Raleigh Rocks Half Marathon - RunHalf Marathon


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Raleigh, North Carolina
United States
55F / 13C
Overcast
 		Total Time = 8h 00m
Overall Rank = 1044/1514
Age Group = 25-29
Age Group Rank = 119/175
Pre-race routine:

I woke up a bit after 6am and ate a bowl of oatmeal and a slice of toast with peanut butter and honey. I left my apt around 7am and arrived downtown aroun 7:15. It was a little chilly out so I hung out in the lobby of the Sheraton hotel (the host hotel) and decided to take a Gu Roctane around 7:40. I remembered that taking a Gu before the tri seemed to fair pretty well with me so I figured that I would do it again before the half marathon.
Event warmup:

I headed out around 7:50, found a port-a-potty, and then stretched and got into the start line area. I stretched out my hips and quads a lot as they always seem to tighten up during my longer runs.
Run
  • 2h 16m 45s
  • 13.1 miles
  • 10m 26s  min/mile
Comments:

I stuck to my 10/2 run/walk intervals and then I switched over to 8/2 around mile 8. This was the first time that I didn't take off too fast and it definitely benefited me later. I had a nasty side stitch that started around mile 3 and it hung around throughout the entire race but other than that, I felt fantastic. I contemplated taking another Gu around mile 7 because I knew that it is better to take it before you need it than later but I knew that I would have to slow down (so that I could take it, gag, and chug water), and I really didn't want to slow down. I started to feel a bit tired around mile 10 but I kept pushing it to the finish line. AND I ENDED UP PR'ING BY 15:28!!! YAY!
What would you do differently?:

In hindsight, I really should have taken the Gu when I thought about it. I also probably could have pushed a bit harder during the last few miles because my splits weren't all that great (9:45ish during the first 8 miles, 10:15ish during the next 2 miles, and then 11:10ish until the end)... I need to work on negative splits.
Post race
Warm down:

The finish line area was pretty crowded so I grabbed a cup of water, a gatorade, and some orange slices and found a spot to cool off. I stretched a bit because my calves, quads, and hips felt really tight, and then I poked around to find my running club mates.

What limited your ability to perform faster:

Not pushing hard enough at the end, but I still PR'd so I am happy.

Event comments:

This was a great race. There was plenty of entertainment and the course offered a wide variety of scenery. There were plenty of water stations and the volunteers were fantastic. The finish line area was pretty crowded but all in all, I would definitely do this race again.




Last updated: 2009-01-06 12:00 AM
Running
02:16:45 | 13.1 miles | 10m 26s  min/mile
Age Group: 119/175
Overall: 1044/1514
Performance: Good
Course: The course wound through downtown Raleigh, out on Hillsborough Street, around the Art Museum and onto the Greenway, over the I-440 pedestrian bridge, off of the Greenway and back onto Hillsborough by Meredith College, and then back downtown via Hillsborough Street. There were a few parts of the roads that weren't flat so it was hard to maintain a comfortable stride without feeling 'lopsided' but I ended up running in between the flat areas of the yellow lines in order to stay balanced.
Keeping cool Good Drinking Just right
Post race
Weight change: %
Overall: Average
Mental exertion [1-5] 5
Physical exertion [1-5] 4
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: Average
Race evaluation [1-5] 4