Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon - RunHalf Marathon


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Virginia Beach, Virginia
United States
Elite Racing
Sunny
 		Total Time = 2h 28m 45s
Overall Rank = 8651/16336
Age Group = F 25-29
Age Group Rank = 950/1902
Pre-race routine:

Got up about 5:15 and pulled on my clothes and gear I had laid out the night before. We caught the bus just outside the hotel with no waiting and took the short ride to the start. Got to the start pretty early around 6am and continued to drink my Propel Invigorating. I also ate a banana. Got in line for the porta potty (thankfully not too long) and didn't have to wait long in my corral for the start.
Event warmup:

I don't really do anything specific short of walking around and stretching a little.
Run
  • 2h 28m 45s
  • 13.1 miles
  • 11m 21s  min/mile
Comments:

I didn't really think that I'd be able to beat my PR from Philly '07 (2:13), but I wanted to try to keep my pace around a 10:30. This strategy worked for about the first 3 miles (see splits) when I started to fall off pace as I got increasingly hot. By half the heat/humidity got the best of me, and I couldn't skip water stops. At my pace they tend to be really crowded, so I lost a little bit of time at each having to virtually come to a complete stop in the commotion. I walked for about 0.25 miles through the water stop at mile 8, but decided on a new goal of finishing with only that one walk. I did manage to finish strong, accelerating through the last mile at a 10:18 pace. The cheer and cowbell from J at about 13 always helps. :)
What would you do differently?:

Carry some fluids so I could bypass a couple of the water stops.
Post race
Warm down:

I shuffled with the rest of the crowd through the finish area drinking a bottle of water and some Cytomax. The ice-water towel was great, but I foolishly passed on the popcicles (what was I thinking, right?) I met J at the UPS trucks and then headed to the beach to relax and drink my free post-race adult beverage. Yum.

What limited your ability to perform faster:

The heat/humidity was a large factor.

Event comments:

There was one stop near the end when they were out of cups or something like that. I was fine, but considering I finished MOP, I hope that the BOPers were well supported. Tables on both sides at all stops might also help ease some of the congestion.




Last updated: 2008-07-05 12:00 AM
Running
02:28:45 | 13.1 miles | 11m 21s  min/mile
Age Group: 964/1902
Overall: 8776/16336
Performance: Average
5 Km: 32:58 pace: 10:37 10 Km: 1:08:00 pace: 10:57 10 Mi: 1:54:12 pace: 11:26 11.4 Mi: 2:10:24 pace: 11:27 12.3 Mi: 2:20:36 pace: 11:26
Course: I usually enjoy this run overall, largely due to it's flatness and fun atmosphere, but I also miss the longer finish along the boardwalk. It was hot last year and it was a little deceiving if you didn't realize that you have a fair amount to go when you hit the boardwalk, but the ocean view is awesome. The part winding in a big circle around the military base is less exciting.
Keeping cool Below average Drinking Just right
Post race
Weight change: %
Overall: Average
Mental exertion [1-5] 3
Physical exertion [1-5] 2
Good race? Ok
Evaluation
Course challenge Just right
Organized? Yes
Events on-time? Yes
Lots of volunteers? Yes
Plenty of drinks? Yes
Post race activities: Good
Race evaluation [1-5] 4