Guarding the Left Hash

I need to post about our trades and current positions, but until then, enjoy the run. A first time race report: Not sure how to do a real race report, so as a first attempt, please bear with me on the learning curve. My goal has been to run in the Boston Marathon. However, as arguably the most prestigious race out there, there are certain qualifications that have to be met in order to participate. The first, and probably the most daunting challenge is the qualifying time. These times are broken down by your age and as of the 2013 race, they were significantly lowered. As an 18-35 year old male, I now needed to run 3:05:00 or better {down from 3:10:59} just to be considered as qualifying. The time was lowered because last year, they had so many qualifying applicants that they chopped it off by time and my age bracket had to be sub 3:08:40 {more than 2 minutes faster}. In order for me to get this goal accomplished, I was going to need a tune-up race prior to going to Champaign for my next full marathon.

The Cary Grove Hillstrider's Half Marathon is the self-proclaimed hardest half mary in northern Illinois. Sounds like the perfect type of race to get the competitive juices flowing again and to work out some racing strategy before getting into a full. It was unseasonably warm as we prepared to start. The 8 am temperature was 68 and though that doesn't seem exceptionally hot, it would play a factor in my performance later on that morning. This was a non-tagged race, meaning that when the gun sounded you ran and if you were in the back of the pack, well you were just going to have a slower time.

My half marathon goal was 1:27 to 1:28. I figured that would be a sufficient time because the goal for a full was 3:00 {ensuring that even if they lowered the BQ time bracket for my age group I should still be able to run 2013}. I wanted to go run hard enough that I had very little left in the tank at the race's end. This strategy would prove strangely detrimental later in the race even though it seemed like an excellent idea at the time. My training partner had previously run this race and offered a couple of suggestions:

1. The hills are intense and there is no shame in running them a bit slower than pace.

2. Open it up on the downhill portion

3. Save something for the last 1.5 miles...

Here's the map

Miles 1-3
The course shape resembles that of a figure eight, starting and finishing at the local high school. The first three miles begin with a gradual decent and then an impressive drop down to one of the race's lowest points.

I was a bit slow getting out of the gate as I nestled in the front of the 7-minutes per mile group. As a result my first mile was relatively slow time {in race time} but it felt much faster to me due to all of the weaving and grinding it took to break free from the masses. The decent down the that first big hill was fast and though I was tempted to really open it all up, I restrained myself, thinking it would be intelligent save it for the climb I knew was just around the next big turn. My three mile split was 19:46 and pace wise, that was near perfect for what I was hoping to run.

Miles 4-8
These miles were marked with rolling hills though they were nothing too over-powering. Only one of them would need to be rerun and it was a steep grade in the front and a gradual decline. I attacked the first few inclines pretty quickly, shortening my stride and pounding up them right at race pace. I could feel the burn starting to grow in my quads, but from what I remembered of the course map, there would be a long, gradual decline again around mile 7. Banking on this, I pressed forward. I had found a group of 4 runners that we're running 6:45 miles very consistently so I began drafting with them as we eased down mile 7. As mile 8 approached, I first noticed the sign for one of the hills; it said "hill #4" and also named it, though I can't remember what it said. This was a hard hill and I felt my energy truly beginning to wane. Thankfully there were Cliff Gels at the base of the hill and with that blast of sugar I could feel my energy levels rebounding even as I reached the backside of hill #4.

Miles 9-13.1
Mile 9 was the switch back point where you were back on a section of road you'd already run. It was a relatively flat, straight shot that would eventually bank to the south and head up that first huge hill we'd descended to begin the race. My speed was holding fairly constant, but as the sun beat down and the racers around me could sense the finish creeping closer, the speeds quickened. My 9th mile would wind up being my fastest {6:25} and in retrospect, when coupled with the hill that ended after mile 10; my race future had already been written. I remember passing another runner as I climbed hill #5 and he championed me on a great race and a powerful climb. As I forged ahead I could feel myself creeping very close to the dreaded "red-line". I knew that line, and I knew that if I crossed it, I might end up like my first half mary {first attempt}. I was forced with a decision point: slow down and lose valuable minutes or press ahead, cross the line and pray that I make it to the end. I knew that hill #6 still loomed ahead; I remembered my partner's warning to save something for the grueling finish, I made the call. I slowed. I gave up 35 seconds per mile in an effort to finish strong.

Mile 12 held the final hill, but realistically it was a set of 3 softly rolling humps. Unfortunately the damage had been done, I was now struggling to maintain my final mile at a respectable pace. I was unable to dig any deeper to tap any hidden energies. I was over the line, struggling to reach the finish. As I came down the chute, I faced my feared time. 1:30:14 as I crossed the line, two to three minutes late. Though I felt exhausted at the time of crossing, I knew that I had made a fatal flaw in crossing the red-line. It tricked me in to being far more defeated than I actually was. In retrospect, it wasn't the end of the world. I'd run a good race, on hills, and I had finished within a few minutes of my goal. I had done 13.1 at a pace that will hopefully carry me to a qualifying time in just a few short weeks. My public stats can be found on MapMyRun.com 

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