Baystate HM virgin - any tips? (Read 501 times)

Hey, I just made it in under the wire for registering for the Baystate HM and I'm curious if anyone else is running it, too. I live on the Cape and this will actually be my first HM. Okay, if truth be told it will be my first race EVER in my whole entire life - yikes. I've been told it's a super flat run and so hopefully, Cape Cod roads will be decent preparation for this race. I started running back in January (after a 15 years of no running) when a torn rotator injury sidelined my tennis game. I'm running about 30 miles a week give or take. My pace is generally between 8 mm & 8:30 mm. I shoot for 6 mile runs X 4 days a week with a long run thrown in at between 8-10 miles. I only recently decided to try this because I completely a 10-mile run and realized that much to my surprise I definitely could have gone further and this just might be an attainable goal. In fact, that 10-mile run was my best time yet for distance at 64:00. Anyway, we'll see... If you have any tips to throw my way I'd be most appreciative. I'm well aware that conventional wisdom generally dictates that perhaps a few 5 or 10K's under my belt might be prudent before this race but it isn't going to happen due to scheduling. I won't even bother posting a time goal (though I have one in my head) for this race because I don't want to jinx my run. Thanks in advance for any kindly advice. dari

10 miles in 1:04? Cool! (edited: ooopsie. I was writing this when you posted 1:24. Still... cool!) I've only been to Bay State once, and I did the full, but here's what I saw on the other side of the road for the half (they split the starts to either side of the road, and the half started a bit further back from the start of the full)... a whole lot of people. Bay State is most definitely flat. It finishes in the local minor league baseball stadium which is really cool. It's also not where the race started, though it is close. So, unless you already know Lowell, don't make the same mistake I made: ask someone to point you towards where you parked before you leave the stadium. Otherwise, you might wander around more than you need to. Other tips: 1. Just as with shorter races, don't try anything new on race day. I know it's longer than you are used to doing, but it is not supremely longer than a 10 miler. Big example: if you haven't been eating gels during your training runs or that 10 miler (and there's really no reason why you should have been), then don't start choking them down for the half just because it is 13.1 miles and has the word "marathon" in the title. 2. Eat sensibly. You don't need to carbo load for a half. Yes, eat carbs... just don't over-bloat on them. It'll just make you logey. 3. Show up early to score good parking. This may only apply to those of us who know squat about Lowell. But it seemed that people showing up closer to the start time were waiting in a loooong line to get in. It is a very good race with a fast course. Dunno how you'll do with respect to your goal. It'll be a fun challenge though. Plenty of food afterwards, if that's something you like.

okay, Jaybar - how do you know me and how did you know about my singing... thanks for the advice, Srlopez. Yes, food consumption ranks up there as one of the reasons I run and as long as I can find sugary goodness at the conclusion of said HM I'll be a happy human.

Save some food for us marathoners and have fun. It's not the most scenic course--and the half marathon course is a lot less scenic than the marathon--but it's fast and flat and finishing in the ballpark is fun.

thanks mikeymike: You can have all the protein you like - I just call dibbs on anything that lists sugar, flour, & butter in the top 5 ingredients - kay? oh yeah... in terms of Jaybar's suggestion that I bring a throwaway shirt. I stopped doing that when I stopped drinking 10 years ago see you there. dari

Well, if you change your mind on that throwaway shirt idea, I promise to run next to you. (which would be quite a thing. I'm running in Rhode Island the day before. I'd need to change my travel arrangements and bandit Bay State. Which is closed. I don't bandit races normally)

No, no. Like I said in my first post... your race is crowded. You won't be alone. I just offered up so maybe I could see boobies. I'm pink. And honest.

just to clarify, a throw away shirt is a ratty old shirt that you wear over your running shirt to keep warm waiting for the start and during the first couple of legs (oops, thinking about RTB), i mean miles. The race was 50 f at the start last year so it came in handy.