As I noted in the last post, weather was expected to be a factor and it was to some extent. Temperature at the start of the race was basically at zero degrees Celsius. For my American counterparts that's 32 degrees Fahrenheit. And just in case you haven't picked up on it before, I'm a wuss when it comes to cold weather running. I don't run outside in the winter or in any conditions that approach the freezing mark. Some of that is a matter of personal choice. However, I also do appear to have a legitimate physical condition that limits my enjoyment of these colder temperatures - my circulatory system seems to rapidly sacrifice my extremities, particularly my hands, when I run in these types of conditions. I have tried various gloves in combination with hand warmers largely without success. I often suffer to the point of having to slowing remove my gloves and get to a sink to slowly warm my hands back up, all with a great deal of pain involved. Not fun.
So I was less than excited about a run in cold weather as one of my early tests and hopes for a personal best. I came outfitted with my winter run pants and long-sleeve shirt/jacket. Had a few hand warmers in my pockets to go into my gloves as circumstances dictated. So there I was at the starting gate alongside fellow competitors - some in shorts, some in t-shirts, and some even wearing sandals (which I assume were designed specifically for running but I didn't ask). Again, I felt a bit conspicuous by my garb, but...
Unfortunately, to add to the start of the day, we got off at least 20 minutes later than the planned start time. Traffic/parking snarls delayed a number of participants getting to the venue and organizers decided to put a hold on the start.
Bit of a different route this year than what I had experienced in previous events. Mercifully so for me in any event. In previous races we had done a fairly steep climb through a series of switchbacks within the first 5 kilometers of the start. So I was quite happy for the change even if it meant a bit of unfamiliarity with the course at the beginning.
When I scheduled this race and trained for it through the winter, I had hoped that this could be the year that I broke the 2-hour barrier for the half-marathon length. I kept check on my progress throughout and (unfortunately) was pretty consistent in hitting 30 minutes per every 5 km. Pretty much what I had been doing during training. I guess what this tells me is that I can't trust to any adrenalin boost on race day to improve my performance! Needless to say that pace doesn't work out to a sub 2-hour result. However, I was able to beat my personal best and finished in 2:07:52. Maybe there is hope as I age? If I keep up this improvement I can beat 2 hours by the time I'm 60?
Time for more goals!
