Modesto (half) Marathon race report

This was a race that almost wasn't.  Despite driving 5 hours to get to Modesto (with my dog Scooter on my lap the whole way) I woke up Saturday feeling terrible.  My chest hurt worse than any day the last week.  It hurt so bad that as I got to the race expo I asked if I could defer my entry until next year.  I already told myself if they said no that I would at least wake up the next morning, get ready and see how my body felt.  Well, they said no, so that meant that I was at least going to attempt to run.

Well lo and behold I woke up race morning feeling great.  All the prayers people said for me really paid off.  I ate some breakfast, made some coffee, took the dog on a walk, and then it was time to get ready and head out the door.

As I was driving to the race I felt no nerves at all, which is unusual for me.  Maybe because I knew I had a good excuse if I sucked it up.  Maybe it was because I did a lot of CrossFit and knew that was so different to any other training I have done in the past.

Thanks to Dan Ross for giving me some encouragement on the blog the night before and some advice on how to warm up.  (I guess I know of 4 people now who read this blog... my wife, my mother in

mile one

law, Dan and Jen.  Thanks guys!)  Anyway, I was nice and loose as the race started.  I shed a sweatshirt I bought at Goodwill right before the start and I felt great wearing a tank top.  I could not believe how many people were all layered up.  It was in the 40s at the start but I think they paid for it in the end.  I would say it was sunny and in the 50s when I finished.

The race was pretty uneventful itself.  The course is totally flat except for the overpass you cross out and back.  My goal was to hit 7:30 minute/miles throughout the race.  After the first mile I ended up running about 10 yards behind the 3:15 marathon pace group until mile 8 where they diverged.  I did some mental math and knew following them would put me near a 1hr37 finish.  

Around mile 8 I was running next to a high school kid and he said it was his first time racing.  I asked him if he had a goal and he said to finish in an hour and 10 minutes.  I didn't have the heart to tell him he needed to be running 5 minute miles.

my dad and Susie

In the last 3 miles I started picking off runners, which never happens to me.  My most humbling moment racing was actually being passed by a fat middle aged woman around mile 23 of a marathon.  Well this time I was the fat middle aged woman!  Wait... you know what I mean.

I did a good job of not focusing too much on my watch throughout the race and I only looked at the elapsed time 2 times until I was about to make the turn at mile 13.  I was surprised when it, and the big clock, registered in the low 1hr37ish realm.  I knew if I booked it I could break 1hr38.  I did just that and i could hear my step mom cheering for me, which was great.  Officially my time was 1 hr 37 min and 50 seconds.

After I crossed the finish line I felt better than I have in any other race at any other distance.  I never hit the wall, wasn't hunched over, could talk in big boy sentences and didn't look like a mess.

Below are my splits...

the ole Garmin

1-7:29
2-7:17
3-7:22
4 -7:25
5-7:25
6-7:29
7-7:26
8-7:27
9-7:31
10-7:33
11-7:39
12-7:28
13.1-8:17


Overall it was a great day, a great race and also fun to randomly see some old friends along the way racing also!