Today was my 4th running of the Urban Wildland Half Marathon in Richfield, MN. I've grown to really like this race over the years even though it's one of the more difficult half marathon courses I've run. It's also a warm weather summer half marathon, which can definitely accelerate the fatigue factor. But it's a well run race that has an admirable theme/objective. Reminding all of us to keep our world "green". What I like about this race is also what makes it difficult. A two mile stretch (miles 3-4) which take us off the asphalt and onto dirt trails. I'm not a big fan of running dirt trails, as the footing can be treacherous and uneven at times. But it's the only race I run that utilizes both man-made and natural surfaces. So I guess I like that challenge. The two mile trail section has lots of narrow twists and turns which make it difficult to pass runners and difficult to maintain a steady pace. It's important to use the first two miles to properly position oneself, so as not to get stuck behind slower traffic when heading into the trail section.
I also like the size of this race (just over 750 finishers). Participation is down considerably since I first ran it in 2011 when almost 1,500 runners participated. But less runners is a good thing. The trail section is too narrow and too early in the race to adequately support 1,500 runners at one time. Current participation levels are far more optimal and still provides a large race "feel".
Race conditions were as good as one could hope for this time of year. Sunny, calm and 70 degrees for a 7am start. I got up at 4:45 this morning to start my race preparations. At 60 years old, it takes my body a while to work out the kinks after I roll out of bed. As this stage in my life I deal with lower back stiffness when I wake up each morning, coupled with a few other kinks in the armor, depending on the day. Waking more than two hours before the race, allows me enough time to limber up before the horn sounds.
This is my 3rd half marathon so far this year, with one more to follow in early September. Coming off my 1:32 performance in Rochester, I would be thrilled to run something close to that again. However, this race represents 2 of my 5 slowest half marathons among the 23 half marathons I've completed. So running 1:32 today may be wishful thinking, but a good goal to focus on.
As the race began, I positioned myself where I wanted to be as the two trail miles approached, but my overall pace was about 10-15 seconds/mile slower than what I needed to challenge 1:32. Coming out of the trail section and moving back onto the asphalt in mile 5, I realized my motivation wasn't at peak levels. Not surprising, since my pace was slower than hoped. But I slogged on as the miles clicked by.
The good news was despite my slower than desired pace, I was maintaining my pace as each mile passed. This actually provided me some much needed encouragement in that other runners were not passing me by. In fact, I was slowly but surely catching and passing one runner after another over the final 4 miles of the race. This provided me the determination and motivation to push as hard as I could through the final miles. Although I didn't improve my pace, I was successfully able to maintain a steady race pace from start to finish. Any time I can do that, I feel good about my race in general.
I finished with a time of 1:34:15. Almost two minutes slower than my Rochester race, but I did run about 40 seconds faster than my April performance earlier this year in St. Cloud. I'm also happy with my placement, finishing 40th overall among 767 finishers and first in my age group of 20 finishers. "Father Time" continues to tap my shoulder and remind me that I'm getting old. Of the 24 half marathons I've now completed in my 10 year career, today's race ranks 20th overall time-wise. That doesn't sound too good to me, but it's the reality of where I'm at as I enter my 60's. Truth is, my effort is the same as it's always been, but slower times are unavoidable as the years go by.
My next race is the City of Lakes Half Marathon on September 10th in Minneapolis. It also represents the 100th overall race of my career!
Race Results:
http://www.mtecresults.com/runner/show?race=5114&rid=170
