2013 Big Sur Half Marathon

This weekend was a busy one for me – by no means was running two races an easy feat for me. I was prepared, though, and I was excited to run in both. Though CCS Finals was the more important of the two races, I was excited to run in the half marathon because the distance generally felt much more relaxed to me, with regards to pace.

We had to wake up early to get to the start line, since we weren’t staying overnight in Monterey. Surprisingly, I didn’t feel too tired waking up at 3:30 to leave for the race. It was a good sign.

The racing conditions were perfect, and would have had any distance runner drooling over them. It was 55 degrees, overcast, with no wind except for the light sea breeze coming in from the coast. It was PR weather.

New day, new race. All ready for the start!

I was shooting for a big PR, aiming for a sub-80 minute finish. My start reflected my goal, and I pushed the pace aggressively in the first mile, coming through at about 5:44. I began to feel a little bit of pain, but I ignored it, following some older runners as we went through the tunnel towards the wharf. We bunched up and stringed out, occasionally forming a small pack of about six runners.

The next few miles were somewhat challenging for me. The course would make a few 90 degree cuts, following a few steep inclines. I accelerated a little bit and started to lead the thinning pack. My strides followed a steady rhythm, similar to the one I would hold during Parker Ranch hill repeats.

I crossed the four mile timing mat in 23:38. I was happy with my pace, and continued to hold my line for the next few miles. I drafted off of other competitors, occasionally surging forward and taking control of the smaller pack.

At the 7.7 mile turnaround, the pack dissolved for good, with a few runners making a longer surge over the next two miles. I wasn’t able to cover the move, but I continued to push for sub-6 minute miles.

I had to run the next few miles on my own since the field had completely thinned out by the ninth mile. The next competitor was about half a minute ahead. I tried reeling him in, accelerating past the 11th mile timing mat in 65:21, but he started to pull away. I was slowing down a little bit, and then two runners started to inch past me. I held pace with both of them, and then started to kick past the 12th mile.

I was starting to feel a little bit of pain with 800m to go. I pushed even harder, ignoring the slight twinges in my foot. Near the finish, I was able to draw off energy from the large gauntlet, helping me kick faster. I crossed the line in 77:31, or 5:54 pace for 13.1 miles, nearly a seven minute PR from last year’s breakthrough race. After we checked the chip timings, my time was adjusted to a slightly better 77:26, good for first place in my age division.

Crossing the finish and notching a new, 7-minute PR!

The half marathon was a memorable way to finish a difficult weekend of racing. Although I was exhausted after two tough races, I was already looking forward to the next one in Fresno. It’s going to be a little bit tough showing up to practice on Monday though…

This entry was posted in Cross Country. Bookmark the permalink.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *