CHaD Half Marathon -- Sat. September 6

This ended up being a pretty tough one, not just because I'd not had enough recent miles. The afternoon start was nice because no early start, but it meant eating etc. was a bit hard to plan. I drove, picking Mark up at 1:15, and we need every minute of the two hours Google told us it would take. We unwound from the car with just time to register and then do a half mile stretch out. The rain had just started, and it was still pretty muggy. Set off already chilling, but felt comfortable and rolled along, only to discover the first mile was very fast.

Not my intended tactics, so I tried to back off a bit, but then the hills and the heavy rain started. I managed to keep my feet dry until about the half way point, but then the down pour just filled all shoes with water. I took my shirt off (prompting more than one of the many spectators to wonder if I was carrying weights as I ran!) and plugged on. Feeling more or less okay at 8 miles, and I was thinking even at the hour point (almost 9 miles done) that I could get a sub-1:30, but then I guess I faded even more. At about 10 miles someone announced numbers, and I was I think 26; after that I know a couple of people got past me in the last two miles, but I must have managed to take a few back in return. I came in #26, after almost re-catching a woman who came past me in the last half mile:

Time: 1:31:51
Distance: 13. 1 miles
Speed: 8.56 mph
Pace: 7.01

Comment: my digivice read this as 13.5 miles and a speed of 8.8 mph, so my feelings about pace near the end were cruelly betrayed as the finish line didn't show up :p
However, I recall a section where the signal went, so it must have guessed wrong a bit then. The weather and the unexpected hills were a real trial. Here's what I commented elsewhere--

Oy the storms. I did a half-marathon in NH on Saturday: it started to rain just as we (Mark S came along too) got out of the car after a two+ hour drive. The rain only got heavier, going on for the whole hour and a half we were running (on hills! that were not in the brochure!) and then when we got back into the car the day was getting dark (it was an afternoon race). For the 2+ hour drive home we were speeding into dark and rain with the heat blasting away to try and keep the windscreen clear (we were of course very HOT all the while). Most of the time I was sort of wondering where the road went, as the headlights project light only about ten feet in front of the car, and Mark was probably wondering if he'd survive the trip. Oh, and we paid $50 each for the pleasure, not including gas. Gotta love hurricane season, even here in the Northeast!

The crowds were impressive, and they were very cheery and encouraging, miserable weather notwithstanding. Turnout of runners was, I think, well down on what they expected. All in all a tough start to the HM series Mark and I have planned, but maybe a good wake up call?