13.1 New York - RunHalf Marathon

This race started with a 5k and then they asked us to line up where we thought we would finish. My goal was a sub 2 hour finish. I was now starving and took one of my eFuel gels with two cups of water to try to fill me up, it seemed to work but I was definitely nervous that my nutrition plan was screwed before the race had even started. The longest I had race prior was 10 miles last June, I finished that in 1:34 but my brother and I had done a bunch of 10 milers this winter and I had knocked down a few 15 milers. If I could keep my pace steady for the first 7 miles the plan was to turn it up a notch in the second half and come in under 2. I lined up between the 2:00 and 2:20 finishers and set off - IPod playing The Moody Blues of all things - not to knock the Moody Blues but "Your Wildest Dreams" is not amped enough to get me pumped so I guess it was a good choice as I did not shoot off too fast like I usually do.

I picked a guy in a GoRuck challenge baseball cap and his girlfriend to pace to. They were going at a 9:10-9:20 pace with the guy obviously pacing her. This guy was in stellar shape, jogging backwards, leaping over cones - making little effort but pulling her with him. They were a solid duo that took me to the 10k mark at a minute over my target at 57:15. I took my second (and last eFuel gel) and broke my rule and took a water cup near the 7 mile marker. It didn't make sense to me to wash down my eGel with my dwindling supply of eFuel.

The course curved left and out alongside the LIE and my pacers fell off. I picked a second target a taller guy than myself who had been with us for most of the race but as we curved and hit a stretch of muddy road at mile 8 he suddenly pulled off to the left. To hell with pacers - I looked at my watch - I was moving at around a 9:20 pace - the mile marker at 8 showed I was close to target. My plan now was to stay solid to mile 10 and then kick it up a notch.

The next two miles we ran over a bridge to a live band cranking out tunes and then past a drumline and cheerleaders. I forgot to mention the drumlines and cheerleaders. There had to be at least five groups of high school/college drumlines banging at several spots on the course - I thought it was pretty awesome but then to top it off there were groups of cheerleaders not to far from the drummers chanting "go runners go" and doing pom pom shakes and kicks. The crowds at this race were pretty rambunctious cheering loudly, waving signs, reaching out for high fives. There was one guy with a poster board over his head that said "Free High Fives" - so I had to get one. The ambiance of the race was great - loops through Flushing Meadows Park - I am sure this will make the Long Island half be very boring and depressing (save for the finish line) by comparison.

So the crowd kept me pumped and I took my final Gu shortly before the mile 10 marker. I then ran my fastest mile, my mind said 5k left see what you have so I opened it up. I can't believe I had a kick but I kept up a solid sustained kick and passed a bunch of people (later when I checked my watch I ran this mile at 6:50 which I find hard to believe but it might explain what happened to me next) ... my plan was to look at my watch at the 11 mile marker and check pace and see where what I needed to do for the final 2 miles but right before the 11th mile marker my body felt weird. I slowed and felt chilled to the bone for some reason, I actually shivered. I drank the rest of my eFuel and kept stride. Checked my watch and saw I was at 8:20 so notched it down a bit to see if I was ok going back to a 9:00 pace. By this time the crowd was thick as we ran near the Queens Museum of Art and the Unisphere for the final time.

From here I just tried to stay strong with the final turn around the Fountain of the Planets to the finish line. I saw a guy in a neon shirt swaying and banging into the rail around the fountain in front of me. As I closed in I saw he was stiff legged, I looked back as I past him and he was white as a ghost and moving forward on sheer will - the guy was shot and looked ready to pass out. So the dilemma was should I kick to finish or help - I opted to run off the rail and wave down help and direct them to the guy as I continued forward momentum, but my shouting directions and gesturing seemed to drain my final kick because I had none. I crossed the line at 1:29:36.

Maybe start the race at a 9:00 pace and see if I can kick it up in the second half - not sure really since the weather conditions were ideal and not sure if I will have perfect conditions again.

Got a bagel. Drank a Zico ... walked to gear check and got my stuff ...


Fear of burning out before the end - whatever weirdness took my body near mile 11.


First ever half marathon - hit my sub 2 hour goal so I am psyched things should get better from here - assuming another fairly flat course and ideal weather conditions.