Quick Lake Placid Half Marathon report
I posted most of this in the IMLP forum, but I wanted a broader audience to brag to.
My taper for this race was exactly 20 hours. On Friday, I did the full bike course and 6 miles of running. Saturday, was 1:40 on the bike and 45' swimming.
I'd signed up for the LP Half Marathon, and asked Rich on Saturday night whether I should treat it like a race or a long run. He said to race it. So I did, despite the hard workouts Friday and Saturday. 90% of the course is the same as the IMLP run course. (The Half starts off with a loop around Mirror Lake and the turnaround is a bit closer to town because of that. Also, the route back into town is direct from 73 rather than the out and back on Lake Placid Club Dr.)
I was hoping to hold 7' miles. The first mile was 7:15, and the second was 7:20 (including a 20" bathroom break in the woods). After that, they were all between 6:49 and 7:03 through mile 10. It didn't seem like a race. I felt great, and was just cruising along. I think I was too chatty with my fellow racers as I didn't get many verbal responses. Mile 11 was up the hill on 73 after the turn from River Rd. and I slowed down a bit to 7:17. Mile 12 was back down to 7:05 and mile 13 was 6:55. I was thrilled with being able to keep up the pace on the last mile because that climb from 73 up to the Oval was steep--about 100' of gain in the last 1/3 mile. I was behind a young woman with a great butt in very short spandex shorts and considered staying behind her the rest of the way for the motivational view, but she was slowing so I reluctantly charged on ahead. I passed a guy walking on the uphill and yelled at him to get going. He seemed surprised, jumped about 6' into the air, and started running. He sounded like a freight train--I'm glad I didn't cause a heart attack. After hearing him breathe, I realized why he was walking.
As I entered the Oval for the finish, I heard a bunch of people cheering for Keith. I couldn't see who they were, but thought that my EN buddies had come out to cheer me on. As it happens, I was running neck-and-neck Keith Hollis, and they were cheering for him. Oh well, I didn't know that until the last 10 meters when I heard the announcer say both of our names. I've never been so tired at the end of the race--that final climb just about killed me. I was so zookered that I considered walking in the last 100 meters. I didn't, though, and held a 6:08 pace for the last .12 for a final time of 1:32:10. I passed the other Keith in the last 10 meters.
My previous PR was just over 1:40. My final pace Sunday was 7:02. Arrghh. Just 26 seconds away from 7' miles. If you take away the bathroom break, though, I'm right there. I may go for a BQ in November. Am I nuts? It's 3:15 for my age group. The VDOT calculators say my HM is equivalent to a 3:11:28 marathon, and this was on a hilly course totally unrested. I'm thinking about the Richmond Marathon in mid-Novemeber.
From miles 7 through 12.5, I was running with a first time marathoner from NC trying to qualify for Boston. (The full marathon runs the first loop with the half.) (I learned later the course isn't certified, so he probably couldn't have qualified anyway.) He looked strong through 12, but slipped to 3:23 from the 3:04 pace we were holding. Too bad.
According to my Garmin, most of the mile markers were off. They kept coming .12 miles early (the 4 mile mark was at 3.88 miles). The total distance was OK, though. I had 13.13 on my Garmin, and I'm a master at running the shortest course. It was frustrating, though, that River Rd. wasn't closed to traffic. We had to dodge cars. It wasn't bad until the leaders hit the turn around and there were people on both sides of the course.
Comments
You have plenty of time to train for the BQ in November after LP. Take a nice transition and then start a run focus plan and you will be all set. My very very simply HM to M conversion is 2 x your HM + 10-15 minutes... so you are right on target. You just need to get some more miles under your legs while not training for an IM and you will be fine.
Dana, Tracy, and I were looking for you on Lake Placid Drive (we rode up from Northwoods Lane), but figured you were WAY off the front.
Oh and way to show the other Keith what was UP at the finishing stretch.
That's gotta feel good to crush your PR on tired legs. Great work Keith. I say go for BQ!
work works eh?
Now THAT's how to finish with nothing left!! Awesome! Oh yeah, you should go for the BQ in November. You've got pleanty of time to take a break after IMLP and then hit the Marathon training hard. Just think what you can do when rested!
Hey Keith,
Great race, thanks for sharing, and great meeting you this weekend!