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Shamrock Sportsfest 1/2 Marathon - Run


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Virginia Beach, Virginia
United States
Shamrock Sportsfest
45F / 7C
Sunny
Total Time = 00m
Overall Rank = 63/3864
Age Group = 30-34
Age Group Rank = 12/268
Pre-race routine:

Woke up at 5am after going to bed around 12:30...YIKES! Made a quick bowl of oatmeal and a banana, filled my coffee cup, popped 2 Endurox Excel and my vitamins, grabbed my bag and hit the road. Got to the parking lot around 5:55 and sat there for ~10min...it was cold and windy out there and I was talking myself into leaving the warm car :) Finally went for it, popped 200mg of caffiene and took off for my "warm-up" run. Today was all about training for Boston in case anyone thinks I'm a bit crazy for going on a 7 mile warm-up :)


Event warmup:

The plan was to head out easy ~25min away from the race start and then bring it back, building my pace a bit over the last 15-20min. That would give me 8-10min before the gun went off assuming they start promptly at 7am. After the turn-around I spotted what I had been looking for...a porta-pottie! So I made a quick 2min pitstop and continued on. I was back at my car in just under 47min. I had to drop off my wind pants/vest and change into my race shoes, grab my gel flask and pop 200mg of caffiene...took all of 2min. What I forgot to factor in was that I parked 18 blocks from the starting line (but very close to the finish) and I now had ~7min to cover 1.2 miles. So about 10 blocks out I hear the National Anthem and about 4 blocks out I hear the horn sound. It turned out to work well actually because I went directly from my "warm-up" over the start mat without breaking stride. The only problem was that I was now in a pack of folks that were in no hurry to to get to the finish line. Well, maybe they were in a hurry (for them) but the mob was shuffling along at probably 8min/mile pace and I needed to run steady 6:30's.
Run
  • 1h 23m 41s
  • 13.1 miles
  • 06m 23s  min/mile
Comments:

Good run for me...a PR by a lot! I basically had a plan and stuck with it. I could have pushed it harder but I wasn't there to put in a max effort run. My goal was 6:30/mile average and I thought for sure I'd be behind after the first mile because of all the slow traffic I had to deal with from being late to the start but I ended up clocking a 6:27..my HRM data shows that I peaked up around 168 in that first mile so it's obvious I was pushing to get back on track. After that I was able to settle into my groove, run right around 6:30/mile and my HR came down to the low 160's where I knew it should be. The first 4-5 miles had a decent head-wind and since I was with slower people I couldn't really latch on and draft anyone so I had to blaze my own way...but still managed to run on pace. From the ~7 mile markon we had a nice tail-wind most of the way. I was steadily passing people up to about the 9 mile mark. That's where I was just about caught up with the folks I should have started with because I was barely reeling anyone else in. I probably only passed 6-10 people over the last 4 miles...but we were pretty strung out by that point too. Oddly, I felt much more at ease running from behind. I held basically the same effort level the entire race (aside frm the final mile) but it felt like I was working a bit harder once I wasn't passing people a lot. Maybe it was just a little fatigue.

So I know my goal was to run a conservative 6:30/mile average and I was slightly ahead of that with a mile left but it's just not in me to put it on cruise control and coast to the finish. So I opened it up and let the legs give what they had left. I was probably at 95% effort level over the last 1.1 miles and turned in a 5:59 split for mile 13.
What would you do differently?:

Nothing. Everything was planned out and I stuck with it...aside from the fast last mile or so :)
Post race
Warm down:

Walked back to my car to grab my wind pants and vest, mix up a bottle of Endurox and then have a little cool-down jog. I wasn't timing it but I went 2.7 miles and was just kind of shuffling along...probably 9-10min/mile. I waited for Katie just after the 12 mile marker and jogged in to the finish with her about 45min after my cool-down. I did some good stretching while I waited for her.

What limited your ability to perform faster:

Run faster! Seriously...I wasn't out there to run the fastest 1/2 I could. I didn't taper, had a tough track workout on Friday, and ran a 7+ mile "warm-up". But that was all how I planned it. All I wanted to do was run the 1/2 a slightly faster than my goal pace for Boston so I decided to shoot for 6:30/mile average. I was able to click off comfortable splits right around there the whole race. I could have run faster if I wanted to and I could have been faster still if I did a normal 15min warm-up.

Event comments:

Jerry and Amy put on a great race! Everyone got nice technical shirts and running hats plus a nice finisher medal. There was lots of food and beer at the finish party and they had a huge tent set up on the beach. The temp was perfect for racing but too cold for post-race festivities...but the tent covered that.




Last updated: 2006-03-05 12:00 AM
Running
01:23:41 | 13.1 miles | 06m 23s  min/mile
Age Group: 12/268
Overall: 63/3864
Performance: Good
***Overall - HRavg = 165 HRmax = 171*** Splits/HRavg- 6:27/165bpm, 6:33/164bpm, 6:25/165bpm, 6:26/164bpm, 6:32/164bpm, 6:31/164bpm, 6:28/164bpm, 6:30/164bpm, 6:19/164bpm, 6:21/166bpm, 6:26/166bpm, 6:25/165bpm, 5:59/169bpm, 1:23/171bpm
Course: A generally boring course up Pacific Ave, out Shore Drive, looping thrugh Ft. Story and back down Pacific finishing on the boardwalk. At least it was mostly flat and fast. Miles 3-5.5 actually are up a long steady (but not very steep) hill. You can barely notice the grade but I've biked up and down that stretch enough times to know it's not flat. The first 5-6 miles had some decent head-winds.
Keeping cool Good Drinking Just right
Post race
Weight change: %
Overall: Good
Mental exertion [1-5] 3
Physical exertion [1-5] 3
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] 4

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2006-03-19 3:20 PM

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Pro
3870
200010005001001001002525
Virginia Beach, VA
Subject: Shamrock Sportsfest 1/2 Marathon
1/2 marathon PR by a lot...and I could have run faster!


Edited by TH3_FRB 2006-03-19 3:22 PM


2006-03-19 3:30 PM
in reply to: #373534

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Elite
2661
20005001002525
DC Metro, slowly working my way to NC
Subject: RE: Shamrock Sportsfest 1/2 Marathon
WOW!!  What a great time there!
2006-03-19 3:39 PM
in reply to: #373542

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Cycling Guru
15134
50005000500010025
Fulton, MD
Subject: RE: Shamrock Sportsfest 1/2 Marathon
Smokin'!!

Nice work! I'm seeing a 2:40-ish Boston for you.

Congrats on the great time!
2006-03-19 4:33 PM
in reply to: #373534

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Science Nerd
28760
50005000500050005000200010005001001002525
Redwood City, California
Subject: RE: Shamrock Sportsfest 1/2 Marathon
Wow!!! Great job today!  Looks like you'll be ready for Boston and PR there, too.
2006-03-19 6:30 PM
in reply to: #373534

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Master
1551
10005002525
Virginia Beach, VA
Subject: RE: Shamrock Sportsfest 1/2 Marathon
Another seriously great race Joel; you're going to rock at Boston. I agree that Jerry and Amy do a fantastic job with this race. I really liked the finisher hats this year. Totally awesome race today, and thank the Hashers for the beer stop at mile 10
2006-03-19 6:35 PM
in reply to: #373534

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Master
1728
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Pulaski TN
Subject: RE: Shamrock Sportsfest 1/2 Marathon
WHOOOOAAAAA. Great Race!!


2006-03-19 7:47 PM
in reply to: #373534

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Pro
3870
200010005001001001002525
Virginia Beach, VA
Subject: RE: Shamrock Sportsfest 1/2 Marathon
Thanks guys.  Well, after spending the afternoon on the couch in a semi-coma I've just realized that my legs are seriously SORE!  Wow, this is gonna take a few days to recover from...guess I pushed it a little too hard.  What the hell, it was fun
2006-03-19 7:55 PM
in reply to: #373534

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Master
1254
10001001002525
Chesapeake, VA
Subject: RE: Shamrock Sportsfest 1/2 Marathon

Wow - all I can say is you are fast!  I've never seen anyone put the terms 6:30 pace and conservative back to back. 

 I agree that this is a great race and the weather today was perfect.

Good luck in Boston, not that you look like you need it! 

2006-03-19 9:17 PM
in reply to: #373770

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Elite
2661
20005001002525
DC Metro, slowly working my way to NC
Subject: RE: Shamrock Sportsfest 1/2 Marathon

TH3_FRB - 2006-03-19 8:47 PM Thanks guys. Well, after spending the afternoon on the couch in a semi-coma I've just realized that my legs are seriously SORE! Wow, this is gonna take a few days to recover from...guess I pushed it a little too hard. What the hell, it was fun

Suddenly, I don't feel so bad for my response to "Well, what's next?" from deepblusea, which was "I really need a hot shower and a nap." 

- Cindy

2006-03-19 9:33 PM
in reply to: #373534

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Pro
3870
200010005001001001002525
Virginia Beach, VA
Subject: RE: Shamrock Sportsfest 1/2 Marathon
I knew only getting 4.5 hours of sleep and then running 7 miles before the race would leave me feeling drained.  But it was a good day of quality training.  Now I'm off to bed!
2006-03-19 11:34 PM
in reply to: #373534

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Master
1292
1000100100252525
McKinney, TX
Subject: RE: Shamrock Sportsfest 1/2 Marathon
Awesome race!


2006-03-19 11:39 PM
in reply to: #373534

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Subject: RE: Shamrock Sportsfest 1/2 Marathon
Nicely done!! Enjoy your rest - well deserved.
2006-03-20 6:08 AM
in reply to: #373534

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Elite
2777
2000500100100252525
In my bunk with new shoes and purple sweats.
Subject: RE: Shamrock Sportsfest 1/2 Marathon

Joel, a "conservative 6:30/mile pace". Dude the only way I could cover a mile in that time would be if my chute didn't open. Great results on a great effort. 

Don't worry about being ready for Boston, Boston had better be ready for you. Congrats.

2006-03-20 9:03 AM
in reply to: #373534

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Subject: RE: Shamrock Sportsfest 1/2 Marathon

Great race Joel and not a bad training day!!!

 Oh, what Daremo said,,,,, that sounds famaliar.....

Good luck with your training leady up to Boston.

Jim

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