Race for the Roses - Half Marathon - RunHalf Marathon


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Portland, Oregon
United States
Albertina Kerr Centers
39F / 4C
Sunny
 		Total Time = 1h 54m 18s
Overall Rank = 435/1326
Age Group = 40-44
Age Group Rank = 23/119
Pre-race routine:

Got up 2 hours before the race, and had a little cereal.
Event warmup:

Ran some stairs at the convention center.
Run
  • 1h 54m 18s
  • 13.1 miles
  • 08m 44s  min/mile
Comments:

We had beautiful weather today. Sunny blue sky, and only a slight breeze. We made our goal of a sub 2 hour time so that was pretty exciting. My knees were really hurting by the last couple of miles though and I had to let hubby run on by himself. I got a (very small) drink at mile 6, and, as usual, instant stomach cramps. Not fun, but at least I can run in spite of them, and after a couple miles, they went away. The flip side is getting dehydrated though. Tough call.
What would you do differently?:

No water during the race!! I'd actually like to figure out how to make the stomach cramps stop. I need to hydrate!
Post race
Warm down:

Walked around finish area a little. Noodle legs! Drank a 16oz Gleukos.

What limited your ability to perform faster:

Knee pain, stomach cramps, and a side stitch at mile 10. Really though, I was happy with my performance just for finishing. This was my first 1/2 Mary.

Event comments:

They had plenty of drink stations, portapotties, etc. It was chilly, so it was nice to wait for the beginning of the race inside the convention center. The post-race food was good too. We didn't stay for the post race activities, but I think there was raffle prizes, and music.




Last updated: 2007-04-16 12:00 AM
Running
01:54:18 | 13.1 miles | 08m 44s  min/mile
Age Group: 23/119
Overall: 435/1326
Performance: Good
I tried to keep my HR in the 150s, with low/mid 160s on the hills. The "short but steep" or more accurately "brutal and longer than it looks" last hill to the Steel Bridge and the finish line put me up to 180. We tried to check our mile pace as we went, but didn't always see the mile markers. Our fastest was an 8 minute mile on the long downhill into downtown. That was fun!
Course: The event begins with a gentle downhill to N Interstate Ave as you go around the Rose Quarter, then a short uphill to the Broadway Bridge on Larrabee. Its now downhill on the Lovejoy ramp to 9th Ave and then south on Naito Pkwy. Naito is flat to about the 3.1 mile mark, then a continuous climb (about 80 ft of elevation gain) to SW Barbur. Turn right (north) onto SW Barbur which is flat and gently downhill for 1.5 miles back towards city center to Harrison St. Turn left (west) onto Harrison uphill for three blocks to Broadway (about a 30 ft elevation gain). Now it is a gentle downhill on Broadway over the next 0.6 miles to Morrison. Continuing on Broadway the course is pretty much flat for the next 6.7 miles as you pass through the Pearl District on 12th Ave and NW Portland on 18th Ave and onto the west end of Naito Pkwy From Naito & 21st Ave there is an out & back of 1.3 miles heading north to 26th Dr then back south again. The route then takes you south on Naito past the Salmon St Fountain to a second turn-around at Main St (11.9 mile mark). Return north along Waterfront Park to the Steel Bridge (12.6 mile mark). The next < mile is a short yet steep hill to the apex of the Steel Bridge, then gentle downhill and flat to the finish line at the Convention Center.
Keeping cool Good Drinking Too much
Post race
Weight change: %
Overall: Good
Mental exertion [1-5] 4
Physical exertion [1-5] 5
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:
Race evaluation [1-5] 5