Lincoln Memorial Half Marathon - Run


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Springfield, Illinois
United States
42F / 6C
Overcast
 		Total Time = 2h 55m
Overall Rank = /
Age Group =
Age Group Rank = 0/
Pre-race routine:

Up at 4 am, had two cups coffee and then a bowl of oatmeal and a banana. Left house at 6, drove into Springfield and scored a wonderful parking spot on the street just a block from the race start and right in front of the host hotel. Went in the hotel to use the bathroom. Debated whether or not to wear a jacket, decided to wear it.
Event warmup:

Jogged a block down to a cafe where some people I knew were meeting up. Visited with them a bit, then walk/jogged to the race start.
Run
  • 2h 55m
  • 13.1 miles
  • 13m 22s  min/mile
Comments:

A year ago I had plantar f and an achilles tear that made me wonder if i would ever be running again. So I've been slowly building my mileage, backing off at the slightest hint of a recurrence. At 55, probably wont' be setting any PR's but being able to finish a half marathon without too much discomfort is a win for me. Decided I would try to run consistent splits, and for the most part I accomplished that.

Had to stop to pee and ended up burning about 7 minutes waiting for a porta potty to open up. There were only 3 and about 5 people in front of me. A man came out of the end portapotty and announced that really only men should use that one --- someone had crapped all over the seat and it wasn't pretty. A woman in line in front of me checked and confirmed this fact. And someone was vomiting in the middle portapotty. We could hear the horrific retching and it was enough to make one queasy. So I lost some time there but it's all good
What would you do differently?:

Nothing really, had a good run for the shape I'm in
Post race
Warm down:

Got my medal and bottle of water. Walked around a bit but didn't stick around. Walked back to car.

What limited your ability to perform faster:

Just coming back from injuries.

Event comments:

This race has come a long way from the days when it was held south of town on lonely windswept country roads. The directors do a fantastic job with a challenging course that includes some very busy roads. There are police at every intersection and they take their job very seriously. I heard nothing but positive comments all day long.




Last updated: 2017-03-30 12:00 AM
Running
02:55:00 | 13.1 miles | 13m 22s  min/mile
Age Group: 0/
Overall: 0/
Performance: Good
Course: Beautiful course that starts in downtown Springfield in front of the Lincoln Presidential Museum and makes it away over to Washington Park via old neighborhoods. Since it's a Lincoln themed race, you run on Lincoln Street for several miles. First five miles are very flat, then there are some climbs that warrant respect. Goes through Oak Ridge Cemetery, where Lincoln and his family are buried, and then through Lincoln Park. Finishes up on the Old State Capitol Plaza. I should add that this race is popular with the "50 Half Marathon" set, the runners who do a race in every state. It was very cool to meet people who had come from all over the country to do their Illinois race.
Keeping cool Average Drinking Just right
Post race
Weight change: %
Overall:
Mental exertion [1-5]
Physical exertion [1-5]
Good race?
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