September 27, 2009
Marathon, Half-marathon and 5km Races
Well, my race schedule for 2009 has included all races run in the rain so you can guess how this race went from a weather perspective. It was also very humid so as flat as the course is, I was glad I was instead of the full marathon.
I got to the race early to allow myself time to get ready and lightly warmed up. I chatted briefly with Oswin Hall as we were in the same time chattel. As we spoke we realized we were likely planning on running similar times and decided to run together as long as our paces were similar.
As the gun went off I tried to stick to proper pace and not get too caught up in the excitement of the crowd (which usually leads to running too fast). By about the third kilometre I realized that humidity would play a definite role in this race so I made sure to take in small amounts of fluids at every water station as well as pour water over my head about every second one to keep my core temperature down. This strategy would pay huge dividends as I was able to maintain a sub-4 minute/km pace and actually had some quicker ones in the closing kilometres of the race.
I finished in 47th place overall in a clock time of 1:23:46.
Considering that this was a tune-up race to practise pacing leading up my full marathon in October I was pleased with the result.
There are many who really love this race for the full but for me, I prefer the half as it tends to be a bit too warm for my liking. The course is really flat and fast and I recommend giving it a go. You’ll have a blast!
Mike Bosch, Team Running Free Athlete
Mike, great time for a practice run. You are a machine. Ready for another kick at the Bay?
I hope so!
Larry