Adirondack Half Race Report

This report is all over the place in no particular order.

Overall Feeling

There are many many things I liked about this race.  I already liked that I negative split the two halves. As I was figuring out some stats about my race I also realized my fastest mile was my last mile!  Yeah! At first I thought it was my first mile but the last one beat it by two whole seconds. I would have liked it if all my miles were in the 9s but two got into the 10s. One just barely got there but the other one was solidly in - but following an awesome pace with a mile that was very hilly.  The second half was much hillier than the first.  I am so pleased with how I did. As I was racing I kept telling myself that I needed to be happy when I finished no matter my time. I was never sure that I would end with a pace in the 9s which is what I was shooting for.  But as I was racing I was having fun, running strong and I never got overly tired.  There were no dead miles. I felt good on the hills.  I had picked out various people I thought I would try to stay with for the race. All but one I ended up passing (and leaving in the dust). The one girl I stayed with was a fair ways ahead of me but I could always see her.  By the time  the race ended she was just in front of me.

The Numbers

Here are my mile splits.  The last mile was THE FASTEST with the first mile being second! Good way to start and end a race!

Mile 1: 9:24 

Mile 2: 9:54

Mile 3: 9:50

Mile 4: 9:36

Mile 5: 9:57

Mile 6: 9:38

Mile 7: 9:54  

Mile 8: 10:03

Mile 9: 9:51

Mile 10: 9:33 

Mile 11: 10:24

Mile 12: 9:57

Mile 13: 9:22

Lap 14 8:20

I was 3/19 in my age group!  I left before awards because it just did not occur to me I would win an age group prize.  So I did not get my maple syrup but I do get the satisfaction of knowing I placed!  I was 98/311 female runners. Then I was also surprised to see overall I was 208/498 runners. I always shoot to be in the top half but I don't expect to be in a half marathon.  My overall time was 2:08:55 and according to Garmin my pace was 9:47.  It was in the middle for time of the 5 halves I raced this year. I'll take it.  

 Organization

This was one well organized race.  Everything was worked out to a T.  I was surprised at the specatator support.  I particularly liked running through the Word of Life campus where it was beautiful and there were a lot of people and cheering.  I hadn't expected this.  There were plenty of water stops and port a lets.  The food afterwards was excellent including soda!  As I was leaving a race director (there was more than one) thanked me for coming to their race.  There was lots of parking and the whole town seemed supportive. I loved that the bus drivers had volunteer t-shirts. You don't always see that.  It is a race I would come back to and it wasn't as far from my house as I had thought it might be.

 The Course

As mentioned the course was scenic but hilly.  There were parts on Route 9 that were nothing special but they were also very hilly so I  was concentrating on getting up the hills, not the lack of scenery.  Even though there were lots of hills at least they were long and gradual not steep. Or as I am always saying when I am cycling they were "doable." 

 Best Pre Race Friend

Darlene got us coffee so our

eyes could be wide open for

the race!

Do you remember the coffee woes from yesterday's post. When I woke up this morning Darlene had already been to Stewarts and returned with coffee for both of us!  Problem solved!  

A Little Complaining

Of course I hugely appreciated the volunteers.  There were many of them and they gave so much time. There is a but though.  So many of them said completely the wrong things.  We were maybe 5 miles into the race when a volunteer kept telling people that the worst was behind us, it would all be easy now.  Well, we had 8 miles left and it was the hilly part. What was she thinking?  And at least one volunteer on every hill told us it was the last hill.  We were told that again and again and again and again. Finally one of them was right.  One other thing was that the mile markers were way off. I just ignored them and paid attention to my Garmin once I realized that.  The marathon ones seemed to be right, it was the halves that were way off.

Sharing my Shirt at School

Today at school I was showing my students my shirt.  They thought everyone got a shirt with a star near MY name.  Got to love them!  They know who the most important racer is.  
Also one student was immediately telling the others I won an award. Her parents were there and heard them announce it. Today the mother and I were "bonding" on email over other good races and race times. 

A Bloggy Meet Up

I got to spend a lot of time with Darlene whom I have raced with 3 times now.  I also met some of her friends, two of whom I follow their blogs.  There was Felice from The Happy Runner and Amanda from Manderez Road to a New Life.

And last but not least the medal. It's a fun one. I'll keep it.