Suffolk County Half Marathon - RunHalf Marathon

This is a very low key race, virtually no spectators, very flat out and back with only three broad u-turns and no other turns ... it was my kind of race.

I started a little slower than normal, 6:35 first mile, when I could've easily cranked out a 6 minute mile, but my plan was to negative split *for the first time ever* the second half. I was almost successful. My first 3 miles were just over 20 minutes; mile 4 and five were a touch windy; then I got real comfortable mile 5 and 6 - hit mile 6 around 41 minutes and change; hit the turn-around to comeback - popped another gel - and the wind died down for two miles and that's when I hit some 'magical miles': nailed 6:50 for mile 7, 8, and I think 9 (gotta check the Garmin). I was feeling really good, passing runners!! Then at mile 10 (which I hit exactly at 1:10:00) I felt a twinge dead-center of my left calf. Good Greif Charlie Brown!

I knew and I felt like I had a legitimate shot at sub 1:30:00 ... but then the spasms hit my right calf ...but then they disappeared entirely. I hit the last turn-around and knew I had only 2 miles to go and I still had a shot at 1:30 ... I started hooting and hollering very loud, adrenaline was surging through my veins, then the headwinds hit me. Reality Check, big-time. But I was determined. I pushed the pace, but the second I pushed both calves started clenching. I looked down at my garmin and my pace was around 7:30 ... Not Good. The strategy was to ease up an incline, let the calves rest, then hammer the downhill and try to go 6:30 the rest of the way. Up the incline, at the top began swinging the feet as fast as possible down the decline and that's when my calves tightened - hard, so hard I almost did a nose dive.

A lack of speedwork after running these many miles was my downfall. My heart said go for it; my lungs were ready; my feet, arms, ankles, back, and every cell in my body was ready to sprint for 2 miles for that sub 1:30:00 ... the calves, however, nodded their collective heads horizontally and said, "Not today Bobby. Not today."



Run more! Try and introduce more speedwork during the latter parts of Long Runs.

Ate a banana, drank O.J., talked with a bunch of other runners.


I would like to change this question to: What enhanced my performance and allowed me to PR. Last year in May my 1/2 marathon time was 1:48:36 After 11 months of training I've reduced that time down to 1:32:39 ... 17 minutes and 12 seconds better. I did this by running, running and running some more. I try and run at least two 13 mile runs every month; I've learned to start slower and gradually get faster; I've learned how much to drink and how to fuel; I've lost a lot of wieght; and I learned a lot from the Runners World discussion forum.


The Suffolk County Half Marathon is a No-Frills race: no spectators (I saw maybe six on the actual course), only water at the water stations (no gatorade or gels), no bands playing, it's as basic as basic gets --- and that's what I loved about it. The course is uber flat - maybe a half dozen gentle inclines and declines; there is some wind (I've heard horror stories about the wind on this course, but to be perfectly honest it was not windy this morning, and the wind was a factor only a few times). So if you want to set a PR, if you want to get in a really fast-paced training run, this is your race.

The race was also executed extremely well: the gun went off, no kidding, at exactly 9AM to the second; there were lots and lots of digital mile display splits (almost every mile); a lot of the Cops did cheer us on; lots of water stops -- I felt like the race was designed for a PR.

I'm going to label the Suffolk County Half Marathon a "Purists Half Marathon". My kind of race.