Woke up feeling excited for my first half marathon. We had ridden the 104 mile Tour de palm Springs the day before, so I was a bit tired, but I felt ready. I had been really happy with my training up till this weekend, peaking with a 12 mile run at a 7:56 pace. This was after only starting training back in May, 35 pounds heavier, and running 10 minute miles. I knew I was capable of a run in the 1:45 range, but I wasn't set on that since I had no idea what the bike would do to me.

Started off at a solid 8:00 pace just darting around the slower folks in the first mile or so. After that I settled in to a comfortable pace. A mile or so later, the hills started. They weren't crazy steep, but they were long and fairly taxing. Go up one about a 1/4 mile long, then down, then up a bit longer hill: reepeat for the next 4 miles. Aerobically I felt fine, but the roads all had a pretty major crown to them, and the IT paint that I thought I had gotten rid of completely a few weeks ago, started to flair up. Nothing outrageous, but little twinges to let me know it was thinking about me. Where I would normally pick up the pace on the downhills, I had to take real slowly because it really put pressure on my left knee. By the time we hit the half way point, it was mostly flat, and I was able to push the pain to the back of my mind and keep good form and bring my avg pace down to 8:29 or so. The next few miles were uneventful, other than the sudden need to take a crap. yeah right....the poto potties had a line of about 6 people at each one, so I just clenched it. :D I had some water at mile 9, and then a gel that they handed me at mile 11. That was like jet fuel and I was able to pick up the pace to the high 7's for the next 2 miles. The course was kind of annoying in that it made this crazy jagged route all the rough the neighborhoods of the finish, so I could hear the announcer, but had no idea where it was. Passed my brother and his family as they were getting out of their car to come watch with a mile to go, so I flipped him the bird and gave it a little more gas. I rand something like a 7:20 for the last mile. Sw my wife, mom, and 3 kids along side the road at the finish, low-fived them and sprinted for the line. Funny thing was I hadn't even noticed my knee in the last 2 miles or so, but as soon ans thegirl clipped my timing chip, my left knee siezed up and I could barely walk. Christ that hurt. Made my way over to the family to wait for and cheer on my dad, and it at least loosened up enough to walk. As soon as my dad crossed (2:08) I high-taild it to the toilets. God they were disgusting, but I sure didn't do anything to help the situation! We collected our "brick" awards for doing both the century and half and let the kids play on the playground.

Not much under the circumstances. I'm extremely proud of my performance and the progress I've made so far. This was a great mental boost to where I am physically for CdA in June. My next half is in March, and it's a flat course. I think I'm fully capable of sub 1:45.

Ice bath in the hotel pool, then a few minutes in the hot tub before we packed up and went and had some great mexican food and drove home. My knee still hurts, but a few days off with lots of ice and foam rolling should help that.


The event itself was great. After that it sucked. They had bottled water that they ran out of within 20 minutes of me finishing, unpeeled tangerines (very few left when I got mine) and lame granola bars. That was it. Boo.