Breaking News - Half-Marathon Update!!

OK now that I've gone on about my baptism into the world of marathon running it's time to come back to modern day. We will come back to my sorted history in the running world, but for now I want to report on a Half Marathon I ran in this past weekend.

The Start and Finish was at the SLC Library

It was the in a Utah Marathon and Fittest State Festival inaugural marathon, half marathon, bike tour and Crazy Legs 5k. This one had an early start and I live about an hour away, so I took off from my house at 5:30am. When I got there it was fairly easy to get around the southwest part of the city and I paid $3 to park about 2 blocks from the start (a nice little warm up jog to the start). The weather was great at around 52 degrees so no winter gear needed. I lined up with the rest of the runners (no corrals, this one was small enough to start everyone together) had my tunes and adrenaline pumping and got ready to take on this new challenge.

Half Marathon Elevation

I had checked out the elevations prior to the race  so I knew the course would be hilly. What I didn't know is how early on the hills would come. The first hill hit at around the 2.5 mile marker (which was also the place where they split the half from the full). I decided then and there that I would do everything I could to power up the hills throughout the race. I had trained earlier in the year to to run a race in Spokane called the Mountain Goat Challenge, so I had put in some hill work earlier in the season, but hadn't really hit any hills since moving to Utah in August. I wasn't as confident in my ability to ascend to the top of the hills in this race. I set out to climb the first hill and to my surprise it seemed easier than I had thought. I shortened my stride and actually passed people on my way up the hill. Then about a quarter mile from the top of the first hill I realized my speed had slowed to a very slow jog. That's when I decided to stop and walk a a brisk pace to the top. Surprisingly my walking speed was just as fast as my running speed so I didn't  loose any time walking and expended less energy. My strategy changed at that moment, I would push myself up the hills as hard as I could(but not so hard that I would putter out at the top like the first hill) and then make up the time with an almost full sprint down.

SLC and the Capitol

The race seemed to wind through the most beautiful parts of Salt Lake City. We passed by East High School, (the site that played host to High School Musical 1,2, and 3) and wound our way through most of the University of Utah's campus. The turning point for me came at around mile 6. I turned a corner to start on one of many downhill stints and looked up to see clouds parting over some mountain ranges to the West and the sun shining down like a rain storm over those peaks. It was breathtaking! At mile 10 I got further inspiration as I passed the State Capitol. This spot has a special place in my heart because I gave my wife of 18 years a promise ring at a dance we attended there almost 19 years ago. That inspiration carried me through the next 3.1 miles.

I ran well the next leg of the race. I looked ahead and focussed on the runner directly in front of me. My goal was to slowly pick up my pace and catch up with him. I kicked up my speed for the last mile. To my surprise I had caught up and passed him with a quarter mile to go and quickly put distance between us. I put it on automatic and let my current pace take over. Apparently this inspiration thing works both ways, because just as I was getting to the finish line the runner that I had passed a quarter mile back whizzed by me and beat me by 2 seconds. I had forgotten all about him until that moment. To tell you the truth, I wasn't disappointed that he had passed me in fact I took pride in the fact that we silently pushed each other to run our best race. I also found out later that the runner that beat me was 18 years old. Not to shabby for 43 year old me.

In the end I clocked a 1:45:36 and came in 69th overall and 10th in my age group. Not my best time but not bad for a Saturday morning.

My next race will be on February 3rd the Surf City USA Marathon. I will be traveling to this one and staying at a hotel near the race. I will give a full account with pictures and recommendations. Now back to your regularly scheduled blog.