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Lehigh Valley Half Marathon - RunHalf Marathon


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Allentown, Pennsylvania
United States
47F / 8C
Precipitation
Total Time = 1h 45m 11s
Overall Rank = 533/3034
Age Group = 50-54
Age Group Rank = 39/160
Pre-race routine:

Got up at four and ate bagels with peanut butter, then drove to Allentown. The parking area was only two blocks from the gym. It was raining. We went to the porta-potty and then to the gym to stay warm. Nice logistics with easy parking and a place to stay warm in right up until the race start.
Event warmup:

Staying in the warm and dry gym.
Run
  • 1h 45m 11s
  • 13.1 miles
  • 08m 02s  min/mile
Comments:

The rain slowed to a drizzle, and once I warmed up (within a mile) I discarded my Grove sweatshirt (thanks Chrissy!) and was comfortable the rest of the way. I joined the 1:45 pace group, which was great. The leader was inspiring, especially in the segment through the park with some hills and gravel paths. It was pretty crowded for over half the race. I felt great, much better than the ten-miler two weeks ago. I started to lose the pace a little in the last three miles, and finished a bit behind the leader, but was almost exactly on pace for the whole race anyway. The water stops were very crowded and short, but I did get two drinks later in the race. I kept waiting for an easy section to eat my gel, but ended up not eating it until around 9 miles. That, and seeing my Dad with a sign for Carrie and I, were boosts for me. I felt like I pretty much gave it all by the end.
What would you do differently?:

Well, not much as far as the run itself. I loved running with the pace group. I didn't taper biking or swimming, so I guess I could've done better without the two hour ride on Thursday night. Who knows? I should've had my gel earlier, and would've drunk water earlier too if the water tables had been more stretched out.
Post race
Warm down:

It was very cold. I got a foil wrap and waited for Carrie and Chrissy. I was shivering and miserable by the time they finished. It helped that we had to climb the stadium steps to get our food (for warming up, that is-- some found it sadistic of the race directors to make runners climb steep steps after a half marathon!), but the line for the food, and the lack of plates, made it hard to enjoy or even hold the food. I couldn't stop shivering until later when Joe gave me a towel to put over my head.

What limited your ability to perform faster:

Maybe the lack of full taper. I think the short run Saturday actually helped me feel less sluggish than I felt for the 10-miler two weeks ago.

Event comments:

I was a little worried that my effort in the Cherry Blossom 10-miler two weeks ago would adversely affect this race. If it did, I didn't notice. I felt better than I did for that race.




Last updated: 2010-03-05 12:00 AM
Running
01:45:11 | 13.1 miles | 08m 02s  min/mile
Age Group: 39/160
Overall: 533/3034
Performance: Good
My second half was slower than the first.
Course: Through the parks around Allentown. There were rolling hills. Part of it was on a fairly narrow gravel path. The finish featured a steep uphill to get into the stadium for the last segment around the track of William Allen HS stadium.
Keeping cool Good Drinking Not enough
Post race
Weight change: %
Overall: Good
Mental exertion [1-5] 4
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? No
Post race activities: Below average
Race evaluation [1-5] 3

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2010-04-26 6:06 AM

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Subject: Lehigh Valley Half Marathon


2010-04-26 7:01 AM
in reply to: #2816118

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Subject: RE: Lehigh Valley Half Marathon

Nice race

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