Dismal Swamp Stomp Half Marathon - RunHalf Marathon

First the stats:
Overall finish place was 242, your age group finish place was 27.
3M time was 24:02.33 for a pace of 8:01 per mile
6M time was 49:06.15 -- split time 25:03.82 for a pace of 8:21 per mile
10M time was 1:26:06.17 -- split time 28:00.14 for a pace of 9:20 per mile
Finish time was 1:55:53.48 -- split time 29:47.31 for a pace of 9:36 per mile

Stats from Garmin: AHR MHR
1 08m 02s /mile 165 172
2 07m 59s /mile 166 171
3 08m 02s /mile 169 172
4 08m 25s /mile 166 172
5 08m 13s /mile 170 173
6 08m 18s /mile 172 175
7 08m 42s /mile 171 175
8 09m 10s /mile 170 176
9 09m 19s /mile 168 176
10 09m 39s /mile 167 176
11 09m 11s /mile 171 175
12 09m 40s /mile 170 177
13 10m 02s /mile 167 177

Okay, so what we can all learn here is this:
1) DO NOT throw caution to the wind and think "it's a easy flat course (6ft total elevation gain!)"
2) DO NOT forget where you came from "physically" and set yourself a 10K PR in a half marathon
3) Pick a realistic pace that you can carry thru the ENTIRE race

Questions?

LOL!! I was feeling good thru mile 6 but as I made the turn around and looked at my time, deep down I knew at that point, I was in trouble. What I saw was a 10K PR time at the 6.55 mile marker, cool if I didn't have another 6.55 miles to go!

At the 7M water station I walked for a few seconds to gather my wits and take a body status check.
I decided to to a realistic approach at completing - I switched to run/walk on the mile markers. I chose to slow my pace down by almost a full minute and walk for 30 seconds every mile and thru the aid stations. Slam another gel and lets roll...

Everything goes fairly well for the next 3 miles... walk thru the water station at mile 10, take another gel and get back after it, make it about another half mile and the beating I gave myself the first half all catches up at once (I think I may have left out too fast as well, now looking at my 11M split).

So now I feel like crap, mentally and physically. Crunching numbers and realize the pace I need to sustain to PR and start laughing out loud - the guy next to me looking at me like "WTH is wrong with this guy!"
Reality sets in and so does common sense... Suck it up and get moving... I throttle back to a sustainable pace and coast in thru the finish.

End on a positive note: Nutrition - the only thing I did right.

Back to my list:
NOT do #1 & #2 and definitely DO #3!
I SHOULD have picked a 8:30 pace for the first 6M and at the turn around take stock and possibly turn it up some from there or maintain that pace.

walked around event some and stretched out my sore tired legs... Then walked back out on the course to run my wife in, about another two miles.


Poor choices in pacing.


Post race food: Dominos Pizza? Greasy pizza... Really? I had some but it was rough going down...
No fruit at all, I was really wanting a banana or oranges, even a bagel.