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North Face Endurance Challenge - RunHalf Marathon


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Dousman, Wisconsin
United States
45F / 7C
Overcast
Total Time = 1h 46m 12s
Overall Rank = 29/283
Age Group = 40-49
Age Group Rank = 6/38
Pre-race routine:

Got up at 6 am and had 2 bowls of cereal and a big cup of coffee. Goofed around with the family and got ready to go, the race is only 15 min from where we live.
Event warmup:

Did some stretching and just tried to stay warm. Did about a 400m warm up jog to see if I was tight anywhere and then went to my place in the pack.
Run
  • 1h 46m 12s
  • 13.1 miles
  • 08m 07s  min/mile
Comments:

I started out at about a 7:00 mile pace for the first half mile or so and that was enough to get some separation from the majority of the pack before the woods section started. I ran many of these trails in training so I knew (kind of) what to expect as far as terrain and difficulty. The first big hill at about 1 mile also helped to string people out so it was never really crowded after that. There were no mile markers except at the (3) aid stations so I tried to measure my pace by having my countdown timer on my watch go off every 9 minutes. Using that, and my general knowledge of the course I hoped to be under 2 hours.

Fell into a good pace and traded places with a couple guys for the first 6-7 miles. I was surprised to see some of the people who passed me coming to a complete stop at the aid stations to drink, eat, rest, etc. I know I made up several places by getting by them when they stopped. I never saw them again.

The second half was harder because of the steeper non-stop elevation changes and general "gut" fatigue. I planned to have a gel every 30 minutes as I do when I do long training runs, but I really didn't feel like having more than the first two, which I believe was a mistake. I should have started them earlier and used all three. At about 10 miles I started to force myself to drink more water (what, am I going to feel worse?). I kept thinking of the race review I read on BT where the first line of the description of the run portion of the triatholn was, "I felt a lot better after I threw up..." It's funny where you draw inspiration from. The water helped after a mile or so and I started to feel better...go figure.

By the time I got back to the road for the last half mile or so, my "gut" felt much better, but I had already gotten behind on my water - my calves were cramping if I went too hard. Time to back off and finish up.

This was my first half marathon race, though I had run this distance a couple times before. The course was the hardest race I've ever done because of the rocks, mud, leaves and elevation changes.
What would you do differently?:

I have to get better at eating/drinking while running at a faster pace. This is a problem I can fix.
Post race
Warm down:

A big accellerade and get in the car to warm up. The wind kicked up and I started to get cold in my sweaty clothes. Drove home quick and took a whirlpool and watched some football.

What limited your ability to perform faster:

I should have drank/ate more earlier in the race, even though I didn't "feel" thirsty/hungry. I know better.

Event comments:

Lots of good, useful SWAG. The aid stations were outstanding, the course was very clearly marked. This was the best organized race I've ever participed in...I cannot think of how they could have improved it. I hope they do it again next year...I know I can go faster!




Last updated: 2008-10-28 12:00 AM
Running
01:46:12 | 13.1 miles | 08m 07s  min/mile
Age Group: 6/38
Overall: 29/283
Performance: Good
Course: Except for the first half mile and the last half mile, the course was completely off road on hiking/snowmobile/horse trails. Aside from the paved part, almost none of it was very flat.
Keeping cool Average Drinking Not enough
Post race
Weight change: %
Overall: Average
Mental exertion [1-5] 4
Physical exertion [1-5] 5
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: Good
Race evaluation [1-5] 5

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2008-10-28 9:42 PM


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Subject: North Face Endurance Challenge
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