Well that wasn't what I expected. After a lousy week of training (heavy, tired legs) and a course described by the race director as "hilly, challenging and scenic", the last thing I would have expected would be a PR. Funny how things work out sometimes!
I drove the course on Saturday to have some idea what to expect. I'm glad I did, otherwise I probably would have let up and not pushed so hard on a few of the miles. More on that later.
It was COLD and windy. The cold I could handle, the wind was a pain, especially since it hit us immediately as we headed north along the Merrimack River on River Road. I struggled with the wind for the 1st 4 miles or so, occasionally tucking in behind some other runners when possible. Mile 2 and some of mile 3 were steady climbs with a couple of short, steep hills as well. Surprisingly, there were LOTS of spectators along the entire course. I probably ran the hardest in the first 4 miles and had the slowest miles of the day as well, a double whammy. When I made the turn onto Union Ave the clock at 4M was 26:00 even (6:30 pace) and I was BEAT. Any thoughts I had of a PR were out the window at this point but I knew I had a couple of easier miles coming up so I tried to pick up the pace. Mile 5 was a long steady uphill and mile 6 was a long steady downhill before turning into the woods for a short trail run through Livingston Park. These two miles felt much faster but I was afraid to look at my watch (I hate disappointment). As we crossed over DW highway the course snaked back and forth through some nice neighborhoods, eventually looping up and around Derryfield Park (where they have the high school XC races) and eventually up onto Mammoth Rd. Although this was a decent climb, it was stretched out for nearly 2 miles (mile 8 was at Derryfield). I wasn't looking at my watch for mile splits but the course had clocks every 2 miles so if I could do the math I could figure out my pace. I passed mile 8 at exactly 52:00 (6:30 pace). Talk about consistent :-)
From my drive yesterday I knew the next 2+ miles would be fairly flat (at least no significant hills) and slowly started to pass a few runners. This race was both a 1/2 and full marathon and all were running the first 13 miles together so you never really knew who was doing what. The half and full marathons had different color bibs but they apparently ran out of half bibs so a bunch of us (me included) were running with full marathon bib numbers. The next clock was at 10 miles and this time I was just under 1:05 (6:29 pace). I was totally convinced a PR was out of the question but......I decided to push the last 5k as hard as I could to see what I could do. The last 2 miles were a straight shot down Hanover St, which had a few hills early on but was mostly downhill all the way to Elm St. I don't remember a clock at mile 12 but I knew I was flying at this point. I made the left onto Elm and had about 1/4 mile to the finish at Veteran's Park.
The clock read 1:23:23, a new PR by nearly a minute!
I ended up running the last 5k in 18:43 (6:02 pace). Like I said, not at all what I expected.
I placed 33rd overall out of 924 finishers. For my efforts I also picked up a 1st place win in my age category. Not a bad day!
Results for the Manchester City 1/2 Marathon can be found here.
Showing posts with label 1/2 marathon. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 1/2 marathon. Show all posts
Monday, November 3, 2008
Friday, October 31, 2008
Manchester 1/2 Marathon This Weekend
I guess you could file this under "what was I thinking...". I was hoping to run a fast half this fall but I may end up running half fast instead (sorry, I couldn't resist). Although the 1/2 marathon is my FAVORITE distance by far (pun intended), rumor has it the Manchester Half has a few hills and is considered 'challenging'.
I'm heading up to Manchester on Saturday for packet pickup and plan to drive most of the course afterwards. I don't like surprises. Hills are ok, STEEP hills suck (up or down).
Should be somewhat interesting to run considering the full marathon and the half both start at the same time AND run nearly the entire 13.1 miles together (the full takes a right at the finish on Elm St and the half takes a left).
Looks like great weather though: sunny but cold (temps may be in the 20's at the start, yikes).
I'm heading up to Manchester on Saturday for packet pickup and plan to drive most of the course afterwards. I don't like surprises. Hills are ok, STEEP hills suck (up or down).
Should be somewhat interesting to run considering the full marathon and the half both start at the same time AND run nearly the entire 13.1 miles together (the full takes a right at the finish on Elm St and the half takes a left).Looks like great weather though: sunny but cold (temps may be in the 20's at the start, yikes).
Thursday, September 4, 2008
Not Exactly What I Planned for 2008
First off let me say that I started this year with a goal to stay healthy and avoid running injuries and have a good time. As of today, mission accomplished! I give a lot of the credit to snow shoeing early in the season and my focus on trail running in the spring. My weekly mileage has been manageable and more importantly consistent.
So where do I go from here? Well I love to challenge myself. My challenge last week was to see if I could beat my PR in the 1/2 marathon, which I set in 2005 at the exact same course (Swanzey Covered Bridges 1/2 Marathon). I've been waffling on whether to run a fall marathon so I figured I needed a physical test to help convince me one way or the other. The challenge was if I PR'd I'd commit to a fall marathon.
Well I didn't PR....but. I was very pleased with my results. It turned out to be much warmer than I expected AND I made no attempt to taper leading up to this race. I trained just like an other week leading up to it. So with all that I managed to run just 30 seconds off my PR finishing in 1:24:50 and I ran the 2nd half over a minute faster than the first half.
So I've decided to run a fall marathon. Specifically I've decided to run the Baystate Marathon. I didn't run my 1st marathon until 2002 and I was fortunate enough to qualify for Boston on my first attempt. Since then I've run two more and each has been slower than the last. My last attempt was over 5 years ago. So my goal this time is not just to finish a marathon, my goal is at the very least to PR (<3:12) and ultimately to break 3hrs. I'm not sure if it's realistic or not but I'm going to try this one time.
In the meantime I need to get ready for Reach the Beach next week!
So where do I go from here? Well I love to challenge myself. My challenge last week was to see if I could beat my PR in the 1/2 marathon, which I set in 2005 at the exact same course (Swanzey Covered Bridges 1/2 Marathon). I've been waffling on whether to run a fall marathon so I figured I needed a physical test to help convince me one way or the other. The challenge was if I PR'd I'd commit to a fall marathon.
Well I didn't PR....but. I was very pleased with my results. It turned out to be much warmer than I expected AND I made no attempt to taper leading up to this race. I trained just like an other week leading up to it. So with all that I managed to run just 30 seconds off my PR finishing in 1:24:50 and I ran the 2nd half over a minute faster than the first half.
So I've decided to run a fall marathon. Specifically I've decided to run the Baystate Marathon. I didn't run my 1st marathon until 2002 and I was fortunate enough to qualify for Boston on my first attempt. Since then I've run two more and each has been slower than the last. My last attempt was over 5 years ago. So my goal this time is not just to finish a marathon, my goal is at the very least to PR (<3:12) and ultimately to break 3hrs. I'm not sure if it's realistic or not but I'm going to try this one time.
In the meantime I need to get ready for Reach the Beach next week!
Monday, April 7, 2008
Results from Great Bay 1/2 Marathon
I ran the Great Bay 1/2 marathon yesterday in Newmarket, NH on a cold and windy day. It was my first real test of endurance for 2008 and I was pleased with the results. I finished right dab in the middle of my goal window (listed below), with a chip time of 1:27:05 (6:39 avg).
The race overall was well organized, plenty of signs for parking, registration, course directions, aid stations and mile markers and good food at the finish (pizza, soup, chowder, etc.). It is also well supported, with lots of spectators, musical bands and even a group of belly dancers at mile 10 (now THAT'S different).
I was surprised how challenging the course turned out to be, however. I remember scanning the course map and envisioning a fairly flat course but it was anything but flat. Although there were no big ups or downs there were lots of short steep quad-banging descents and short steep quad (and lung) burning ascents.
Right from the start I knew it would be tough. The wind had the flags blowing straight out and the course headed out into the wind. For the first 3+ miles I ran behind a group of runners trying to get them to block the wind as much as possible. We then headed onto a dirt road for the next 2-3 miles. It turned out to be much slower going on the dirt, with pot holes and puddles everywhere. The wind was not much of a factor during this stretch so that was encouraging. After we left the dirt road we headed back out on pavement along Great Bay for the next 2-3 miles, which provided some outstanding scenery but also some challenging hills. It was very similar to running along Lake Winnipesaukee in Alton....scenic winding roads but steep short hills. Around mile 9 we did an out and back loop down into a nice neighborhood which allowed us to see the lead pack for the first time (and the belly dancers). At least this stretch was flat and I was running with a guy who was pushing the pace a little so I tried to stick with him as long as I could. It was also at this time (around mile 10.5) that I saw Mark Wimmer for the first time since the start (Mark and I drove over together). He was about 200 yds ahead and it looked like I was catching him. I now had a new goal: catch Mark. My pace (and effort) for the last 3 miles definitely increased and it was a little easier going and much flatter, but a TON of turns. I finally caught and passed Mark around mile 12.5 but that seemed to get him motivated again (bad for me). By mile 13 he had passed me again and that's the way we finished.
STATS for the race:
1,111 finishers
33rd overall
8/81 in the 40-44 division
SPLITS:
Mile 1 6:31
Mile 2 6:32
Mile 3 6:44
Mile 4 6:47
Mile 5 6:43
Mile 6 6:43
Mile 7 6:28
Mile 8 6:50
Mile 9 6:39
Mile 10 6:43
Mile 11 6:36
Mile 12 6:37
Mile 13 6:35
Finish 1:27:05 (6:39 avg)
The race overall was well organized, plenty of signs for parking, registration, course directions, aid stations and mile markers and good food at the finish (pizza, soup, chowder, etc.). It is also well supported, with lots of spectators, musical bands and even a group of belly dancers at mile 10 (now THAT'S different).
I was surprised how challenging the course turned out to be, however. I remember scanning the course map and envisioning a fairly flat course but it was anything but flat. Although there were no big ups or downs there were lots of short steep quad-banging descents and short steep quad (and lung) burning ascents.
Right from the start I knew it would be tough. The wind had the flags blowing straight out and the course headed out into the wind. For the first 3+ miles I ran behind a group of runners trying to get them to block the wind as much as possible. We then headed onto a dirt road for the next 2-3 miles. It turned out to be much slower going on the dirt, with pot holes and puddles everywhere. The wind was not much of a factor during this stretch so that was encouraging. After we left the dirt road we headed back out on pavement along Great Bay for the next 2-3 miles, which provided some outstanding scenery but also some challenging hills. It was very similar to running along Lake Winnipesaukee in Alton....scenic winding roads but steep short hills. Around mile 9 we did an out and back loop down into a nice neighborhood which allowed us to see the lead pack for the first time (and the belly dancers). At least this stretch was flat and I was running with a guy who was pushing the pace a little so I tried to stick with him as long as I could. It was also at this time (around mile 10.5) that I saw Mark Wimmer for the first time since the start (Mark and I drove over together). He was about 200 yds ahead and it looked like I was catching him. I now had a new goal: catch Mark. My pace (and effort) for the last 3 miles definitely increased and it was a little easier going and much flatter, but a TON of turns. I finally caught and passed Mark around mile 12.5 but that seemed to get him motivated again (bad for me). By mile 13 he had passed me again and that's the way we finished.
STATS for the race:
1,111 finishers
33rd overall
8/81 in the 40-44 division
SPLITS:
Mile 1 6:31
Mile 2 6:32
Mile 3 6:44
Mile 4 6:47
Mile 5 6:43
Mile 6 6:43
Mile 7 6:28
Mile 8 6:50
Mile 9 6:39
Mile 10 6:43
Mile 11 6:36
Mile 12 6:37
Mile 13 6:35
Finish 1:27:05 (6:39 avg)
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
Goals for my 1st 1/2 Marathon (4/6/2008)
Normally I would have lots of base miles with a bunch of long runs by this time of year. I'd typically spend the winter working on my distance runs and endurance, sacrificing speed workouts (not a lot of races during the winter months).
This year is almost completely opposite. Although I haven't done any road races yet, I did take up a new sport/activity which sure felt a lot like speedwork every time I went out: snow shoe running. In addition, I've spent a lot more time on the treadmill doing controlled tempo runs (unlike my effort-based tempo runs I do outside). So, lots of speedwork but very little distance work. In fact, my longest run of the year or even the last 6 months or so is 12 miles and I did that last weekend. The biggest factor limiting my long runs has been some nagging foot/ankle issues. I'm not really injured, but there's something wrong with my ankle....and it just doesn't feel right. So, most of my runs have been in the 5-7 mile range, max for quite some time.
So how do I go about setting a goal for a 1/2 marathon? Good question. As a general goal, I'd like to be under 1:30 (6:52 pace). A more aggressive goal would be something closer to 1:25 (6:30 pace). I'd be happy with anything in between though.
This year is almost completely opposite. Although I haven't done any road races yet, I did take up a new sport/activity which sure felt a lot like speedwork every time I went out: snow shoe running. In addition, I've spent a lot more time on the treadmill doing controlled tempo runs (unlike my effort-based tempo runs I do outside). So, lots of speedwork but very little distance work. In fact, my longest run of the year or even the last 6 months or so is 12 miles and I did that last weekend. The biggest factor limiting my long runs has been some nagging foot/ankle issues. I'm not really injured, but there's something wrong with my ankle....and it just doesn't feel right. So, most of my runs have been in the 5-7 mile range, max for quite some time.
So how do I go about setting a goal for a 1/2 marathon? Good question. As a general goal, I'd like to be under 1:30 (6:52 pace). A more aggressive goal would be something closer to 1:25 (6:30 pace). I'd be happy with anything in between though.
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
1st Race of the Year - April 6th 2008
Signed up for the Great Bay 1/2 Marathon today. Race is on April 6th in Newmarket, NH. I checked with a couple friends who ran it last year and they generally liked the race so I'll give it a go. I wish I had a better feeling about my conditioning, especially over long distance. My long run to date has only been 10.5 miles but I've run several runs over 1+hrs.
I did a lot of snowshoe running over the winter along with 4 races so I'd hope my conditioning was decent. I'd probably be better off running a 5k since I probably have decent speed, but I HATE 5k's. I think the hardest part of running a 1/2 marathon at this point is trying to figure out what pace to run at. I know where I'd 'like' to be (around 6:30's) but I don't realistically think I'm there yet. I've only been over 30 miles in a week once all year (I think). I may try for 6:45's to start and see how it feels for a few miles and take it from there.
I did a lot of snowshoe running over the winter along with 4 races so I'd hope my conditioning was decent. I'd probably be better off running a 5k since I probably have decent speed, but I HATE 5k's. I think the hardest part of running a 1/2 marathon at this point is trying to figure out what pace to run at. I know where I'd 'like' to be (around 6:30's) but I don't realistically think I'm there yet. I've only been over 30 miles in a week once all year (I think). I may try for 6:45's to start and see how it feels for a few miles and take it from there.
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Events in March/April
Ok, so I want to be a trail runner but....
My all time favorite race distance is the 1/2 marathon. So with that in mind my planned race schedule for the next few weeks is as follows:
My all time favorite race distance is the 1/2 marathon. So with that in mind my planned race schedule for the next few weeks is as follows:
April 6th - Great Bay 1/2 Marathon Newmarket, NH. This will be my 1st time running this one. Looks like a decent course but I may ask some friends who ran it last year to comment on it.
April 12th - Xterra Merrimack River 10 mile Trail Race - Andover, MA. Haven't decided on this one yet, I have another race scheduled for the following day. I don't think I want back to back race days so I need to decide on one.
April 13th - Nashua Soup Kitchen 10k - Nashua NH. This race is a club race, part of the New Hampshire Grand Prix series.
April 20th - Xterra Muddy Moose Xduro 14 mile Trail Race - Wolfeboro, NH.
April 12th - Xterra Merrimack River 10 mile Trail Race - Andover, MA. Haven't decided on this one yet, I have another race scheduled for the following day. I don't think I want back to back race days so I need to decide on one.
April 13th - Nashua Soup Kitchen 10k - Nashua NH. This race is a club race, part of the New Hampshire Grand Prix series.
April 20th - Xterra Muddy Moose Xduro 14 mile Trail Race - Wolfeboro, NH.
Saturday, January 1, 2005
2010 New Hampshire Half Marathon Calendar
Updated 11/11/09
January
15th Annual Boston Prep 16 Miler (January 24, 2010)
Derry, NH
$40
Not a half marathon but a nice challenge for January.
Tends to sell out so register early.
February
3rd Annual Half at the Hamptons (February 21, 2010)
Hampton Beach, NH
$45
March
Run to the Border Half Marathon (March 28, 2010)
Rye,NH
April
Great Bay Half Marathon (April 11, 2010)
Newmarket,NH
Temple Half Marathon (TBD)
Temple,NH
May
Big Lake Half Marathon (May 8, 2010)
Alton Bay,NH
$50
Nice course, great finish area. Back in the hands of Keith Jordan (Endorfun)
June
Pack Monadnock 10 Miler (June 6, 2010)
I know it's not a half but your times will look like you ran one!
Wilton,NH
$30ish
July
None (that I know of)
August
CHaD Half Marathon (TBD)
Hanover,NH
$50ish
September
Swanzey Covered Bridges Half Marathon (TBD)
Swanzey,NH
Dixville Half Marathon (TBD)
Colebrook,NH
Applefest Half Marathon (TBD)
Hollis,NH
$45ish
October
Smuttynose Hampton Half Marathon (October 3, 2010)
Hampton,NH
$45
White Mountain Milers Half Marathon (TBD)
North Conway,NH
$40
Fast and mostly flat. Great post-race food.
Tends to sell out so register early.
November
Manchester City Half Marathon (TBD)
Manchester,NH
Seacoast Half Marathon (TBD)
Portsmouth,NH
December
None (that I know of)
January
15th Annual Boston Prep 16 Miler (January 24, 2010)
Derry, NH
$40
Not a half marathon but a nice challenge for January.
Tends to sell out so register early.
February
3rd Annual Half at the Hamptons (February 21, 2010)
Hampton Beach, NH
$45
March
Run to the Border Half Marathon (March 28, 2010)
Rye,NH
April
Great Bay Half Marathon (April 11, 2010)
Newmarket,NH
Temple Half Marathon (TBD)
Temple,NH
May
Big Lake Half Marathon (May 8, 2010)
Alton Bay,NH
$50
Nice course, great finish area. Back in the hands of Keith Jordan (Endorfun)
June
Pack Monadnock 10 Miler (June 6, 2010)
I know it's not a half but your times will look like you ran one!
Wilton,NH
$30ish
July
None (that I know of)
August
CHaD Half Marathon (TBD)
Hanover,NH
$50ish
September
Swanzey Covered Bridges Half Marathon (TBD)
Swanzey,NH
Dixville Half Marathon (TBD)
Colebrook,NH
Applefest Half Marathon (TBD)
Hollis,NH
$45ish
October
Smuttynose Hampton Half Marathon (October 3, 2010)
Hampton,NH
$45
White Mountain Milers Half Marathon (TBD)
North Conway,NH
$40
Fast and mostly flat. Great post-race food.
Tends to sell out so register early.
November
Manchester City Half Marathon (TBD)
Manchester,NH
Seacoast Half Marathon (TBD)
Portsmouth,NH
December
None (that I know of)
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