Had the drink for breakfast at 7. Had nothing else before the race, which was a mistake since the start time was 11. I also didn't drink enough water before the race throughout the morning.

Normal ballistic stretching and a easy 5-10 minute run to warm up.

Where to start. The plan was going great through 10k, but my pre-race nutrition problems caught up to me. I had to stop for "the runs" at 7.1, and then didn't replenish lost fluids. About a mile and a half later it started to unravel. Up to 8.5 miles (other than the stop) I was pretty much on plan. Just a tad slower than plan but not bad at all given the day and the course. Maybe that was too fast given the hills and the heat, but I don't think so given pretty normal heart rates and perceived exertion.

Then between 8.5 and 9.5 I really slowed, and from 9.5 to the end it was a real struggle. Which is weird because that's when the course eases and the main hills end. Some walking, some slow running for those last 3 1/2 miles. And I stopped again at about mile 10 for another required pit stop. I never thought a half marathon could be a survival event!

Eat something closer to the event. If I ever start to have issues, eat sooner during the event and let it settle in. Take the hit on time while the nutrition sorts itself out.

Food, walking, some light stretching, trading lies with everyone else.

The pre-race nutrition problems were probably the big factor. I don't think this was a training issue today, but a prep and execution issue. I'd done several long runs of this distance at faster pace with no problems and with plenty left in the tank at the end. Respect the heat and have something in my stomach to absorb all the water I needed to stay cool. I guess with what I had eaten and how much I needed to drink early in the race, there was no surprise I had problems since the water had nowhere else to go.

Good venue, huge field for the course I thought. It took a while to settle out. Challenging course with many hills in the second half.