Swamp House Half Marathon - Run

I really had no idea how I would do in the race. I've felt like my endurance has been coming back, but much more slowly than I think it should. Late January I did my first post-surgery HM and did a PW of 2:03. Considering everything, I was happy with the time. This race I wanted to be sub 2, but had no idea how I was going to pace the run. So, I decided that I would hang around the 2 hour pace group for the first half of the race and then assess how I was feeling and, hopefully, pick up the pace.
At the first mile I was around the 2 hr pace group, but the pace was about 8:45. The group was fast, but slowing into the appropriate pace. I felt pretty good at that pace -which was surprising b/c the first few miles of a race always suck for me. So, I decided just to keep the pace. I was a bit concerned this was a bad idea, especially considering how humid and hot it was and the addition of "hills" , but went with it anyway.
As is my usual strategy, I find someone ahead of me and see if I can catch him/her while keeping a steady pace. This worked well until mile 9 - passed everyone I picked out and avoided blowing up, but at about mile 9 the woman I picked out would not be caught! She stayed the same distance ahead of me until I figured I was not going to pass her unless I out ran her at the end. Turns out I had a bit more in the tank than she did as around mile 11 I realized I was not going to blow up and I started to pick the pace up just a bit. In pretty short order I was past the woman, but did not put any distance between us until the last mile.

The last mile I picked the pace up a little bit more and just hoped I could hang on until the finish. About this point I got passed by a woman in my age group. She runs with my run group and is really fast. Before the race she said she was taking it easy today and was not going to race. Last year she won the age group with about a 1:35. I took 3d with a 1:55:xx. After she passed me, I tried to hang with her, but she put a little distance b/w us and I really couldn't do anything about it. She ended up beating me by 8 seconds and taking 2d.
I was pretty shocked by my results - I wanted a sub 2, but didn't think I had the endurance to keep an 8:45 pace. I'm not where I want to be, but I am really, really close!!
After the run, Susan and I waited for Amanda to finish. We expected her at about 2:14, but it came and went and there was no sign of her. Finally, around 2:30 we saw her limping and grimacing her way to the finish line. Somewhere along the course, she also lost her shirt! Turns out she had a really blonde moment - she put her right orthotic on top of the normal shoe insert. She didn't do that to the left show, just the right and somehow did not notice she was all messed up (how'd she even get her foot in the shoe??) until it was too late. Her foot was one big blister and her hip was all ouchy. She will never live this down!! As far as her shirt goes, she got so hot on the course, she took it off, repinned her bib on her shorts and threw the shirt to someone she knew spectating. At least she didn't just throw it away like she did with her arm warmers during our last race!

Nothing, I am happy with this result.

Walked to car to change, drank water and waited for A to finish. Then went to breakfast and ate pancakes :)


I did this race last year and was faster by about 15 seconds. Last year I was in way better running shape, but had run a 25k trail race through the Everglades the weekend before. I knew I wasn't recovered then, but this result really points that out.

This is a fun race, filled with a lot of people from Marathonfest, so it is a good time.