Hobbler Half Marathon
Finally! My first race this year with no big headwind (See Moab 1/2 and UV 1/2) and one that I feel somewhat decent about the outcome. I felt good this morning and really enjoyed the course. Fun and pretty well organized race. Definitely one that I'll recomment and look forward to doing again in the future. Finished 4th overall behind Kyle Perry (1:08:51), Fritz (1:09:23), and Seth Wold (1:11:19). Compared to the Moab 1/2 and UV 1/2 earlier this year, I felt a little more speed in the legs and can tell my conditioning is getting better. Obviously, the lack of the headwind today was a big positive factor compared to those races and this course is definitely faster than Moab 1/2 (but maybe not UV 1/2). Fitness is still not to the level that I was at this time last year, but it seems to be heading in the right direction. I had a good 8-mile cool-down with Fritz after the race. He is an absolute stud and I having nothing but respect and admiration for the dude. He put up another great race/time today, as expected.
Splits and brief narrative are given below. There's an obvious progressive slowdown that largely corresponds with the change in the race terrain and general fatiguing:
1 - 5:18 (Kyle, Fritz, Seth, and Steve Sumison quickly form the lead pack. I'm alone and 5-10 seconds back)
2 - 5:16 (cruising down the fork; steadily but slowly gaining ground on the 4th place Steve. I'm pretty confident I will catch him eventually)
3 - 5:19 " "
4 - 5:19 " "
5 - 5:12 " "
6 - 5:22 (out of the fork and into the main channel of the canyon, briefly on a dirt path (slight loss of momentum) and then onto a paved path. I lose sight of Kyle, Fritz, and Seth but am still closing in on Steve)
7 - 5:21 (rollers)
8 - 5:26 (weaving path; took a GU at about 8.6, should have taken it a little earlier)
9 - 5:26 (more weaving path)
10 - 5:28 (back on the main road, pretty straight, slight down. I finally pass Steve Sumison here to take 4th place).
11 - 5:35 (pretty straight, slight down. Was feeling good, split should have been faster, but my legs were losing speed. I can see Seth up in the distance whose fallen off the back of the other two. He's still aways up there, can I catch him?..)
12 - 5:33 (same as 11, but more pronounced decline, closing in on Seth)
13 - 6:00 (slightly up jaunt back up to the park, bad split, getting closer to Seth but I know there's not enough course to catch him)
0.1 - 0:59 (my Garmin measured this 0.19 miles)
Garmin distance: 13.19; 1:11:39; 5:25 ave./mi. I'm curious if anyone else measured the course a tad long? Maybe I just ran the tangents bad. Mile markers seemed to be pretty close except the last little bit.
I should go out and ride tonight. I've got the energy, but my motivation is lacking. | 