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Baltimore Half-Marathon - Run


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Baltimore, Maryland
United States
Baltimore Running Festival
75F / 24C
Sunny
Total Time = 2h 27m 46s
Overall Rank = /
Age Group = F, 25-29
Age Group Rank = 263/420
Pre-race routine:

Had PB on a Clif Bar & 2 bananas. Watched the marathon start. Sunscreened up & pinned on my numbers.
Event warmup:

Walked about 1.5 miles, stretched.


Run
  • 2h 27m 46s
  • 13.1 miles
  • 11m 17s  min/mile
Comments:

All of my other times (5K, 10K, training pace) pointed to about a 2:15 finish. After reviewing the course, I knew my knees couldn't take fast downhills - the roads are not great. I lined up with the 11:00 minute mile sign. The race was huge - it took us about 3 minutes to make the start line.

The combo of the hills and the surface conditions ( the roads felt like sidewalks ) madle my legs hurt a lot around mile 7. I had to walka bit - probably 1/2 mile between miles 7 and 11.5. I was feeling great up till then. I paced myself pretty well - I saw people walking after just a mile or so - we started with a hill, luckily I live at the bottom of a hill and always start my runs on an incline.
What would you do differently?:

Not fall on that banana peel at the aid station. Carry some Accelade, since Gatorade & GU don't work for me.
Post race
Warm down:

Walked around, had some ice & fruit.

What limited your ability to perform faster:

The course, and hammie & butt cramps that came with it. My limiter was my muscles, not cardio - I stayed in a 3/2 pattern the whole time, and wasn't breathing noticeably hard most of the time.

Event comments:

The energy on this race was really good - there were people cheering all along the route, even in the not so super neighborhoods. The water stops were really well manned and supplied. They did need a few more volunteers in the finish area to hand out medals - I saw people who couldn't find their marathon medals. Maybe having a separate marathon and half chute would be a good idea. The main limiter is the road conditions - the roads are hard and messy, and for about one mile they were torn up (milled). I would never do the full here for that reason - my body couldn't take it. The Baltimore PD and the volunteers did a great job.




Last updated: 2005-10-17 12:00 AM
Running
02:27:46 | 13.1 miles | 11m 17s  min/mile
Age Group: 0/420
Overall: 0/
Performance: Average
Course: Very hilly - rolling in some places steady climb in others. Most of the elevation loss was in last four miles.
Keeping cool Average Drinking Just right
Post race
Weight change: %
Overall: Good
Mental exertion [1-5] 3
Physical exertion [1-5] 3
Good race? Ok
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

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2005-10-17 7:42 AM

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Extreme Veteran
694
500100252525
New Haven, CT
Subject: Baltimore Half-Marathon


2005-10-19 6:58 AM
in reply to: #266232

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Veteran
157
1002525
Colorado Springs
Subject: RE: Baltimore Half-Marathon
Congrats on the finish! That is not good about falling on the banana peel - I was looking out for those the whole time and thinking that those were a disaster waiting to happen! Are you planning to do the full marathon next year?
2005-10-19 7:31 AM
in reply to: #267901

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Cycling Guru
15134
50005000500010025
Fulton, MD
Subject: RE: Baltimore Half-Marathon
What part was torn up??

I'm guessing that was on the 1/2 specific part of the route at the beginning. The only part I remember as "bad" for the roads for the full was the cobbles in Fells Point.

Congrats on your finish, careful with those peels!

I was trying to think how many people would get stuck to the pavement from Gummy Bears sticking to their shoes .........
2005-10-19 8:51 AM
in reply to: #267924

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Veteran
157
1002525
Colorado Springs
Subject: RE: Baltimore Half-Marathon
Daremo - 2005-10-19 7:31 AM
I was trying to think how many people would get stuck to the pavement from Gummy Bears sticking to their shoes .........


That was me! At one point my right foot kept sticking, like I had gum on the bottom of my shoe. I realized that it was the gummy bears! Thankfully it just gradually wore off though, I didn't have to stop to try to get it off.
2005-10-19 9:48 AM
in reply to: #266232

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Extreme Veteran
694
500100252525
New Haven, CT
Subject: RE: Baltimore Half-Marathon
The milling was on the downhill after Charles Village, I think - for some reason, milled pavement really bugs my knee. My town just fresh poured all their asphalt, so I think I'm a little sopiled when it comes to road surfaces. If I had been on mile 24 of the marathon, though, I'm sure I wouldn't have noticed. No way would I ever do the Baltimore full - I couldn't face those hills that late. Looks like the dropout rate was pretty high.

Ya, the banana thing was not safe - luckily, I was drinking so I was walking. But I'm sure at least a few people ate it hard - they were everywhere!

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