Schaumburg Half Marathon - Run


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Schaumburg, Illinois
United States
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37F / 3C
Sunny
 		Total Time = 2h 01m 36s
Overall Rank = 863/1818
Age Group = 25-29
Age Group Rank = 55/86
Pre-race routine:

This race was a bit of a lark - this year is my first year running, and I had already completed a 5k, a 10k, and a marathon - so the half marathon rounds out the set and leaves a nice completeness to the season.

I didn't sleep well the night before, so I woke up early and had my usual breakfast - oatmeal with a banana, and a glass of milk. I then watched some TV for an hour or so. Got dressed, and headed over to the event. Had another banana in the car. Got to the event, bored the shuttle from the finish line to the starting line, and started sipping on a bottle of Gatorade.

Tried to stay warm until the race gun went off.
Event warmup:

None - or, rather, the first mile or so.
Run
  • 2h 01m 36s
  • 13.1 miles
  • 09m 17s  min/mile
Comments:

My goal was to run a sub-2:00:00 half, and overall, I'm happy with my result, even if it is 97 seconds slow. I was unable to use the porta-potties before the race, and as a result I had to stop around mile 6-7.

I also over-dressed for the run - I was comfortable for the first four miles, but hot for the last few. I did dress in layers, so I was able to take off my pullover and tie it around my waist, and I pulled up my sleeves on my thermal top. In retrospect, a full-zip or half-zip top with a long-sleeve tech shirt would have been perfect.

The aid stations were serving Gatorade, and it was a bit watered down from what I usually expect, but it was sufficient. I probably should have drank more.
What would you do differently?:

Dress more appropriately. Time my potty breaks better.
Post race
Warm down:

Crossed the finish line, kept walking. Had a bagel and a banana, some water, and some hot cider, over a period of about 30 minutes.

What limited your ability to perform faster:

My magic mile times still predict a faster time - about 10 minutes faster. At this point, I think the biggest limiter is insufficient base mileage and the psychological barrier that stops me from really pushing harder. I also did not really "taper" into this race - I ran a magic mile test on Wednesday, and set a new FTP figure on the bike on Thursday, at the end of a 17 day training block - so there was probably some deep fatigue still present.

Event comments:

A fun race. The folks at Core Power and Muscle Milk both get a "boo" for running out of protein shakes by the time I got to the finish line - and I finished in the top 47% of the race.

Also, the new pedestrian bridge over Golf Road is a rough bit of running - especially having to do it twice, in the first and last mile.




Last updated: 2013-11-30 12:00 AM
Running
02:01:36 | 13.1 miles | 09m 17s  min/mile
Age Group: 55/86
Overall: 86/1818
Performance: Good
Split Time Dist Pace Avg HR 1 08:57.6 1 8:58 153 2 09:09.1 1 9:09 158 3 09:16.3 1 9:16 158 4 09:24.0 1 9:24 160 5 08:57.2 1 8:57 160 6 09:43.1 1 9:43 155 7 10:44.3 1 10:44 147 8 09:19.7 1 9:20 156 9 08:49.7 1 8:50 161 10 08:55.4 1 8:55 165 11 08:38.8 1 8:39 163 12 09:16.1 1 9:16 161 13 08:57.3 1 8:57 164 14 :51.5 0.1 8:15 163 15 :36.1 0.08 7:57 167 13.18 9:14 158
Course: Flat, with some significant hills, through a forest preserve. Lots of microclimate changes - some sections were flat and sunny, others shaded and windy.
Keeping cool Below average Drinking Not enough
Post race
Weight change: %
Overall: Average
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: Average
Race evaluation [1-5] 4