I will start off by saying I probably shouldn't have ran this race today, with Martian Marathon looming next Sunday. I decided I would run this race because this weather here has been so bad this Spring and late winter that I haven't been able to get very many tempo runs in, thus my marathon pace has suffered. So run I did. My wife ask me what I was going to shoot for this morning, I told her anything under 2:10 would be ok, since I was using it as a workout, I am not going to place in my age group, and their was no clydesdale div. this morning in the 1/2. The morning was frosty, and about 21 degrees when I left my house with 5-10 mph wind from NE. The weather is calling for a high of 40 today, but not before we are finished. At the start I debate whether to wear a light vest-orange or go with just long sleeve technical shirt, I decide to park my truck at the 3 mile mark which is near the 5k finish and drop off my vest if I overheat. The 5k and the 1/2 run the first 3 miles together I mean to say the coarse, the 1/2 starts a few min. ahead of the 5k and does a short loop through a subdivision that the 5k does not do. After the first 3 miles we tuned right and ran for 1.5 mile making left, then ran1 mile made another left then another 1.5 miles, then left back 1 mile toward the school where we started. We did this 5 mile loop twice to complete the 1/2. I started out too fast as usual doing the first mile in 8;05 I slowed down on purpose and hit mile 2 at 17:20 mile 3 was back by my truck so dropped my vest off because I was starting to roast and came in 25:30, still too fast but better. The 1st aide station was at just beyond 4 miles I made it there in 35:30, I was starting to slow here and could feel it. I took a couple of S-caps here and some water costing me some time. I stayed at about 9 minutes per mile through mile 9 which was back at the aide staion. I once again stopped took a gu and 2 s-caps, along with 2 glasses of water. I no sooner began moving again when my groin muscle twitched alittle so I changed my stride for a 100 yds or so till it eased up. The problem lies in that when I changed my stride my hamstrings began to grab alittle, not bad but enough to remind me they were barking. I made it to 10 miles in 1:34:30, I know that sub 2 hrs is out of the question today but at 10 min miles still respectful, roughly a 2:05:30. The cramps didn't ease up any and the 10 min pace even became difficult. Runner after runner passed me. We hit the last mile and I tried to pickup the pace, a slight improvement but not much. I was able to pass several runners who had passed me with a mile left in the last 1/4 mile but my normal kick was non existant. I finished in 2:06:30 a pr for the distance in a race, but no where near my 1:56:30 in 5th/third 25k at the the 1/2 marathon mark. I did not stay around to see how I placed but I know that 12 other runners in my AG finished ahead of me. I will post the totals later. I wore Hind black tights with yellow strip,what used to be an Adidas yellow technical long sleeve shirt, it was yellow until our foray to Scotland in Dec. when their detergent stained it an awful puke green along with turning all my running sox and underwear a pretty baby blue!!! I wore Brooks Trance NSX model shoes, an 04 model of which I still have 4 pairs I run in. It is obvious that my lack of quality miles are hurting my performance, as well as the extra 10-15 pounds I have put on since last spring. I will have to major taper this week to be ready for Sunday's Marathon, probably not do much leg work in the gym other than to stretch. I will do a easy 5 miles Tuesday then some repeats for 3 miles on Wednesday and 1 mile Saturday evening before the next race. Maybe if I had some Steve, Batman's stuff from his utilty belt I could of run better today. Run long and run fast. Marathon Derrick

Great RR Derrick, We must have been at that first water stop at the same time. If I knew what you looked like I would have said HI. I did not pre register because I was not sure if I had to work or not. Good luck on your Marathon next week. I probably won't do the tax trot. I am trying to concentrate on this Marathon training thing. You old pros its no big deal anymore. Us newbies thats all I can think about.

marathon derrick, thank you for the RR. You ran with what you had that day and you still finished under the time you told your wife. You will be OK for your upcoming marathon.

A good effort, Derrick, even though you ran into a few issues along the way. Well, I hope that you got all your kinks worked out and will do well in the Martian this weekend.