Mercer Island Half Marathon

I wasn't all that satisfied with my performance in the Relay Del Sol, especially my pace after about 4 miles, so I decided just last night to do the Mercer Island Half Marathon.

I didn't really know what to expect. I hadn't raced a half marathon in a few years and I hadn't run at all in the week after the relay, having chosen post-race beer and ice cream instead of light running and a good diet. But I wanted to see Mercer Island and figured that I could use the race to build up my endurance and get ready for the next relay.

What I didn't realize last night was that the race course was extremely hilly. The biggest hills went up only about 150 feet, but they just kept coming. Almost none of the terrain was flat, and the second half of the route was particularly challenging.

That didn't stop me from going out too fast, though. I did the first 3 miles at a 6:14 pace, which is way too fast for me and not a particularly good strategy considering I'd twice failed to maintain my pace after 4 miles just the weekend before.

Fortunately, I realized that I still had 10 miles to go and that I needed to slow down, so I settled into about a 6:45 pace -- a bit slower uphill and a bit faster down. I got passed repeatedly and passed almost no one, which felt strange and demoralizing. But I knew it was my penalty for going out too fast, and I just kept to my race despite the fast field.

Around mile 13, I had to climb one last steep hill. Fortunately Jana was there to cheer me on. I worked my way up the incline and sprinted down the last few yards between the top of the hill and the finish.

I timed myself at 1:27:50. That's not a spectacular time, but it was satisfying considering my lack of preparation. And it was actually a PR because I hadn't run a half marathon for such a long time.

I think that I should run some more races. Maybe I'll even learn to stop going out way too fast. Maybe.