RunColo Blog

10/31- 10 miles with 4*2 mins at half marathon race pace
11/01 - 12 miles
11/02 - 7 miles
11/03 - 18 miles on Platte
11/04 - 8 miles
11/05 - Heart Center Rockies Half Marathon in 1:20:24 (6:08 pace) + 1 mile warmup
11/06 - off

Total 69.1 Miles

* Going into the half marathon on Saturday, told myself that I needed to run a <1:20 if I thought I would have a shot PR at Philly Marathon. Before the race started I was tired, tired from work not so much running, had little desire to race. The first five miles were around a lake in Loveland and on a concrete path that turned into a dirt path at times, the path still had some snow on it, icy in spots. That first mile I could not get going, ran a 6:15. I think I'm the only runner in America that can't get off the line quickly, unlike everyone else who sprints out of the start, I'm like the Tortoise in Aesops fable.

Those first few miles were tricky, poor footing and a lot of moving back and forth to avoid the ice. The mile markers were also WAY off, I'd hit one and it would be a tenth of a mile too long, the next one would be a tenth of a mile too short, thus I wasn't confident that the course would be accurate.

The race is point-to-point and after five miles of running around a lake we got out onto the open roads, which was a welcomed relief. However, once on the open road we had a fairly stiff headwind. A headwind is never fun, but with a point-to-point race I thought to myself "are we going to have a head wind for the next 8.1 miles?" At this point I was running alone and would run the rest of the race alone, not passing anyone nor was I ever passed.

At mile ten we turned into Boyd State Park and we finally had the wind to our back. I started to push it those last few miles and knocked off a 6:02 11th mile, 6:02 12th mile and a 5:55 13th mile. I finished in 1:20:24, had the course at 13.18, some people thought it was long, but I'll give them the benefit of the doubt that the course was accurate but the first five mile markers were not.

It wasn't the time I was looking for, still a half marathon PR for me though. I think had the course not had been icy and the start/finish would have been in the same spot, the sub 1:20 effort was there. Thus, not too worried. Once I got moving, first time in a while where my legs felt like they had some life in them.