phone off my arm and called my sister who was keeping my son. They were planning on meeting me at the finish based on me finishing around 2:15. I spoke with her for a minute and got some encouragement from the little man (2.5 yrs) in the form of "Run Daddy Run!" That was AWESOME. about a minute later Mom sent me an encouraging text message as I was running up the only real hill on the course.

I tried to stay focused and keep my pace solid and I think I did a pretty good job of that. I kept on feeling strong as each mile passed so with about 3.5 miles left I decided to kick up the pace a little more. All was great until about 1.5 left when my legs started to complain a little. I just buckled down and pushed through it.

The last 1/2 mile has us running up a slight incline that was pretty tough considering my legs were ready to be done. A right turn downhill towards the finish chute was very welcoming and the crowd was energizing. I crossed the line under 2:08 and ecstatic that I beat my previous PR (only other race) by 11:30 and over 12 min faster that I expected! My sister and son and parents were waiting at the end of the chute and I scooped up the little man and walked out of the gates with him.
What would you do differently?:

If anything, maybe start out a little harder. This was my first HM in 6 years so I just wanted to have a good time. Mission Accomplished!
Post race
Warm down:

I tried to keep moving (walking) and stretched a little. Just enjoyed the atmosphere and talked to some folks. Drank water.

What limited your ability to perform faster:

I've dropped 20lbs in the past few months and I feel like that helped me a ton during the race. I'm still at 220lbs and want to drop 20 more. I think that will help greatly. Other than that I raced well and had very little in the tank in the end.

Event comments:

The race was run well, swag bag was decent. Price was good. Start time was early (6:00am) but temp was cool. I'll probably run this again next year. My time is close enough to the 2:00 mark that it REALLY makes me want to get in under that. There is another local HM in Oct that is run by the same group. That is my next goal to set.


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Last updated: 2011-03-02 12:00 AM
Running
02:07:32 | 13.1 miles | 09m 44s  min/mile
Age Group: 57/85
Overall: 273/680
Performance: Good
1:01:51 @ 10k mark (9:58/mi)
Course: Single loop, relatively flat with one hilly spot worth mentioning.
Keeping cool Good Drinking Just right
Post race
Weight change: %
Overall: Average
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: Average
Race evaluation [1-5] 4