Suffolk County Half Marathon - RunHalf Marathon

Going into this race I knew my running fitness was less than last year. In this off season I had to deal with rehabbing from ITBS, and I've spent a great deal more time focusing on biking and swimming. Bearing this all in mind, I set a realistic goal of a sub 7:30 pace. Last year I went out a lot faster, this year I went out slower with the goal of maintaining an even effort and pace from beginning to end.

At the start of the race it was misting and it only downpoured once for about 10 minutes when I was about 5.75 miles in. The beauty of this race it's 95% flat and straight, so I was able to just enjoy my Ipod - get into the "zone" - and basically just stare off into the horizon with the legs on "cruise control".

Given my experiences (most very bad) racing in cold, rainy, 50 degree weather, I only took one gel pre-race, one gel at 10 miles, and two cups of water. For the first time I actually nailed my nutrition for these circumstances, which seem to be often here on Long Island. This is actually the fourth time I've raced in 50 degree rainy weather!

During the latter miles of the race, I felt some pain in my right glute (probably my piriformis) and my right quad, and some mild pain in my right calf. But thankfully I never felt any pain in the outside of my right knee, where my ITBS pain culminated to the point where I couldn't run at all just this past November. The muscle pains I did feel (which were about a 4/10) didn't get worse and they didn't interrupt my form, so I kept running. And eventually they disappeared all together. Had they gotten worse, regrettably I would have had to shut it down and DNF. Only due to patience and a strong focus in the off-season on rehabbing (through Yoga and hip abductor/glute strengthening and stretching) was todays half marathon able to happen.

Nothing. I set realistic goals and expectations. I fueled perfectly and dressed appropriately for the weather conditions.

Congratulated Charlie on CRUSHING his goal of sub 2 with a 1:51:XX, shivered, drank water, ate a buttered bagel, shivered some more - Charlie commented that my lips were blue, and I knew it was time to go home.

And of course when I got home I took an ice bath. I'm a glutton for punishment :)


The night before I had a huge chocolate brownie sundae, and I actually had one the night before that, too! But seriously - for my height and body frame my ideal weight for racing should be around 165. I'm a solid 10 lbs. away from that. Despite the stress of life, I need to refocus my attention on my nutrition and get down to my race weight.

Also, this was not an "A Race" by any stretch of the imagination, so I did not taper at all, and actually I did a 40 mile bike - 3 mile run BRICK two days ago. I'm certain that took a little out of my legs. I actually biked 72 miles this week - which is a lot for me! :)


I'm just going to insert the same comments I wrote last year, as I still feel exactly the same way about this race --> The Suffolk County Half Marathon is a No-Frills race: virtually no spectators, 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. So if you want to set a PR, if you want to get in a really fast-paced training run, this is your race. I'm going to label the Suffolk County Half Marathon a "Purists Half Marathon". My kind of race.