Wishing our intrepid racers good luck and fleet feet.
From the Intrepid Racers thread:
04/28 Tetsujin - Mt. Si 50K (Seattle/trail thongs)
04/28 pfriese - OKC Memorial Half Marathon, OKC OK
Add me, Mariposai, Omak Orchards in Bloom, Half marathon impromptu walk/run (because our community members said I must ).
"Champions are everywhere; all you need is to train them properly..." ~Arthur Lydiard
Oklahoma City Memorial Half Marathon
I had originally planned on running Mariposai's Omak Orchards in Bloom Half Marathon this year, but too many conflicts prevented traveling to Washington for it. Instead I ran our local big race (OKC Memorial Marathon, Half, Relay, & 5K). It was perfect weather for this year's race with 50 degrees & a light easterly breeze at the start. There was a big course change for the races this year incorporating some new parks & scratching a boring warehouse district. This made for a scenically improved course even if somewhat hillier. I lined up with the 1:55 pace group to begin the race. Once we were out of the downtown area, I picked up my pace a bit & ran with some running club friends until they split off at the marathon split. From there it was a fairly straight shot on a generally downhill course with only a few short hills back to the finish line downtown.
Time: 1:51:24 8:31/mile
Official splits:
5K - 27:07 (8:44/mile)
10K - 53:29 (8:58/mile)
10M - 1:25:35 (8:08/mile)
Finish - 1:51:24 (8:19/mile)
Garmin splits/mile:
Mile 1 - 8:45
Mile 2 - 8:30
Mile 3 - 8:40
Mile 4 - 8:37
Mile 5 - 8:27
Mile 6 - 8:20
Mile 7 - 8:16
Mile 8 - 8:14
Mile 9 - 8:22
Mile 10 - 8:33
Mile 11 - 8:22
Mile 12 - 8:27
Mile 13 - 8:07
Final bit - 7:32
Paul
Paul's blog
Well done and congratulations pfriese.
Also, congratulations to you Mariposai on putting on another well organized race and then getting a chance to run it!
Live like you are dying not like you are afraid to die.
Drunken Irish Soda Bread and Irish Brown Bread this way --> http://allrecipes.com/cook/4379041/
Wow, Paul, those are some fantastic splits! Nicely done!
And I hear Mariposai had a pretty good run at her half yesterday, as well. Hope the knee held up.
MM #5615
Nice job, Paul.
Yes, I think I read something about Posie's race, too. Nice job!
And...I saw that SubDood had a great 10K time, too.
Had to check this thread, Paul, because I really wanted to see what you thought of the new course. Great racing!
"I didn’t run a race until I was 41 and that was a marathon! Let that sink in for a minute." -me
Opie, since, you know the old course, I'll add a bit more for you. Both courses will be changing again next year as they transition to the new finish line at the new Scissortail Park (a new 70 acre downtown urban park). This year the half did not run on any portion of Classen Blvd instead running down Shartel mostly from the course split at Gorilla Hill. That was nice. Next year it will run on a portion of lower Classen again. This year the finish was at the Myriad Gardens & with the Festival of the Arts going on, parking was much harder than previous years. On the new marathon course, I'll miss running on the Lake Hefner Trail (OKC's 1st running trail), but won't really miss the usual "wall of wind" blowing off the lake. I'll also miss the finish in Automobile Alley. But Scissortail Park will be great finish area.
an amazing likeness
Ran in the 'Race the Runways' half marathon this past Saturday. What's notable about this event is it takes place on former US Navy Air Station (BNAS), a cold war asset which was closed 10-15 years ago. From WW2, through the early 2000's this was a very secure, closed off Navy Air Station and the runners of a 'certain age' are amazed that we're allowed on the base, and running along the 8000ft runways. On a personal note, my Grandfather was an early naval air pioneer and there is a road on this former base named for him.
More notable about this event is that it is on an airport, next to the north Atlantic ocean. It is always windy. Usually cold. Plan on it.
We're in a crummy weather pattern lately, rain, wind and more rain. Went to bed Friday listening to rain pelt the windows and fully expected to be soaked during the race. But rains eased to drizzle. Wind did not, breeze was 15-20mph, gusting 30-35. Temps 48-50F.
Made two decisions...and scored a 50:50. Decided to go fairly lightly dressed in shorts and short sleeves with compression shirt underneath -- guessing that rain would let up. Also decided to listen to music, which I seldom do in a race. Fashion worked fine, music player failed at mile 2 for some reason, so set it down near a stop sign for later recovery and post mortem.
With no runs in training recently longer than 8mi, I guessed I was in about 1:49 to 1:51 half marathon shape. Decided to set out at 8:30 splits and just see what happens, knowing that even effort would mean fast splits downwind and a good chunk from 7-10mi being into the howling wind on the runway.
A bit after 6mi, knowing that we were about to do the hardest section into the wind, I recruited 2 other runners running the same splits to share the wind breaking, agreeing we would trade off leading every 1000 ft on the runway (which has 1000ft markers). We hit the 'piano keys' and turned into the wind, sharing the load. Picked up a 4th and had a good little group as we ran to the other end. Leaning into the wind cost us about 25 sec/mile here. Leaving the runway proper, we stayed together through 10mi, then picked it up and starting reeling a runner every now and then. To my count, from 8mi onward we passed a good number and only were passed by 2 other runners.
I finished in 1:52:56 for my life time 4th slowest half. However, with no training runs longer than 8mi, I'm good with it. I executed well and used the fitness I had carefully. I manage my half marathons as 5mi + 5mi + 5km. Splits were 8:33/mi 1st 5mi, then 8:44mi for 2nd 5mi into the wind, then 8:35 for the 5kim to finish. Managed the course and conditions well, and didn't get into a death march to the finish.
Acceptable at a dance, invaluable in a shipwreck.
Great race, milktruck! It’s so cool how you worked with those guys in the wind. I remember you being a very good wind blocker...
...being a very good wind blocker...
Being a wide load, it comes naturally.... Turns out one woman in our ad-hoc posse of wind breaking won the F20-29 AG.