Race Report

So, I woke up early this morning to do another half-marathon. This was a memorial run for troops killed in the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Short Aside

Unlike the Stuttgart Half Marathon, I really didn't do any specific training for this one. Since that race was less than a month ago I just repeated the last 2 weeks of my program for that. I'd read something online about trying that method which put my mind at ease a bit. They also offered a simultaneous 5k. I'm glad I opted for the half marathon though.

End Aside

This all sounded like a good plan until they published the route about a week ago. Now, for your education, the Stuttgart Half Marathon was run through the streets of the city of Stuttgart, in a valley. So while there were some hills, it was mostly flat. For your viewing pleasure, the height profile of the Stuttgart Half Marathon:

Now, there are no height markers on that one, but the starting elevation was 218 meters, and the max elevation was somewhere near the 10th km and was about 258 meters.

The toughest parts of that race were the numbers and the heat. (See the post for details.)

Below is the elevation profile of the race from this morning. You'll note the slight difference.

Yeah, it was pretty miserable. I knew I was in for it right from the start. We started off on cobblestone (normal for around here), then shifted quickly to a dirt fire road, which quickly began a precipitous descent and transitioned into a rocky, muddy, rooty slope. Two immediate thoughts:

1. I wish I'd worn my trail running shoes. (Wait, I don't own trail running shoes!)
2. This is going TO SUCK on the way back. (It was an out and back course.)

And yes, it did suck on the way back.

My goal was to beat the Stuttgart time. Aside from the course I figured I had a few things going for me:

• I'd done a good, longish speed work session recently. Over 8 miles at the pace I wanted to run the half at. I hadn't done that before the Stuttgart half.
• Numbers. Stuttgart had well over 15,000. This one had about 80.
• Weather. Over 30C for Stuttgart, about 15-20C for this one.

So I went out with the intent of trying, despite the hills, to beat my time from Stuttgart. I pushed pretty hard, especially on the climbs, then tried to recover as much as possible on the down hills. It seemed to work pretty well.

Until I got back to that muddy hill of despair. I didn't get passed going up, mostly b/c everyone else was just as beat (even the 5k runners who ended up mixed in with us towards the end, and must have helped me sub-consciously push the pace). It was a case running-gate, walking-pace. But I figured I could pick it up again at the top. Fat chance. I got to the top, with less than 1km to go, and I just couldn't pick it up. It was just like my nemesis from my lunch time runs.

Overall results were good. Better than I expected. I beat my previous best by over 7 minutes! Very happy. Slept most of the afternoon.

Uh-oh

I think someone stuck a hidden camera in a staff meeting:

In The Know: Situation In Nigeria Seems Pretty Complex

Firecracker!

This morning I ran the local Fourth of July 5k. I'm quite pleased with the final results. Without any training for a 5k (only the half training to fall back on), I managed to best my previous PR for 5k by more than a minute. Which leads me to question the distance of the race. I'm not entirely sure it was really a full 5k. I'll measure it later but for now I'll bask in the glow of my success.

Even better, I finished 3rd overall in my age division (although, if the race was run last Saturday I would have finished 2nd) and 15th over all. The top two finishers were also the top two in my age group. They finished about 5 minutes before me. Still, I'm happy with the results.

Now, as for the organization. The roads weren't closed, but that didn't really matter because there wasn't any traffic to speak of, and the two spots were there might have been traffic there were police to keep the roads clear.

The issue was advertising. The only way I found out about it was the local "Fourth of July Events" flier. It was not advertised on the website where races are normally advertised. I'm kind of surprised they had the turn out they did (about 60).

As a temper to my happiness, I did get 'out-kicked' by a 14 year old. Again. Oh-well.

Update 5 July

Well, it was too good to be true. The race yesterday was only 4.74k, so my time wasn't as good as I'd thought. In fact, my pace was a hair slower than my previous PR, so I've "re-instated it".

The Continuing Saga...

Today, I had the first speed session that I've been remotely happy with in over a month. I went out for a short fartlek at lunch and it wasn't 'Bad.' It wasn't great, but it wasn't bad. Even my nemesis the hill wasn't that bad. I pushed up it as hard as I could, without slowing to a snail's pace.

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For those of you following the continuing saga of the amorous couple: no sighting today, however, I think they're bringing their relationship out into the open. On Monday, (in addition to seeing a guy running in shorts and body armor) I spotted them out enjoying their 'lunch.'

Their cars were parked in the normal location (one small hatchback, one mini-van/MPV with two children's (?) name stickers on the back windows). But instead of being pressed up against each other between the cars, they were across the road leaning up against a railing. (Have I mentioned before that this location is about 50m from a sewage treatment plant? I hope I'd pick a better spot for an amorous rendezvous.)