June 2017 Running Challenge

Dam to Dam Half Marathon (6/3/17)
This will be very long for me. I am usually pretty short with my reports.

HOT HOT HOT! That’s the primary word. The race weekend started with a FB post by the race medical director warning about the heat and humidity, suggesting we not run if we haven’t trained in the heat and definitely not to push for a PR.

Alarm went off at 4:15 a.m., which is a normal weekday time for me, so no problem. Had two cups of coffee and headed out the door to catch the bus near the finish line that took me to the start.

Saw a lot of road construction on the way to the Dam for the start. This is why the route changed this year. Sweating on the bus ride is a bad sign of things to come. Milled around the start area, drank some extra water, used the port-a-potty. The announcer suggests we all add a minute per mile to our expected pace and just focus on finishing, not trying for a PR. Seems reasonable. I check my phone and it is 68° F.

The start was the normal jostle of people. Perhaps a little thinner than years past. I wonder how many of the max race capacity of 8000 didn’t even come to the start? About two miles in things had spread out and I’m feeling comfortable. Doesn’t seem too hot, but it is still early and shady. I decide to take water at the first stop…something I never do. After that stop, I decide I will drink a little at each stop AND walk through the stops.

First six miles are pretty uneventful. Pace is slower than usual, I walk through water stops. People are taking walk breaks. The revised route is not bad. At about six miles, we hit the first of two hills that have taken the place of the one bigger hill that is on the normal route. As always, I pass a lot of people on the way up, but more of them are walking than usual. The second, slightly larger, hill quickly follows the first. At the top, we have hit 7.5 miles. Legs are feeling good, but it has gotten much hotter! My pace is averaging ~9:00 so, it has been a little over an hour. My phone now says it is 76°! From here on out, there is less shade. I drink a little powerade at the water stop…I have NEVER done this before. This is where the race changed, not so much for me, but for a lot of people.

Going down a long, sunny, open hill between 7.5 and 8.5, there are many people walking and quite a few stopping to sit down. At the bottom of the hill I see the first runner down with people helping him and an ambulance on the way. Very unnerving. At about mile 9, we head into a park area for a short burst with more shade, it ends with the final small incline, which again has many people walking. My splits are creeping up a bit, but average is still under 9:00. The 10th mile feels extremely hot and there is little air movement. I keep checking to make sure I am still sweating. More walkers. We can now see the buildings downtown in front of us, so the end is literally in sight. Mile 11 is along the river, but is quite exposed to the sun. Even in years past, I have found this part hot and uncomfortable…worse now. Each successive split is now slower than the last. Mile 12 starts ok, but by the end of it, we have hit the last long stretch that is normally really hot/sunny and is longer this year due to the revised course. People are stopping to sit, LOTS of walker, I hear much self talk out loud and many people encouraging each other. More runners down with assistance and one more ambulance.

My final mile split was the slowest of the day, despite being completely flat. 9:34. I reach the 200M sign and there is a big cheering crowd. I try to pick it up just to finish and get water / food / rest, but not a lot left. Look at Strava and realize I will finish under 2:00:00 by seconds. Cross the finish line, and my self time is 1:59:24. Grab the medal and decide I definitely do not want to wear it. Look at my phone, temperature is now 81° and it is just after 9:00 a.m.! Get a bottle of water, a bottle of Powerade and drink both quickly while walking to the food area. The generic-brand vanilla ice cream is again the best thing I have ever eaten. I have a few other things to eat and then head for the car as I need to shower and head to my son’s baseball tournament two hours away. So glad I finished, didn’t hurt myself and managed the heat OK.

Checked later for my official time, and apparently they had a chip issue. So, my official time is “gun time” and is 2:01:47. This shouldn’t be a big deal, but is somehow irritating. Only 5756 finishers, compared to ~7000 usually. Men’s race winner was from Orlando…go figure!

Thanks for listening. (or not )

WOW! This thread is motivating AF!!