I finished 55th overall (out of 909 runners) and third in my age group with a time of 1:38:23, but I was and still am disappointed. In this instance, I am actually happy to be disappointed as I think it will help make me a better runner.
On the positive side, the race itself was very well organized. The course was pretty and ran through an area of Raleigh that is rarely used for races. The volunteers were plentiful, enthusiastic and motivating and they had more than enough supplies to hand out to the runners during and after the race and the location of the start/finish area was easily accessible and had numerous exit routes that allowed me to get home while the race was still going on.
As for my performance, I know that the warmer temperatures (62F with 80% humidity) and the sunny stretch between miles 4 and 7 had an effect on me, but I came in to the race with some great training miles and test races behind me and my race was pretty much over by the 9 mile point.
I started out a little quick, but my breathing was under control for the most part - (Miles 1-5) 6:50, 6:57, 6:50, 6:49, 6:46. However, in hindsight, it probably was too quick and I knew it when the sun popped out of the clouds on Western Avenue and those rolling hills started to feel steeper and steeper. I went through 8K in 33:53 and 10K in 42:45 which would both be PRs - probably another sign I was going to quickly.
By the time the race course turned and entered the Greenway at around 7.5 miles I was hot and getting hotter. I had my water bottle with me and had been taking on fluids when I needed them, but the sun had got to me physically and mentally at this point. I had hoped for some relief on the Greenway but instead I got a wall of humidity. (Miles 6-8) 7:07, 7:08, 7:03. My pace had only slowed slightly, but I was on the edge.
I tried to slow down and compose myself but it wasn't working and I decided I needed to walk to cool down. The final miles were a combination of running and walking as I first battled my increased temperature and then battled the lack of desire after my PR time became unobtainable. (Miles 9-13) 8:08, 8:13, 8:07, 8:38, 9:03
I crossed the finish line, got my medal and some refreshments, congratulated some friends who had also finished the race and then headed home. I was annoyed at myself for not battling through the last few miles - even a 8:00 pace over the last five miles would have got me a new PR and was disappointed that I had missed my goal.
It is easy to blame the weather, which certainly played a part, but in hindsight, I think my early pace was probably more of a factor in my increased temperature. However, I think that the biggest factor in my failure was that I had convinced myself before the race that it was going to be too warm and when I started to feel warm during the race I was more aware of it. I know I am not a very good warm weather runner and mentally I don't seem to be able to get past it during a race.
So, I have some goals to run towards in the coming years! One day I'd like to run a 1:30 Half Marathon, which is 6:50/mile pace (ha, look, my first 5 miles were at that pace in this race!). More importantly though, I'd like to become a mentally stronger runner and be able to deal with things not going my way better during races. Running shorter races doesn't really help with that is they are over so quickly and there isn't really time for a long drawn out mental battle so it is something that will only come over time and through experience racing - and I got some good experience with that in the RunRaleigh Half Marathon!
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Great recap, Dave! I had a similar experience, though much slower, of course. Started out faster than I should have, got worn down mentally by the three miles into the sun on Western, started slowing down around mile 8 or 9, and had to grind my way through the last several miles. Big difference, I guess, is that I knew I hadn't properly prepared myself, so my expectations were pretty low and I finished between my ideal goal (2:20) and fall-back goal (2:30). Hoping to get back on track and aim for a new PR this fall.
ReplyDeleteOne other note, in response to your debate in the Preview post about what to do with your GU if you don't carry your water, I had the same issue and ended up investing in a Nathan's Shadow Pack (http://www.nathansports.com/our-products/runners-paks-music-carriers/runners-paks/shadow-pak). Worked well, though I'd never worn it before the race and ended up with a couple of scratches on my back (I wore it under my shirt, as there is only so much I can let my running geek flag fly). It was an impulse buy at Cap City RunWalk during packet pickup, so not too much research went into it, but happy I did it.