Question:
Race: Big Lake Half Marathon
Location: Alton, New Hampshire
Race Goal: 7:30 pace (1:38:20)
Report: This is the race I had been training for since starting to run
again 7 months ago.
The field was limited to 1200 for race quality purposes since it is a
fairly small area. The race was chip timed. Start was pretty well
controlled and nobody seemed to be to out of position pace wise.
Wanted to start slow and I actually did for a change with the first
mile being a 7:52. Second mile came in at 7:23 so I was pretty much on
schedule. Miles three thru six are a gradual uphill and were 7:33,
6:51, 7:32 and 7:30 respectively. Everybody seemed to think the mile
mark was wrong on mile four so those times may be slightly off. I was
feeling pretty good at this point, although at mile five I got a
bolder of a rock in my shoe which I first stopped to try to get out
but it fell down further and I wasn't going to take my shoe off in the
middle of a race. Back to the race, mile seven was downhill and was
7:08. Mile eight was relatively flat and came in at 7:23. Mile nine
has a pretty good hill which I was hoping with the hill training I've
been doing would be easy, but I lost some time and ended up with a
8:05 mile. From here on in the course is what I would call flat to
slightly rolling. I had hoped I would be able to pick up a little and
come in under the 7:30 pace goal. Mile ten was fine and was 7:26 but
then I hit a rough spot at mile eleven with a 7:55 and the 7:30 pace
goal went out the window. I got it back a little the last 2.1 miles
with a 7:49, a 7:28 and a :45 last tenth for a finishing time of
1:38:44 (1:38:39 chip time) and 7:32 pace.
Splits:
1) 7:52
2) 7:23
3) 7:33
4) 6:51
5) 7:32
6) 7:30
7) 7:08
8) 7:23
9) 8:05
10) 7:26
11) 7:55
12) 7:49
13) 7:28
.1) :45
Finish: 1:38:44 (171st out of 1,080 finishers)
Notes: I guess I'm happy with the race. I tend to be a little critical
and 7:32 vs. 7:30 is a big difference to me, but if I hadn't had a bad
mile eleven I would have made my goal. They had car-boom gel at the
halfway point which in hindsight I should have tried out on a training
run, because it did not go down well at all. I'm also not drinking
enough and I'm thinking about wearing my water bottle next time so I
don't have to worry about hitting all the water stops. One last thing,
my superfeet inserts saved the day for me. When I got home I found the
rock that had got in my shoe earlier. I was flat on one side and
pointy on the other and as luck would have it the pointy side impaled
itself into the superfoot so it was smooth on my foot.
Now I have a month before fall marathon training starts. I need a 3:20
to qualify for Boston and If this race is any indication, I need to
improve allot to meet that goal. I think I need to train for a 3:15 so
I'll have a cushion since I seem to have some bad patches at the end
of a race.
Answer:> Race: Big Lake Half Marathon
> Location: Alton, New Hampshire
> Race Goal: 7:30 pace (1:38:20)
> Report: This is the race I had been training for since starting to run
> again 7 months ago.
> Finish: 1:38:44 (171st out of 1,080 finishers)
Congratulations. I'd say you did great!
> Notes: I guess I'm happy with the race. I tend to be a little critical
> and 7:32 vs. 7:30 is a big difference to me, but if I hadn't had a bad
> mile eleven I would have made my goal. They had car-boom gel at the
> halfway point which in hindsight I should have tried out on a training
> run, because it did not go down well at all. I'm also not drinking
> enough and I'm thinking about wearing my water bottle next time so I
> don't have to worry about hitting all the water stops.
Or learn to drink without slowing down too much. The weight of carrying
the water bottle may be more of a hinderance than having to slow down for
an aid station, IMO
> Now I have a month before fall marathon training starts. I need a 3:20
> to qualify for Boston and If this race is any indication, I need to
> improve allot to meet that goal. I think I need to train for a 3:15 so
> I'll have a cushion since I seem to have some bad patches at the end
> of a race.
The good news is that time is on your side. Do you have a particular
marathon program that you are going to use? Do you have any other races
scheduled before the marathon?
>As far as races are concerned I was hoping to find a half marathon about 3
>weeks before the marathon, but there is nothing around here so I'll have to
>travel to find one.
