S5H.
T=38-40 degrees. Sunshine, calm wind. Ran in short, tank top, and gloves.
Drank 1 gallon of Gatorade on Saturday and ½ gal on Sunday morning. Took 4 GUs: 2 at starting time, 1 at mile 4th, and 1 at mile 10th.
Warm up and drills about 1 mile.
Ran 3M half marathon at 7:27” pace average (PR). First half at 7:33” pace and second half at 7:22” pace.
It’s a fast course with a lot of gradual down hills. My previous half marathon PR was set at the same course 5 years ago when I ran at 7:45” pace. It was brutal the entire run and I thought I would collapse at the end. That year I also set my marathon PR at 3:44:45”.
This year it felt differently. I ran mostly at medium-hard to controlled comfortly hard effort. The pace that I felt I could sustain without breathing too hard and going into the oxygen debt. There were a few times during the first 3 miles that I started breathing heavily due to trying to keep up with someone who was running faster than I could. I chose to let them go, slowed down, and focus on maintaining my even running effort. Without the pressure of the pace group, I walked about 10-15 yards during water stops at every 2 miles, running up hills or down hills at my preferred speed, or speed up or slow down any time that I feel like it. At mile 10, since I have a lot of energy left, I was thinking of picking up the pace but decided not to. I was so content with my pace and my effort level that I do not want to risk it. At the end I believe I could run 3 more miles at this pace/effort level. Great run. Very encouraging!!!
This 3M half marathon is a fast course and it was part of the Freescale Marathon last year. This year, however, they had changed the Marathon course from a point to point to loop course. It is now a much hillier course. Most of the hills are from mile 7th to 17th.
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