ROCK ON!
I did it! My first ever big race! The Rock 'N' Roll Half Marathon was everything it promised: a fun, party-like atmosphere with 11,536 revelous runners and walkers – 8,291 of whom finished. In true form, the fastest non-Kenyan runner placed 11th. We Red Rovers ran together as usual. Deanna's dog Tehya ran with us as she always does, but Arrow got left behind. The bands were spaced about a mile apart although there was a bit of a gap between miles 7 and 8 as we passed through some residential neighborhoods. There were plenty of people watching the race on their front lawns and other spots along the course. It was a perfect day and much warmer than expected for early October. By the time we crossed the finish line it was already 80 degrees.
My custom insoles seem to have broken in, as I had no chafing problems today. (My liberal application of Body Glide surely helped, too.) But the race was not without difficulty. My right IT band started giving me problems around mile 5; it might've been caused by trying to catch up with the group after going to the bathroom at mile 3. I slowed down a little and stretched my right IT every mile. Although I had my IT band strap with me, I chose not to cinch the darn thing as it seems like every time I've strapped something it was the kiss of death. Unlike previous episodes there wasn't any stiffness in the lateral hamstring; it was all on the side of the knee. The stiffness came and went, but around mile 10, some extra adrenaline and endorphins kicked in and the pain went away. From mile 12 onward I started gunning like crazy toward the finish line and completed the course in 2:33:19 (11:42 pace). Of course now I'm craving lots of ice and Motrin. Complete split times:
To get a sense of how long 13.1 miles actually is, check out this virtual tour of the course (dial-up version here).
I had so much energy today that I know I'll be able to power through the full marathon in December if I can just vanquish my muscle problems once and for all. I'll try squeezing in an appointment with Gina tomorrow to get the kinks kneaded out again. I may have to trim back my schedule a second time, but now that I know what I'm up against, I should be able to ramp back up more completely and sure-footedly than before.
My custom insoles seem to have broken in, as I had no chafing problems today. (My liberal application of Body Glide surely helped, too.) But the race was not without difficulty. My right IT band started giving me problems around mile 5; it might've been caused by trying to catch up with the group after going to the bathroom at mile 3. I slowed down a little and stretched my right IT every mile. Although I had my IT band strap with me, I chose not to cinch the darn thing as it seems like every time I've strapped something it was the kiss of death. Unlike previous episodes there wasn't any stiffness in the lateral hamstring; it was all on the side of the knee. The stiffness came and went, but around mile 10, some extra adrenaline and endorphins kicked in and the pain went away. From mile 12 onward I started gunning like crazy toward the finish line and completed the course in 2:33:19 (11:42 pace). Of course now I'm craving lots of ice and Motrin. Complete split times:
| Distance | Time | Pace (per mile) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| From start | From split | ||
| 5K | 37:06 | 11:57 | 11:57 |
| 10K | 1:11:49 | 11:34 | 11:11 |
| 10 mi. | 1:59:28 | 11:57 | 12:36 |
| 1/2 marathon | 2:33:19 | 11:42 | 10:56 |
To get a sense of how long 13.1 miles actually is, check out this virtual tour of the course (dial-up version here).
I had so much energy today that I know I'll be able to power through the full marathon in December if I can just vanquish my muscle problems once and for all. I'll try squeezing in an appointment with Gina tomorrow to get the kinks kneaded out again. I may have to trim back my schedule a second time, but now that I know what I'm up against, I should be able to ramp back up more completely and sure-footedly than before.
posted by Tony Le at
5:08 PM
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