UC Half Marathon
March 19, 2016
2:16:40
Temp: mid 40s to low 50s and cloudy
What I wore: hat, short sleeve shirt, half zip, Brooks Nightlife Jacket, Skirt Sports Happy Girl skirt,
compression socks, and my Altra Ones.
After my race last week at RNR DC, I was a little worried that my body would not want to perform. I hadn’t run a lot of long runs recently and I certainly hadn’t done two in 8 days in a while. Add in a crappy weather forecast plus that fact that I already had a West Virginia race and I wasn’t actually excited to run. But, I figured we’d driven 5 hours for the race, I might as well run.
Saturday morning dawned rainy and chilly, but the radar made me hopeful that I would be running in a constant downpour. In fact, we got really lucky and the rain moved out just before the race. We got a few sprinkles here and there throughout, but nothing significant.
Because it was a super small race (150 participants) I opted to go out a little bit faster than the previous week. Why? Well, in these smaller races where a shorter distance is offered, it seems like mostly the fast kids run the longer distance. Case in point: at RNRDC, with 2:18:42, I was right smack in the middle of the pack. Going by the 2015 results for UC Half Marathon, I was going to be in the bottom 10%.
This was a two loop course, so I mentally split it into pieces and just tried to hang on to my pace. As it turned out my laps were all over the place for the first 10 miles. I had a couple of miles below a 10:10 pace, a few between 10:10 and 10:20, and the rest just under 10:30. Unlike DC where I started slow, I was pretty wiped by mile 11. I’m sure it was a combination of starting faster and having run another half marathon the previous week. Mile 12 was my slowest at 10:42, but I managed to dig deep in mile 13 and pull out a 10:25. But when I crossed the finish line, I was wiped. I had nothing left. It was quite a different feel than the week before.
The good:
- Because this race was so small, there were absolutely no logistical issues. Packet pickup was easy, parking was easy, etc.
- Indoor bathrooms. Let me say that again: indoor bathrooms.
- We were able to wait inside one of the warm university buildings. I walked out mere minutes before the race started.
- Plenty of water/Gatorade stops.
- The medal is quite unique.
- The race shirt is a long sleeve tech shirt (I still didn’t wear it during the race.)
The bad:
- Because the race was so small, I pretty much ran the whole thing by myself.
- Running the last 3 miles on super tired legs.
The ugly:
- Running faster than the week before, but still being in the bottom 10% LOL.
Would I do it again?
If I lived near it, I’d probably do it every year. The UC Half Marathon is a well organized small town race. Coming from the land of the huge races, I really enjoy the change of pace. I highly recommend hitting small town races when the opportunity arrives. If you are fast, you just might win an age group. If not, you still get the fun of seeing a small town on foot.
This was race #9 on my trip to Mercury and, after some crazy schedule finagling this weekend, it looks like I’m still on track to get there.
I’m linking up with HoHo and Tricia for the Weekly Wrap. Check out what everyone else has been up to this week!
I’ve done quite a few small races but for some reason prefer large ones. I like the excitement, people and energy. In small races you are often running by yourself and I prefer a few more people around ! Congrats for doing 2 races so close together.
Karen @ Fit in France recently posted…Weekly wrap : the final countdown
Indoor bathrooms would be reason enough for any runner to choose this race. However, I do think running by yourself during a race must have been a little boring.
Pam recently posted…Weekly Workout Roundup: Mar 28th
I like the smaller venues, for the very reasons you stated. And, the “placing in the bottom 10%” thing….I have learned how you place is usually contingent on who else shows up. I have run strong (dare I say “fast?”) and still finished lower in the pack than I’d like (I’m not super-dooper fast, but most times I can still knockout a top 20% finish). And there have been a token few where I’ve had a great race and finished towards the top…with no one else in my age group (kind of diminishing the honor). As long as you gave it all you had on race day, it’s a great race 😉
Kim Hatting recently posted…Wrapping up Easter week in Iowa
Congrats on your race! It’s so funny how you performed better this week, yet was in the bottom 10%! It seems that the small races really attract the super fast runners. And it’s great that the weather gods were kind to you!
Janelle @ Run With No Regrets recently posted…How Did Giving Up Alcohol for Lent Go?
Congratulations on your race.Cute medal! It’s sometimes nice when the race is small so their is less confusion that usually comes w bigger races.
lacey@fairytalesandfitness.com recently posted…The Truth about Fabletics
Congrats on a great race! Did you like W. Va.? I haven’t been yet but my hubby and I are planning a getaway trip.
I’d do that race every year just for the indoor bathrooms! haha Way to go – 2 halves in 8 days is no joke – but you’re always a rock star like that 🙂
Nicole @ Fitful Focus recently posted…Paleo Almond Butter & Jelly Fudge {vegan, gluten free}
I would imagine running by yourself for that many miles in a race seems odd. Congrats on beating your time from last week.
Deborah @ Confessions of a mother runner recently posted…Hummus Like You’ve Never Hummused Before-3 New Twists To Dip Into
Love small town races! Usually they’re not super expensive so it makes me more likely to sign up!
Carmy recently posted…Monday on the Run #43
Small, fast races are so intimidating! You did so great, and pushed hard to meet your goals! Well done!
Jenn recently posted…weekly recap: 3/20â 3/26
Isn’t it amazing how some races attract super fast runners? That Sarasota half marathon put me in 22d place in my AG–I’m in the old lady age group! Still, I do love the smaller races. This one looks fun. Another notch in your race belt! Great job!
Wendy@Taking the Long Way Home recently posted…Big Sur Marathon Training Week 8
I love small race experiences. There’s something very easy going about participating in smaller races, even if it means that you feel like you’re running by yourself at times.
Kathryn @ Dancing to Running recently posted…ZOOMA Annapolis Half Marathon Training Log – Week 8
Congrats on two races in 8 days!! That is really impressive!!
I would like to get back to small races – I love the feel, the relaxed nature and the whole experience just feels organic.
Hello, indoor bathrooms!!! That is enough for me!! WIN!! 🙂
Natalie recently posted…Boston Marathon Training Recap: 3 Weeks Till Race Day!!!
Wow that is a small race, but sometimes that is welcome after running a huge races like RnR. Way to push through on the last mile 🙂
I like small town races! Hooray for indoor bathrooms. That medal is very different. The half marathons I’ve done at colleges/universities seem to attract tons of younger people and really throw you out of your normal overall finish bracket. You had a fantastic finish time. Thanks for linking with us Erika.
HoHo Runs recently posted…Rain, Rain (WW # 34)
Great job and so glad it downpour on you the whole time. I love smaller races, but I do miss the crowd support when I am exhausted.
Toni recently posted…Morning Runs With @RunLites Plus A Giveaway
Congrats on running a solid race on back to back weekends! I definitely love small races better than large ones. I don’t mind if I end up running on my own, and I like the easy logistics and nice touches small races often have. In my experience I sometimes end up placing overall at small races, and at others (like yours) everyone is super fast and I place worse than I do in large races. Funny how that is!
This race is on my radar a bit now. I’ve been focusing more on trail running the past two years, but Charleston is only 2.5 hours away from us, so I may consider it in the future if I’m looking for a new race to run.
I love smaller racer because of the logistical things like parking and packet pick up but coming in at the bottom kind of stinks!
I love small town races and indoor plumbing is the bomb-diggity!!! Nice job!
Mary Beth Jackson recently posted…Spring is warming up!
I get this! Yay for indoor bathrooms! Sounds like a great race and I love the smaller ones where everything is just easy! Great job and cool picture of your medal!
Thanks for linking up with us!
Tricia@MissSippipiddlin recently posted…Coffee Fun