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Hot Half

 

by Cregg Weinmann (a report on the 2006 End of the Trail Half Marathon in Visalia, CA)

 

Short Version:

I am still in the 1:30 club


Longer Version:

I was fretting for almost 2 weeks that the projected weather for the
End if the Trail Half Marathon, at a 92 degree high temperature (34C),
would be my version of recent Olympic and World Championships
marathons. I wracked my brain for all of the cooling tricks I've used
over the years, but still went to the starting line with concerns. I
had a hat, but did not use it, as I don't normally run with a hat (of
course if my hairline recedes much more...), maybe I should get used to
one. My 2 goals were 1) Break 1:30, and 2) Beat my PR of 1:30:48. The
jump from Winter to Summery weather had eliminated the possibility of
acclimating to a little heat - it might have felt like a gentle breeze
if we had been in a normal weather cycle for the past month. It looked
like cloud cover was going to give us some relief when I left home at
5:30 am for the drive to Visalia. No such luck, by 7:30 it was clear as
a bell, and the sun was much higher than I anticipated. I followed the
lead pack for the first half mile, then settled into a slightly slower
pace knowing that comfort had a changing definition over the course of
13.1 miles. Mile one arrived in 6:24 so I adjusted accordingly, my race
plan allowing for me to run the last 3 miles at 7:10 - not because I
had any interest in not running 6:45-6:50, but for the more pragmatic
reason that I probably wouldn't be able to. One of my key rivals eased
alongside at about 2 kilometers, having come through the mile in 6:40,
then ramped up to the 6:30's for about 2 miles and then stayed that
tantalizing couple hundred yards ahead - always in sight, throughout
the rest of the course, finishing about 50 seconds before me. Could I
have run with Augie? Maybe not, at least I did not have a medical
emergency, probably better not to have found out. I passed 2 miles in
13:11, then 3 in 19:51, 4 in 26:36, 5 in 33:14. At 5 miles we did a 180
and backtracked for about a half mile, then turned east. We were too
far from home to do the whole count how many steps Augie was ahead and
try to reel him in, though I did notice that he picked it up a bit, but
was unable to close on the runners ahead of him. I also noted that Alan
who was shooting for 1:30 was about equally behind me as I was with
Augie. As we passed each other he shouted "I thought you were going to
run 1:30 pace!?!" I was encouraged that he was (on 1:30) and that was
my cushion for those middle miles. The course had bends throughout,
doubling back on itself twice. At 6 miles it began a loop which went
east then north then west then north then east to the last short out
and back stretch (each turn going about half a mile). about 8.5 miles
or so I began to feel the strain, but eating a Cliff Shot Block at 7
miles seemed to kick in just when I needed it (when I tucked the pack
back into the waistband it dropped out - really needed some shorts with
a pocket!) and taking a gulp of Gatorade then water at each aid station
after mile 7 worked out OK. The sun was beating down, though a short
stretch in the shade showed that the air temperature was not nearly as
warm as it felt in the sun. Augie was closing on another runner who had
dropped off the back of the pack ahead and I was making no headway (but
you convince yourself that you are). The runner Augie caught revived
after they ran together about a mile and left him to run the last
couple miles alone. At 9 miles I saw that Alan was not gaining on me,
and a sub 1:09 for the 10 mile split was still possible. 10 miles was
reached in a 6:53 mile at 1:08:57, so I knew it was going to be close.
By the time I got to the 11 mile mark my brain was refusing to play the
"Can I still make it?" game, so I drank what was offered and kept
putting one foot in front of the other. I began to look for the 12 mile
marker, hoping it was outside the park, the farther outside the park
the better. It was, but I then got the sinking realization that I had
forgotten that .1 miles in the 13.1 designation. 7:10 a mile was fine,
but I needed a 21:30 final 5K instead of 21:30 for 3 miles! The finish
line was that .1 beyond the starting line, and my first glimpse of the
clock was from about 170 meters out, my legs were in no shape to sprint
(though I tried), and it read 1:29:43. Well goal one was out of reach,
but I still had 66 seconds to get there in a new PR. After crossing the
finish line I seem to remember pulling the tab from my number and
handing it to the finish line folks before pressing the button on my
watch, 1:30:29 (actually 1:30:16). I'll take it, but maybe future races
longer than 10 miles will be confined to the cooler months.

CW