Colorado Half Marathon at Fort Collins, 2010.

The half-marathon I've been specifically training for went smoothly today, without a hitch. I ran hard the entire distance, yet that effort failed to yield a negative split--second half was a bit slower than the first, just enough to keep me from breaking the 2:00 hr barrier. I gambled that I'd have more left at the end than I wound up having, but it was close and I don't regret the strategy.

It's a beautiful course. I was surprised to see only 3 miles of it was actually in the canyon, mostly at the mouth. So the bulk of the run is farming country, which I always find a real pleasure to run in. Temps were in the 40s and 50s, perfect for hard effort.

Average pace was 9:35, just off my goal of 9:30. Had I set my Garmin Forerunner correctly to give me a computed pace average, I'd have pegged it. Total time varied depending on measure, but since it was a Boston Marathon qualifier using chip technology I'll take that one at 2:07:59. My Garmin had me at 2:04 something--I forgot to shut it off, so it ran until 2:06:17, an extra .08m of walking/staggering.

[05.10.2010 comment:
The difference in time between my Garmin and the chip technology was the result of my failure to override the Garmin AutoPause function, failing to account for the brief facilities stop I made at mile 12. That's a timing penalty I pay with great gratitude to the gods and to the organizers of the event, for having facilities available.]

Coach's prediction of 2:05 turned out to be pretty darned accurate--great job. At 1:00 hr I was exactly at 6.77m, just over half-way.

If I'd had anything left at the end I'd have broken 2:00 hrs. Next time.

I didn't leave anything on the course. I was drained in that last half mile, sucking wind pretty hard, lucky to be putting one foot in front of the other and not splaying all over the pavement. Family cheering gave me reason to stand up straight and look better than I felt, and even then Claudia could see I was a goner. A shower and a little power nap when I got back to Timalyn's was all I needed to be back and full of energy.

Results aren't posted online yet, but if I'm correctly reading the printed postings on the window at CooperSmiths, I was 3rd in my age group. [05.10.10: added above.] That I was running with Larry Avery--a great runner I've really admired--who came it at 1:42, puts my mind completely at ease. Moving up in the rankings was absolutely not even the remotest possibility, so I don't have to beat myself up for not pushing just a little bit harder. Nope. 3rd is terrific.

Positions: Men, 266/419, 37th %ile. Overall 627/1446, 57th %ile. I'm always gratified to see when my training puts me above the 50th, which I did this time overall and in my age group. In the athletic running community of Colorado, I like knowing I'm doing what I can.

The orthotics in my right shoe created some pain in the last few miles and gave me a pretty good blister--the first I've ever had from running. As soon as that quiets down I'll be ready to be back out on the trail, in the hunt again for that sub-2.

I've shaved several minutes off my previous PR. At age 65 I feel good about that--a real payoff for months of patient and systematic training through a good cold winter, and for sure a reflection of great professional advice.

Thanks, Coach!

Now if I can just get him to put his long-anticipated and planned website up, I can link to it. The world ought to know about good coaching, and the difference it makes for a runner.

The event? Extremely well organized, thoughtfully prepared, efficient. Bus transport to the start was smooth and effortless, the refreshments and water were timely, the facilities generous. The biggest challenge was preparing running wear for the varied temperatures. The bag system went flawlessly, and I was glad to have a running pack with me to store my gloves and cold-weather hat. Others just used cheap gear and disposed of it along the way, a suitable option.  Awards ceremony required a humongous wait standing on pavement. I was in no condition for that.

For sure I'll be in line for another go around of this one, next May.

[home]