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Race Report: Summer Breeze Half Marathon
Aug. 5th, 2013 09:57 amLast Saturday I ran the Summer Breeze Half Marathon in San Leandro, California.
Even though I've run nearly a dozen Marathons in the past four years, I've only just started running half marathons. I ran my first two this year, and so far my PR was 2:13. My first goal with this half was to set a new PR, and my second goal was to run a sub-two hour half.
It was cloudy and cool for the Summer Breeze Half, perfect running weather! The course was fairly flat along the San Francisco Bay, and it's not one of the bigger races, so the stampede wouldn't be as bad of a traffic jam. The course ran along park paths though, including short bridges where it's only possible to run single file each way. That and there were civilians on the path as well, jogging, strolling, and walking doggies.
I started out at a good pace, keeping around 9:30 to 9 minute to 8:30 paces. I tried to keep myself from going too fast and burning out too quickly. Even though I felt I was keeping a good and steady pace, my Garmin told me I was going under a 9 minute pace, and a few times under and 8 minute pace!
I felt fairly good when I hit three miles. The weather stayed cool with no sun breaking out, and I tried keeping pace with some runners who passed me up. By the halfway point I was at exactly one hour. I knew it was going to be a stretch to come in under two hours at this point, not unless I could come up with negative splits.
By mile nine I was still keeping up my pace. I kept telling myself I was going to slow down around mile ten or so, so I could go for it in the last few miles, but I kept on chugging at my regular pace. I decided to just roll with it.
After mile eleven, I knew I would set a new PR, but would most likely not finish under two hours. My pace was slowing down, but just barely so. I pretty much managed a steady pace throughout the whole race and finished at 2:02:24. So close!
A new PR yes, but not under two. I wonder if I should have taken one or two walking breaks to rev myself up, and if it would've helped, but I just took off and held that pace for pretty much the whole race. No burnout or significant slowdown. w00t!
Stuff on the course: An elderly woman who was one of the half walkers, (They started way early,) wearing a shirt that said "This is what fast looks like." On the way back I saw the back of her shirt. "...In slow motion." A chihuahua on a leash, juping up and down, barking and lunging at all of the runners going by, trying to say hello to every one of us! One woman had a radio on her belt, playing it without earphones. I managed to pass her several times, but she always caught up. "I can always hear you coming." I told her. :)
Even though I've run nearly a dozen Marathons in the past four years, I've only just started running half marathons. I ran my first two this year, and so far my PR was 2:13. My first goal with this half was to set a new PR, and my second goal was to run a sub-two hour half.
It was cloudy and cool for the Summer Breeze Half, perfect running weather! The course was fairly flat along the San Francisco Bay, and it's not one of the bigger races, so the stampede wouldn't be as bad of a traffic jam. The course ran along park paths though, including short bridges where it's only possible to run single file each way. That and there were civilians on the path as well, jogging, strolling, and walking doggies.
I started out at a good pace, keeping around 9:30 to 9 minute to 8:30 paces. I tried to keep myself from going too fast and burning out too quickly. Even though I felt I was keeping a good and steady pace, my Garmin told me I was going under a 9 minute pace, and a few times under and 8 minute pace!
I felt fairly good when I hit three miles. The weather stayed cool with no sun breaking out, and I tried keeping pace with some runners who passed me up. By the halfway point I was at exactly one hour. I knew it was going to be a stretch to come in under two hours at this point, not unless I could come up with negative splits.
By mile nine I was still keeping up my pace. I kept telling myself I was going to slow down around mile ten or so, so I could go for it in the last few miles, but I kept on chugging at my regular pace. I decided to just roll with it.
After mile eleven, I knew I would set a new PR, but would most likely not finish under two hours. My pace was slowing down, but just barely so. I pretty much managed a steady pace throughout the whole race and finished at 2:02:24. So close!
A new PR yes, but not under two. I wonder if I should have taken one or two walking breaks to rev myself up, and if it would've helped, but I just took off and held that pace for pretty much the whole race. No burnout or significant slowdown. w00t!
Stuff on the course: An elderly woman who was one of the half walkers, (They started way early,) wearing a shirt that said "This is what fast looks like." On the way back I saw the back of her shirt. "...In slow motion." A chihuahua on a leash, juping up and down, barking and lunging at all of the runners going by, trying to say hello to every one of us! One woman had a radio on her belt, playing it without earphones. I managed to pass her several times, but she always caught up. "I can always hear you coming." I told her. :)