Notes
Waikato half marathon 2012
10/14/2012 6:17 PM CDT
A week after my 37.08 10km race I had this half marathon to run. I managed to recover during the week and was keen to run sub 1.24 for the 1st time. My previous best was 1.24.50 at the Rotorua half marathon in april where I ran a poor race going out too fast into a headwind and hill and crashing in the 2nd half.
I got the family up at 6am and we headed off at 7am for the 1 hour drive to the race at Lake Karapiro, a hydro lake where the NZ rowing HQ is.
I ran this race last year in 126.50 for 3rd overall in a small field. The wind was up and it had been a terrible weekend around NZ with high winds causing havoc. I checked on google earth how the wind would effect the course and I could tell it would be a headwind out and tail wind back on the 2 lap out and back course.
At 9am I lined up at the front of a small field of about 80 runners. I couldnt see any fast runners that I recognised.
Off we went. Me in middle of photo. The bald guy in front of me was the eventual winner in 1.16. He is a good triathlete.
The 1st 5kms were up a small steep hill and then onto a concrete cycleway through countryside. It was a substantial headwind but adrenalin and fresh legs got me through this section on my target pace km splits were 3.45, 3.50, 3.52, 3.54,3.56
At the turnaround just past 5kms I got that awesome feeling of total silence when you know you have a tailwind and I had a fantastic downwind 5kms back to the start/finish. As I passed the slower runners alot of them were clapping and cheering me on and I obliged by encouraging them also.
I recovered well on this leg km splits were 3.44, 3.48, 3.46, 3.48, 3.33
I took a gel just before halfway most of which ended up over my hands and face in a sticky mess. I got about half a cup of water in and waved goodbye to my family and headed off on the 2nd half of the race.
Heading out for part 2
The 1st place guy was long gone and I was alone in 2nd. Up the hill and into the wind again. This was a tough leg. I felt pretty yuk after the gel but got back into my tempo. I knew that this was the make or break part of my race. I just needed to hang tough at around 4 mins/km and then have a good last downwind leg.
Splits per km 3.53, 4.05, 3.56, 4.02, 4.04 not too bad.
Round the top mark for the last time and heading for home with the tailwind. Hurting a bit now but able to maintain good pace with the finish in sight.
Splits per km 3.50 3.48, 3.52, 3.50, 3.46
Down the hill over the finish line in 1.21.31 awesome totally happy !
A strange prizegiving where they called up 1st overall but then went to age groups so I was called for 1st in 40-49 age group hence why I am standing on top of the podium