Half marathon trail race.
This is a fundraiser for an arboretum. It is actually two
loops of a quarter marathon course on the trails at the arboretum.
My longest run of the year had been a 10 miler, twice, at about 8:50 pace.
So my goal was to be under 2 hours.
Low 60s = good. Cloudy = good. 80% humidity = ugh.
Up at 5am, drive an hour and a half, register, and they have a nice swag bag.
Hit the port-a-potty, prep and stretch, ready to go.
The lilacs are in bloom. They smell nice and don't bother my allergies.
Correct socks this time, best shoes, nothing ached, feeling ready to go.
Good news, the workers have used a 4-wheeler to chase the bear off the trail.
No kidding, they have a black bear hanging around.
I don't know what it did in the woods, but it left us alone on the trail.
Final instructions, and we are off.
Five years ago there were 125 finishers, last year
there was 60, so the starting crowd was not as big in the past,
most of them running the 1 loop 1/4 marathon.
Regular effort, slower on the uphills, faster on the downhills.
This is where I badly twisted my ankle 3 years ago, so I was
paying close attention to my footing.
Mile 1 in 9:03, mile 2 in 9:00, mile 3 in 8:30.
What? No way. The mile markers are off.
Steady effort through the first loop, according to mile marker 6
I am on 59 minute pace for the first loop, but actually come through
in 57:50. So the last marker is about 200 meters too far back.
The humidity starts to become a problem, I'm sweating, but it is
not evaporating because there is so much water already in the air.
They do have water stations every two miles, but that does only so much.
The heat gets to me and I start walking the steeper hills.
As expected I am slower this loop. But slowing down by 30 seconds
per mile would still get me home in under 2 hours.
I pick off a couple of struggling runners while trying to maintain.
I hit the last mile marker on pace for 2:00, but that might mean
1:59 if the markers are consistently off. The final stretch is flat
and fast. I kick for home and cross in 1:58:50. The official time
will be a few seconds longer. Splits of 57:50 and 1:01:00 for 6.55 miles.
So, longest run of the year, fastest half in 3 years, and no injuries.
A good race.
Bonus - 2nd place age group award.
A red ribbon shouldn't be worth $60, but I think this one is.
Now I'm at a fast food joint doing the nom nom nom thing.
Walking a little stiff, but actually feeling good.
UPDATE:
In the quarter marathon the first 7 places went to women.
My 1st loop split of :58 would have won my age group.
I finished 1 minute behind a 14 year old kid.
Mile 12 was 10:02 and mile 13 was 8:00 - no way,
bad mile markers, 9:30 (2 hills I walked up) and 8:30 (mostly downhill) are more like it.
