Not a Bad Run

Actually was a very good run.  I’m talking about the OBX Half Marathon last Sunday.  If I had to do it again, I would have stayed another day.  The weather was great that morning.  It was 50 degrees and the high was projected to only be 55 during the run.  There were a total of 2,771 half marathoners getting ready to take on this challenge, and my son Jason and I were ready.  One good thing that I liked about the run was that they sent you off in waves, 3 minutes apart.  We were in the second wave, the 8 to 10 minute milers.  So there was no cattle call and a crush of runners at the start.  When our time came, I think everybody thought it was the 100 yard dash!  Oh I forgot to mention, that I forgot to wear my Garmin.  So there I was, running like crazy with the rest of the pack.  I soon realized that this was stupid, and I backed down.  Jason however, kept up the brutal pace.  (I think there was some hottie he was chasing)  After a boring first 3 miles, we ducked down a side street into a beautiful neighborhood.  The ocean was to the right of us, and a golf course to the left of us.  Some magnificent homes also.  But then we go back out onto the main road for the final 6 miles.  At mile 9, we cross the bridge going into Raonoke.  The bridge they say, rises 35 feet, but I think it was more like 135!  When you come up to it, you’re thinking that there’s no way I’m going to run all the way across this.  Most of us however did, although there were a few that didn’t.At mile 11 we are headed into downtown Manteo and the spectators are more in numbers and definitley louder.  I admire those people that stand out there for hours to cheer you on and ring their cow bells.  Just after mile 12 you can see the finish line.  I pick up my pace a bit and I’m surprised at how much energy I have.  Was it because it’s finally over, or was I not running as hard as I could have?  As I cross the line I hook up with Jason and find out that he ran 1 hour, 43 minutes!  His best half marathon time before that was 1 hour 54 minutes.  I think he got better.  I finished in 1 hour, 47 minutes and 11 seconds.  I was very happy with that considering 3 weeks before I ran the Denver Half in 1 hour 59 minutes.  So I shave off 12 minutes in 3 weeks.  Like I said, I’m happy.  I finished 209th out of the 2,771 total runners and in my age group, I finished 20th out of 117.  I can’t believe how fast some of these dudes my age are.  My splits were at 6.9 miles, 7:51 per mile and the final 6.2, 8:34 per mile.  Wow!  What a drop.  I did go out way too fast which caused me to slow it way down the second half.  But I’ll take it.

Now to get ready for the marathon in Arizona in January.   Should be a good one.

Jason and I before the run