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Damascus Bakeries Tucson Half Marathon - RunHalf Marathon


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Tucson, Arizona
United States
50F / 10C
Sunny
Total Time = 2h 21m 51s
Overall Rank = 891/1307
Age Group = M35-39
Age Group Rank = 58/69
Pre-race routine:

Got into Tucson on Friday night, rain was pouring all evening and overnight. Saturday was windy with showers. But race-day weather was spectacular.

Didn't get my last long run in two weeks prior due to illness, so I just took it easy the last couple of weeks before the race. Did a 6-mile run 10 days out then did some 2min intervals on the track the Tuesday before, along with bike commuting to help stay loose. This seemed to work well.
Event warmup:

Got on the bus at 5am at the hotel. Sat there for 30 minutes, then we drove 20 min to the starting line and got dumped off at the turnoff where we had to walk half a mile in the cold and dark to the starting point. Used the porta-potty in the dark. Found another bus to sit on to keep warm until gun time. Race start temp about 35-40F.

Run
  • 2h 21m 51s
  • 13.1 miles
  • 10m 50s  min/mile
Comments:

Started out with a HR of high Z2, this put me at a pace of just over 10:00 for the first 5 miles, which is a fast pace for me in a long race. Then got up to mid-Z3 for the last 8 miles, which put me at about 11:00-11:15 pace. Most of my long runs were about 8.5-9.0 miles, and I could feel that when I got to the 8 mile mark in the race. Last two miles were painful but I kept the wheels turning and did not stop running. My lungs were ready to push harder but my legs were not.

Ate 1 bag of shot bloks at about the 6 mile mark. Had to stop and water a bush at one point about mile 8.

This is my second 1/2 marathon and I took 16 minutes off of my previous time. Partially this reflects an easier course, but I also came in better rested and just in better condition overall owing to the last year of training.
What would you do differently?:

Probably I should not have worn my windbreaker. Should have worn a long-sleeve tech shirt over my sleeveless undershirt and that would have been perfect for this weather.

Post race
Warm down:

Had water and 2 bananas, waited for the shuttle back to the hotel.

What limited your ability to perform faster:

It's all about training volume.

Event comments:

Good race, nice fast course because it is point-to-point and downhill. Having to ride buses to the start and from the finish is annoying. Very good volunteer support and good aid stations, but not enough porto-potties on the course itself. Weather was perfect for running.




Last updated: 2007-12-03 12:00 AM
Running
02:21:51 | 13.1 miles | 10m 50s  min/mile
Age Group: 58/69
Overall: 891/1307
Performance: Good
10K 1:03:05 (10:11 pace)
Course: Starts on the Biosphere Rd, runs south on Oracle Rd., then diverts behind a shopping center and through a residential area to a school. Altitude drops from about 3800ft to about 3000ft. Running in the shoulder of a highway most of the time, but traffic control was good.
Keeping cool Good Drinking Just right
Post race
Weight change: %
Overall:
Mental exertion [1-5]
Physical exertion [1-5]
Good race?
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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2007-12-03 12:35 PM

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