Notes
My first half marathon went incredibly well, from my training to my day-of preparation to the race itself. My plan was to go out a little slow, around 8:10 miles for the first two to warm up. Then I would settle into 8:00 miles through mile 10. Finally, after 10 miles I would drop the hammer and see what I had left.
In reality, it didn't work out that way. I went out at what felt like a very slow pace, but was actually around 7:45. I ran the first 4-5 miles at around 7:50 pace, which felt very easy to me. Around mile 5 or 6, I was still feeling great, and I decided that I could break 1:43 if I held 7:50 miles to the end.
Around mile 8 or 9, I started to get really tired. But I continued to hold my 7:50 paces. My calves started cramping around mile 11 or 12, and I had to slow way down. But I still very nearly broke 1:43, and I crushed my 1:45 goal.
The Garmin was a lifesaver. Having the real-time pace feedback kept me from going out even faster than I did, and it helped me keep pace in the later miles when I was tiring.
The only thing I got wrong in this race was my hydration strategy. I thought I could get enough water from the aid stations, but I couldn't drink enough from the cups while running. This caused my leg cramps which kept me from going under 1:43. Next time it might be smart to bring my Fuel Belt.