City of Angels Half Marathon - RunHalf Marathon

This race was my first half marathon last year, I treated it as a training run and went 2:11. I was happy to finish and,. although a training run, I did the best I could at the time.

My ultimate 1/2 mary goal was to break 2:00. Did Pacific Shorelne in Fb and went 2:04. That was not a training run, that one hurt. I had no idea how people broke the 2 hour mark.

In the last couple months or so, all of the running I've done this year seemed to suddenly fall into place. My mile averages started dropping, and the HRs stayed down with them. I figured that I could break 2 here, and my plan was to run about 9:10-9:15 per mile for the first 8, knock it up a touch for 2, then run a 5K as fast as I could. That should get me close to 2. This is pretty much my approach to the 2 half marys I've done, and it serves pretty well. In both races I've seen people pass me in miles 2 to 6 that I pass back pretty strongly in miles 11-13. Today it was Disney Tri Team guy and USC Visor guy.

I also decided to live off the course. I've found that sometimes I think I need more than I do, so come fully prepared. Here, I decided to get water at every other station or so and 1 gu at the 1:00 mark.

Mile 1 - 4 -
1 - 8:50, AVE hr 146
2 - 8:42, hr 154
3 - 8:47, HR 157
4 - 8:50, HR 156

This section is an out and back, and a slight change from last year. Because they moved the start further east around the hill to get morning sun exposure, the out and back section was made slightly longer, and it had a couple rollers. No big hills, but certainly enough to get the HR up, causing me to be well into the 150s, when I really wanted to be in the hi 140s lo 150s.

I started out the run with Renata and Rochelle. Jeff and Chris took off (ran 1:42s) and the three of us were going to try to run together. I fel a bit behind them, and then Rochelle took off after about 3 miles (ran a 1:51). I was surprisd to see that I could still see Renata ahead of me, but every time I thought about catching her, I reminded myself of my pace, to run my race, and backed off a bit. I heve never beat any of my training friends in running races, didn't expect to here.

This first 4 miles felt very comfortable, even though it was a skosh faster than planned. It didn't feel like I was going to burn out, though, so I went with it. At mile 4, Disney Tri Team Guy passed me.

Mile 5-6 -

5 - 9:09, HR 156 (At this point, the route passes under the freeway, I think I lost about 5-10 seconds or so off my Garmin as it lost satellite coverage).
6 - 9:02, HR 157

This is where it started to feel not so comfortable, and it's reflected in the times. Didn't hurt much, it just wasn't relaxed and easy.

Mile 7-10

7 - 9:17, HR 159 (Hyperion bridge hill)
8 - 9:09, HR 160
9 - 8:45, HR 161
10 - 9:13, HR 165 (Sunset Blvd. hill)

I hit the 10K mark at 56:20. Uh oh. That's 4 seconds slower than my 10K PR set in October. For some reason, this didn't bother me much, and it was close to my plan, at a 9:04 pace. Maybe it should have bothered me, but apparently I sandbagged that 10K.

Mile 7 is where the hills begin. Not big hills, but certainly enough to slow you done a bunch and get your attention. The first is the Hyperion Bridge. About 1/4 mile, lots of folks walking. Of course, with uphills, there's usually downhills, so it evened out a bit. This is where I saw USC Visor Guy pass me.

About mile 8-9 is my favorite part of the course, where it goes through Silverlake. This is the only real "neighborhood" the race goes through, and there are always kids out with their families wanting to give the runners high fives. I certainly took my share.

Although I was trying to keep it in the 150s, my HR started climbing in the hills. Once my HR goes up, it's very difficult for me to get it back down unless I stop completely, which wasn't really an option. I decided to just not worry about that and go off of RPE, whch was climbing into the 6 or 7 zone at times.

I missed the Mile 7 marker so the Mile 8 marker came as a surprise. I had my Garmin on, but didn't have the distance displaying, only time, HR and pace. My HR was hovering around 160, so it was decision time, keep at this pace or pick it up a bit? I decided to pick it up a bit.

I saw and passed Renata at this point. She stayed with me for a while, but I slowly moved ahead and didn't see her again. Right before Mile 10 there's a climb up Sunset, about 1/2 mile of gradual uphill. Lots of walkers, my pace dropped to 9:30 but I wasn't going to walk. Just quicken the cadence, pump the arms, get up the hill. A drum section from a local marching band was out just killin it, so I let them set the tempo and they carried me up the hill.

Miles 10-13.1 -

10 - 8:36, HR 167
11 - 8:47, HR 167
12 - 8:28, HR 171 (estimated, lost about 2:26 going under the tunnel)

1 - 1:15 (estimated, same)

At mile 10, I knew I'd break 2. How much did I have left for a 5K? There was another course change just after mile 10, and the race followed a path around Echo Park Lake. I knew there was a nasty little bitch of a hill at mile 11, then it was all downhill. I picked it up and decided to pull the stops. I refused to walk and, well well well, who's this I am passing as he's walking? Disney Tri Team guy. Heh.

I started reeling more people in and passing them as we went around the lake. I was running pretty strong, but it was starting to hurt. I'd find people to catch, slowly reel them in, and then slowly leave them wondering how this Clyde was passing them :) At least, that's what they were saying in my head.

Hit the Mile 11 beeyatch hill, it's only a block or two, but it put the hurt on people, me included. The momentum I carried through 10 was starting to wane, but then the hill is crested and it's a long wide open downhill to mile 12. 2 miles. Hell. T'ain't nuthin......

Mile 12 takes you under an underpass in a little out and back section, with another group of drummers, this time with djembes, the sound echoed through the underpass like thunder. And who do we have here? USC Visor guy. See ya. There was a clock at mile 12, showing a race split of 1:48. Less than 9 minutes of running and I'd have my goal.

Mile 13 goes through a 3 block long tunnel. Again, drums echoing throughout. Whatever my cadence was before, it was now set by the drums. I emerged in sunlight at the other end, turned left, up 100 yards to the finish. Race clock said 1:57:35, official time 1:57:02.

Although the Garmin lost its signal through the tunnel (and thus about 2:26), I estimate my finishing 5K to be about a 26:30. My 10K was a 9:04 pace, 13.1 pace was 8:56)

Nothing, for the first time in a running race, I was not last out of our group. In addition to meeting my time goals, that's important to me as well. Not to beat another person, but to feel like, yes, I belong running with these people, I am no longer the one always in the back holding other people up.

stretched for a few minutes, found my friends, walked around as much as possible. Phillipe's for brunch :)


Nothing at all, where I am now in my fitness. In the last 2 months I've set a 10K PR, ran sub 9 for an hour for the first time, ran a 1/2 mary sub 9 for the first time, and ran sub 8s for the first time in a 3 miler. I've had a great running year -- Another Thing I Never Thought I'd Say -- and look forward to more next year. It gives me faith tha persistence, patience and hard work pays off in the end


This is a very good event, and I plan on being back next year