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Rock The Parkway Half Marathon - RunHalf Marathon


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Kansas City, Missouri
United States
KC Running Company
36F / 2C
Sunny
Total Time = 1h 39m 20s
Overall Rank = 313/4223
Age Group = M45-49
Age Group Rank = 16/192
Pre-race routine:

I hadn't run an open half marathon since 2013 and simply registered for this one just two months ago, mainly because there was a sale price at the Sweetheart 5K Expo. This is a great race so I couldn't resist signing up. Plus it would give me some added incentive to continue focusing on my run which is well behind potential.

This year I changed my running philosophy to running easier staying in low training zones instead of running a certain pace or using some kind of RPE. Most of my runs now I try to keep my HR below 140 bhp which is at the high point of zone 2 for me. Even with that, my running has been limited to 12 mph so far this year, mainly to prevent my PF from reappearing from a few years ago. Whenever my running volume went up more than 10% from the previous week, I tried to back it down the following week. I think I've only done speed work maybe 3 times this year. I used to do all my running at around 8 min./mile pace but now using HR as a basis I'm more like around 8:30 pace.
Event warmup:

Picked up my friend Amy (who ran even less than I did, I'm talking average once maybe twice a week YTD but she, like I, was in good shape fitness wise so if proper pacing was executed, success would find us at the finish line. It was 36 or so degrees out so we got there early to get a good parking spot. Put our race bibs on, walked over to the port-a-potty's, then came back to the car since it was still pretty chilly out. Then 15 minutes before race time walked back the the port-a-potty's
Run
  • 1h 39m 20s
  • 13.1 miles
  • 07m 35s  min/mile
Comments:

Got to the start just before the gun went off, slid in through the corral barricade right between the 1:30 and 1:35 pace groups. Soon after the start I started to drift to the right as there was no way I was going to try and stay with the 1:35 runners. About a third of a mile in I saw Pete and Shannon in their bright bright yellow team banana hammocks jerseys so I swung over to say hello to Pete and wish him good luck. I told him "I'm gonna back off now" and he yells "come on Reece!". He knows better than that. He ran 1:34, Shannon 1:32, winner friggin' 1:05!!!

My plan was to drift back until the 1:40 pace group came upon me and try to stay with them, or at least keep them in sight. I checked my watch at mile 1, 7:43 "O.K." easy see if you can stay here for a while. We're going slightly uphill so I just tried and stay steady, mile 2 at 8:01 which I was fine with. Mile 3 at 7:51 still feeling OK, we're still going slightly uphill. I think miles 2 and 3 had a combined gain of around 150 feet.

This guy came up along side of me and said "you're Reece aren't you?" and I said yes and "you are....?". He told me his name I don't remember it but he said he participated in a webcast I did the week before so he must have recognized my face from my professional profile picture. Said he worked for Schneider Electric in town, we chit-chatted for about a third of a mile then I slowed for a water station, he started to peel away after that. I saw him later on, he got an AG award, not sure what AG but it was older than my group, good for him!

I pretty much stayed at around 7:30 pace all the way up until the last hill where I slowed to 7:42 pace that mile. I started to feel some leg fatigue at around mile 8. But the good news was there was only 4 miles to go. So I just focused on staying steady and not trying to be too aggressive until the last mile. They had 3 live bands on the course, one at around mile 2/11 and one at the turnaround not the mention the band at the starting area.

Much to my surprise the 1:40 pace group did not catch up to me. Since I had managed a 7:30 pace since mile 3 I figured I was right on top of a PR pace which I had not planned on at all. But with 1.1 miles to go I saw 1:31:xx on my watch so knew if I could run low 7 I'd have a PR! So I picked up the pace and stayed strong, I could have ran a little fast but all I was thinking was just beat my previous best, there's no podium here and there's training for the big race ahead.

I finished strong, ran mile 13 in 7:11, very happy with the results.
What would you do differently?:

Nothing, I executed this race to the best of my current ability.
Post race
Warm down:

Got my finishers medal, drank some water, walked over to the results tent, chit-chatted with Pete, Shannon and Ryan who all crushed it, Ryan ran a 1:29!!! a PR for him.

A shout out to Ryan Falkenrath, a local coach here in Johnson County for "using" me for his Triathlon coaching certification as I was able to complete a metabolic test to determine my training zones along with some other valuable information. Knowing my zones has had a very positive impact on my running, as shown in these results.

Amy came through the finish at 1:55 which was great considering how much running she did not do this year. She executed her plan, did not need the med. tent as she jokingly referred to leading up to this race ;) We then went and ate some big ol' omelettes and each toasted our day with bloody mary's and screwdrivers....and coffee of course :)

Event comments:

A great event, I think the numbers speak for themselves, over 4,200 competitors for this half marathon.


Profile Album


Last updated: 2016-04-10 12:00 AM
Running
01:39:20 | 13.1 miles | 07m 35s  min/mile
Age Group: 16/192
Overall: 313/4223
Performance: Good
Average HR: 159 Max HR: 168
Course: Out & back along a closed off Ward Parkway with a loop around some neighborhoods in the middle miles, uphill to start, downhill finish.
Keeping cool Good Drinking Just right
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? Yes
Post race activities: Good
Race evaluation [1-5] 5

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2016-04-10 6:01 PM

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Master
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Overland Park, KS
Subject: Rock The Parkway Half Marathon


2016-04-11 9:53 AM
in reply to: #5176385

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Extreme Veteran
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Olathe, KS
Subject: RE: Rock The Parkway Half Marathon

Great racing out there, Reece. Those are some pretty solid splits, especially towards the end.

2016-04-11 12:03 PM
in reply to: #5176385

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Pennsylvania
Subject: RE: Rock The Parkway Half Marathon

Excellent race, Reece!  Nice pacing and great results!

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