Seattle Rock n Roll HM Race Report – Candice C

Race: Seattle Rock n Roll Half Marathon

Runner: Candice C

Date: 6/10/18

Results: 02:12:13

  • OVERALL 3394 / 9036
  • DIVISION 189 / 752
  • GENDER 1457 / 5338

My time this year was only very slightly faster than my performance for the same race last year.  Differences were that last year’s heart rate/effort was much higher, and this year the hills were harsher (or so I assume).

Strava activity link: https://www.strava.com/activities/1629994091

3 Bests

  • Met my goals to finish respectably and without injury (fingers crossed).  I feel like this was a solid stepping-stone to continue toward a full marathon.  I never have a problem with starting races slow and then ramping up.
  • Good practice for prep, gear, eating/drinking.  I felt better than I did on my recent 11 and 14 mile long runs.
  • I had a fun time.  It set the stage for an overall great day.

3 Not so Great

  • I was conservative and didn’t really push and use all that I had for the day. By the end, I felt like I had done an “easy run.”
  • The last hill was a disappointment. I thought I was done with hills and had picked up the pace only to get disturbed mentally and I even stopped briefly – twice even.  But it was near the finish line and I couldn’t stand the wimp out with spectators watching, so I salvaged it. Otherwise I handled the hills decently.
  • It’s a fun race (you are never really alone in that course) but there are so many people you can barely pass the people you need to pass.  I started in a corral pretty far back in the pack.

Highlights

  • It was the perfect set of temperature and conditions for me.  

Lessons Learned

  • 6:30 am race start is pretty early.  I was kinda rushed in the morning prep.  Woke up at 5:30 am, had a banana, coffee, and one bite of a KIND bar whose flavor I did not like.  In general, I’m not hydrated enough and this was the case but it didn’t derail me. I would have hated to stop and wait in line for a porta pottie.  I barely went to bed early enough the night before. I forced down some spaghetti for dinner.
  • The Nathan water pack/belt worked well.  At mile 7, I started drinking the water (never used the water at stations) and slowly consumed half of a honey stinger energy gel (I like the flavor more than chocolate GU, and maybe next time I’ll do gummies).
  • Maybe see if starting in an earlier corral would make a difference.  Or run with pacers. Find a way to be near better runners.
  • At the end of the race, I took and drank a chocolate milk – didn’t agree 100% with my stomach.  
  • Had a nice breakfast at home after the race.  Took a 3 hour nap and then was totally fine for my opera performance in the early evening.  Afterwards had dinner with friends (below) who say that Asian people do not go running.

seattle rock n roll half marathon race report

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