Race Report: Philadelphia Half Marathon

Philadelphia Half Marathon

13.1 miles

Race Chip Dist/Time (13.1 miles):  1:58:27 (9:02 pace)

Garmin Dist/Time (13.35 miles) 1:58:27 (8:52 pace)

I waited for this race all year!  The cool weather, my home city... all wrapped around Thanksgiving!  What's not to enjoy!  The icing on the cake for me would be that my tri/running muse AND friend from high school, Christina, would be running this race side-by-side with me.  In addition, this would be Scott's first open half-marathon and he was super excited about the location and the crowds!!!

This race was pretty much seemless, from packet pick-up to port-o-johns to parking to bag check to aid stations to the fantastic Philly crowds!  I enjoyed every moment from start to finish and can totally see a second date with this course in the future.

My only caveat... and well, since we talk a lot about times around here it's a pretty big one, is that my Garmin measure the course long (at least the course that I ran).  Not just by my Garmin either, but by multiple Garmins.  Both Scott and I had the course at .24 miles long, Christina had it long and multiple people on other running boards had it long.  So, it was long...or more likely we are all just very poor at running tangents... no matter, and as all runners know, nearly a 1/4 mile is pretty darn signifcant.

So, let's get the time stuff out of the way.  I ran a 1:58:25 at the Sarasota Half Marathon last February; I ran a 1:58:27 at Philly.  The Sarasota course was not long, Philly was (based on what I ran).  Sarasota was not at all hilly (save for one bridge), Philly was.  My HR for all mile splits was lower during this race and I was running a faster pace.  For me, since I use Garmin as my constant, this all equals running improvment no matter what the distance/time was declared as.  I am happy!

Packet Pick-Up and Expo: Friday, November 20th (and my 33rd birthday)

Scott and I were completely out of our element as we navigated center city Philadelphia on Friday afternoon.  Ha!  We are truly turning into chill Floridians. The race expo was fantastic- best one I've ever been to.  I bought a commemorative fleece and both Scott and I purchased some YurBuds for our iPods.  Um, totally unsolicited plug here, these things are great!

The S&S Express at the Philadelphia Expo!

Race Morning

Christina met up with Scott and I at 5AM and we drove into the city.  The ride was a quick one as we chatted and laughed!  What a great start to a perfect day!  We calculated the drive time and parking just right and had the perfect amount of time to walk to the race area, make a pit stop, drop off our bags at gear-check and make our way to the starting corral.  Temperatures were gloriously perfect at around 48F!  Knowing how much I sweat, I chose to wear shorts and a tech-t with armwarmers and gloves to start.  I also wore some throw away fleece pants and an old race t-shirt which I happily donated to charity about 5 minutes before race start.

I really felt great before the start.  There was no pressure.  I wasn't even thinking about a PR since training had been light after MiamiMan and b/c I had missed my all-important 16 miler.  I just wanted to have a great race and finish strong.

Christina ran this race as a bandit (don't worry folks, she is a kind bandit and brings her own food/water) and really it was just a great training run for her.  She had just finished a sub-4 hr. Chicago marathon and was nursing a glute problem; but she really wanted to enjoy this run with me and I'm so super happy that she came along.

The very loose race plan was to try and keep the 3:55 marathon pacer within our sites.  They would be running around an 8:47 pace and I felt that on a good day, on a flat course... I could handle that race pace.  Scott's plan was to run by feel.  He kept telling me that it was just a 'joy' run and I kept encouraging him to really try to 'see what he could do.'

Before I knew it, the waves starting moving!  The race was on!  Oh, excitement!!!!

Mile 1

I ran the first mile conservatively.  A nice, brisk warm-up at a 9:07 pace.  Somewhere near the end of mile 1, both Chris and I took off our gloves.  Heart rate was comfortable in high zone 2 and I was ready to step it up.

Miles 2 through 7

Chris and I averaged an 8:38 pace from mile 2 through mile 7.  I felt fantastic and knew I was on my way to a huge PR!  We talked along the way; not conversational mind you (at least not on my part), but just in phrases.  I was definitely working in that 'uncomfortably comfortable' range... a good, strong pace and solidly in zone 4 HR.  Somewhere around mile 3 or 4, I pulled my armwarmers down.  Getting warm!

Miles 8 through 10 (let's call these the Fairmount Park hills)

Ouch!  9:17 average pace.  Okay, I recall reading over and over again that while Philly is a fast course and a great place to BQ for those running the marathon, it is not a pancake flat course.  Nope, not at all.  Once we hit University City around the Drexel campus and then entered Fairmount Park, this flatlander found herself really having to work.  Ugh!  Christina encouraged me on.  She was so great.  My breathing became more labored, I ventured into zone 5 going up the hills and tried to recover as best as I could going down.  Zone 5 is a danger zone and I knew that I still had miles to go.

Miles 11 & 12

Voila!  Things flatten out again and I managed to run an 8:42 and an 8:48 for miles 11 and 12 respectively!  Yes!  Back on track.  Somewhere during this part of the race, was the main turnaround to head back to the Philly Art Museum AND the finish line!  It was around this time that I saw Scott!  He was only about 5 minutes behind Chris and I and was looking strong with a big smile on his face!  That was great news to me because it meant that he was actually pushing himself.  Go, sweetie!!!!

Mile 13.1 (er, 13.35)

That final mile+ was killer for me as I managed to choke out an 8:55 pace .  I was working very hard already AND there was still one final uphill into the finish.  I was also perplexed by the time on my watch.  I was approaching my PR time, but yet my average pace was reading 8:52!  Darn! I managed to take the 13.35 mile route instead of the 13.1 mile route.  I became a bit disgruntled b/c I knew that 'on paper' there would be no PR for me that day, but based on Garmy, I kicked some Philly Ass-Phalt!!!! C'est la Vie!!!

The Finish

A few hundred feet before the finish line, I told Chris that she better not bail out on me in the chute.  We had run this far together and I wanted her to cross that line with me, race number or no race number.  She maintained her constant smile and we glided across the finish line!  Full of glory!  Full of friendship!  So much fun!

A mylar blankie and a medal came my way and then we sat and stretched on the ground while waiting for Scott to finish.  During this time, the dude who won the marathon crossed the line!  Psycho genes!!!!

About 5 minutes after we had finished, my gorgeous man finished his first open half marathon.  A big smile on his face!

What a glorious morning!  This was quite possibly the best race of the year in terms of enjoyment for me!  First class stuff all-around!  I only wish that I had some actual pictures from the race itself.  I'm tempted to buy one from the race website, but this particular photographer is so freakin' expensive for just one digital picture!  Grrr...

Here's a picture of Chris and I after the race and before parting ways: