Thought I was in Corral #1 per the sign but apparently I was behind the rope divider for #2. So the first group set off and we started walking forward and then everyone stopped. So I had to hop out and run around everyone to get going. So I started about 20+ seconds after the group but it was chip time so it didn't matter. I wasn't the only one so maybe the signs weren't that accurate.

Started off at a comfortable pace around 7:00. My goal pace that I trained for was 7:08 but I really intended to be closer to 7:00/mile pace. Wave starts kept people spread out so with 22,000 people on the course, this wasn't a problem. Hit the first 5k at about 7:03 ave pace, though the "live results" had me at 7:17 (way off). Really wanted to find someone to pace with and just couldn't. Took my first Cytomax from the fuel belt at about 3 miles and realized I'd mixed it too strong. So I started taking small sips before each aid station and then getting a little water to wash it down. This seemed to work ok and I never had any stomach problems. Headwind picked up around 5 miles and I tried to draft when I could but I just couldn't find a consistent rabbit. Calves started feeling a little sore around 7 miles but still felt good and relatively relaxed. Finally found a speedy chick to pace on at 9 miles and we started clipping at around 6:50 but she faded at 10 so off I went. My previous half marathon I was able to find two guys running a consistent pace and just sat on them, which helped me out. No luck this time.

Mile 10 was a long uphill and this was my slowest mile (7:10). Then according to the map elevation profile, it was supposed to be downhill to the finish and I was really looking to go sub 7:00 for the remainder of the race. Except the hills didn't stop coming. Now these weren't "hills" in the sense I'm used to at home but they were still long gradual ascents that made pushing the pace difficult. But I was still feeling good and was able to push the last two miles at 6:55 and 6:43, respectively. Passed lots of other runners over the last four miles as I think I negative splitted the second half.

Nipped a couple at the end and finished strong and still felt great. Garmin time was 1:32:17 and I was right on with starting and stopping. Chip time was 1:32:27 and a lot of the mid-race splits were way off. So I'm going with my Garmin time...

Push harder! My intention was to keep the 1:30 pace group in sight but since I got screwed up at the start, I never once saw this group and it took me a few miles to just get past the 1:35 pace group.

Walked around, stretched, and waited for Erica and my brother, Kevin, to finish. We got our picture taken and loaded up at the re-fuel area. Then it was the long walk to the parking garage, followed by the standstill traffic to get to the highway. Can't really get around this in a big race like this...


Inexperience at this distance. My first half last year I felt like I could have gone faster. Same is true for this. I knocked over three minutes off my previous half so I definitely did run faster but not to my peak. I followed an excellent training program and it had my well prepared for this race.
Lessons learned: 1) go faster; 2) ready for a marathon; 3) good confidence builder for planned half ironman.


Great, well run race, especially in light of the size. Great aid station and lots of cheering. Bands on the course were kind of gimicky to me. Couldn't really hear them until you were a few hundred yards out and then as soon as you were past them, it was quiet again. Glad I had my MP3 player. Course is monotonous with long straight stretches.