Notes
First Call Half Marathon - 1:11:47.53 (PR!)
We got a few inches of snow on Friday so the course was moved from being out and back on the Glacier Drumlin trail to a course that went back and forth on two bike paths (Glacier Drumlin and Fox River). From the start HM's went ~200m to where the two trails met and turned right, went about 1k, then did a 180 turn back to the nexus of trails, then out on the other trail for ~2.5k, then a 180 turn back to the nexus, and repeated this 3 times, going to the finish after completing 3 'loops'. 5k and 10k started 5 minutes earlier and just went out and back on the trail to the left (10k did this twice). Course was mainly flat with only a couple of small gradual hills.
Runners were relatively strung out across the course though I was constantly passing people, and occasionally weaving. Only once did I almost body check someone (when they were doing a 180 and turned right into me heading straight), but I was able to duck and swerve out of the way.
Weather ended up being surprisingly good - low 30s, a light (5-10mph) wind, and cloudy. Rain had been predicted but didn't happen.
I immediately went to the lead and won by 5+ minutes.
My plan was to run ~3:25/k. The first half was a little fast and the second half on pace to a little slow, but overall very even splits (ended up averaging 3:24/k). Starting around 16k I was feeling a bit lightheaded/dizzy. I think this was due to taking in no calories other than a single gel 10 minutes before the start I was able to hang on and keep the pace under 3:30, but next time I probably should take a gel or something around 10k and 15k.
I won a cool wooden plaque.
This was a hard effort. The six 180 degree turns probably cost me 1-2 seconds each turn, and perhaps with someone else going this pace I could go a bit faster, but overall this was about as fast as I am capable of right now.