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Eversource Hartford Half Marathon

October 10, 2015 (Morning)

Exercise Type: Run

Comments:
Race day! Really looking forward to it. Not to waking up. Got up before 5am, headed out while it was still dark at 5:30. Woke up ok though and felt ready to run. Got to Hartford right as sun was coming up. It was feeling a little chilly. I was all bundled up in warmups though and felt comfortable. We got there earlish and had time to walk around the park and to use the potties before the line got too long. No real warm up today, dropped our gear off with 30 mins to the start and tried to find another short porta potty line, but it was crazy. By then it was packed and people were making their way to the line, right infront of the state capitol. I felt ready to run, not necessarily race because of the no warm up. Also had to pee... Still feeling solid, had an old Puds Run shirt on that had essentially no back to it and some gloves to keep me kinda warm. I tossed it to the side right before the national anthem. I got to the line relatively early, and got my good placing, but as more people came in I slowly moved back further. No idea where I was really, maybe near the 8:00 pace people. Right around start time, the sun came out and people seemed pretty pumped to go. Start was congested, just felt like a group run. There were so many people I had to go with the crowd and work my way around. Pace felt very comfortable. Started out of Bushnell Park and looped back through downtown and then over to the ghetto side of Hartford when we split off from the marathon after 1 mile. It was still packed up there, felt solid running with my group. It honestly felt pretty effortless, didnt try to pass people but it just happened naturally it seemed. I still had to pee though... Kept that in mind the whole time. At around 2.5 there were some porta potties and I knew it was time. I went right in, did what I needed to, and bolted out. I think it took around a minute. By that time, the runners I was with were way ahead and the slowed people I just passed had caught up. Folded in right with the 1:35 pacer around the 4 mile mark and stuck with those guys for a while all through the Spanish side of town. Again, I naturally started to pull way from them, just too slow. From 4 to 7 I pretty much just kept passing people and moving up. Felt great through that whole part, great crowd encouragement, nice neighborhoods, and the sun was coming out making it a surprisingly amazing day. Never got so hot I felt like over heating, but I was so comfortable in the black Case jersey. Approaching the 7 mile mark, the clock had me exactly on 7 minute pace, but I knew realistically I was going a bit below that, right on my goal time. I got caught in no mans land going along the edge of St. Josephs College, but finally caught another guy that was all alone. He was a first time runner from South Hadley looking to stay on 7:00 pace. Perfect! We matched up and chatted, paced off each other for the next few miles. Helped me move along well, I still wasnt feeling that much fatigue at that point. We hit Elizabeth Park at 9 miles, and I realized that if I wanted to break 1:30, I needed to find the pacer fast, since I hadnt caught up with him yet. I needed to keep averaging sub 7:00 for the last 4 miles. I dropped my buddy and the pack we caught and surged through the whole park. It was a nice transition and turning point in the race. Outta the park and it was all downhill. There werent many runners around but I kept using them to pick off and move up. The fans and the musical acts were great though, just felt so fun to fly along the road and see them all cheering us on. No idea where the mile markers were at that point and it made me a little nervous, since I knew the clock was ticking. Last 2 miles were brutal, just pushing myself, finally feeling like I was truly racing. It was unfamiliar, and I definitely went in waves of strong and weak surges. I had some other people who were pushing hard to the finish to work with. That last stretch seemed really long, just a straight shot back downtown along Farmington Ave, one of the main drives. It had little hilly blips. Right when I got on it I came over a crest and saw the 1:30 pacer. Finally caught up to him with my surges. He was my motivation to push those last few miles. Caught him with about a mile to go, that left me with maybe 2 guys and a gal who were really starting to kick it in. No idea where the end was, but we came back down to the beginning of the loop through downtown, but pulled off and ran over to the finish in Bushnell Park. I kept trading places with those around me, but finally saw the 13 mile mark and started my kick. Finish was great, under the arch and into the huge finish chute. I think I kicked enough to pass those guys around me. Threw up the "VL" right as I crossed the line. I hope they caught that on camera. Felt more tired in my gut and upperbody than in my legs when I finished. Winded for sure but not from a spring, just a long drawn out surge. Definitely felt like a different kinda of racing. Walked along and got some water, my medal and foot, pretty stoked that I broke 1:30 and basically negative split the whole thing. I honestly dont think I got passed at all the entire time, even near the end where I caught those guys into the finish. Walked over to the state capitol and my legs just locked up. Weird feeling all of a sudden the cramps just came on, I bet thats what it feels like after a marathon. I had to jog out a little bit. My stomach also hit the wall and I cooled down back over to the 5k start to get to the porta potty. Felt much better then and made my way back to look for Rachel as she finished. Luckily I caught her right around the time I got back. Great runs for both of us and it was just a lot of fun. Good atmosphere. Rested and sat down in the park and got some food and our gear back. Snapped a decent selfie with my new medal. We hung around for a while at the beer tent and watching some of the marathoners finish. It was just great the park was packed and so much was going on. Legs were super sore at that point and I just tried to walk it off. Got to sit and relax on the drive back. It was so nice out and the sun was up. Beautiful day great for running. Achilles was kinda tight during the race, but I just kinda ran through it and it eventually went away. I didnt focus on it focused on passing people and running smart and strong. Worked out really well. Solid race. Very tired when I got home though, and stomach didnt feel fully recovered. I didnt get any water stops during the race so that probably didnt make my stomach happy. Results were:

Gun Time- 1:29:04
Chip Time- 1:28:48
Watch Time taking into account bathroom break around 2 miles in- 1:27:30

100/5059 overall
86/2069 male
15/130 M20-24

Ill take the watch time. Splits from 5 to 10 to finish were great too. 7:06 to 6:54 to 6:47. Perfect negative split cut down. So pumped with how my training made for a great race, and that I got the chance to rep old school Case and race again. I like the half marathon distance. You can really block it out into sections, and the beginning just feels so fun. I bet with some solid speed work and training partners I could get to those much lower times. But for now Ill take this. Definitely makes me want to train for another and commit to some serious marathon training. I think the full is a totally different beast from the half though and I would still love to do one. Props to Hartford for putting on a good show as well. Good stuff.