2016 Super Half Marathon Race Report

I haven’t run a stand-alone half marathon since the Super Half Marathon in 2013. But now that my hips seem to be holding up quite well and I have a 70.3 on the schedule, I thought it would be fun to run the Super Half again this year. With my “hipstory” (hip history, 😉 ) my run training is pretty conservative, and my long runs in the last few months have been in the 5-7 mile range. I ran the 2013 race “undertrained” in terms of typical training for a half marathon so I wasn’t worried about completion, just under the current circumstances I wasn’t sure what pace I could really hold. I opted for a 4:30 run / 0:30 walk strategy that I had trained with a few years back and successfully used at the LA marathon. I programmed my Garmin watch to beep at these intervals.

One good thing about this race is the 10am start….no need for a 4am wake-up! My alarm went off at 6:30am and I probably got out of bed around 6:40. I had written up my plan the evening before and was able to stick to my planned routine. I did a gentle spine and hip mobility sequence that I like, had breakfast (oatmeal with whey protein, peanut butter, and some berries,) took a shower, and then got dressed and ready to head out.

The forecast was warmer than initially thought so I modified my clothing plan from tights to capris, and went to a lighter long sleeved tech underlayer. I also figured I wouldn’t need ear covers or knit-type cap, so I just wore my 303cycling trucker hat.

I left my house about 5 minutes behind schedule, but I had incorporated plenty of time so I was not in a rush. I found street parking about a block and a half away from the check-in building and then walked over to the Plaza of the Rockies. The Cafe Velo crew was there with coffee (though I’m a no-caffeine person pre-race due to potential jitters.) I got my bib and race shirt, ran into a few other people that I know, and found the bathroom. I then walked back to my car to drop off my shirt and grab my race nutrition. The event has a sweat check so I could drop off my gear just prior to the start.

My warm-up routine for this longest run in a long time was pretty simple.  I did a series of lunges, hip mobility exercises (myrtl) and some easy jogging. My legs felt good – I was definitely rested going into the race. I finished my warm-up jogging up to the start and finding a spot somewhere in the middle. The event started about 10 minutes late, but the sun was shining and it felt warm in the sun, so while I was anxious to get going, conditions were at least nice! At this point the air temp was probably in the upper 30s or close to 40F.

The whistle blew, we were off and I shuffled my way up to the timing mat. The first part of the race is on the road so we had a little time to spread out. But with over 600 running the half and due to the trail conditions, it was easy to get a little caught up in the pack as we entered the trail. We had to be a little cautious with our footing and we were all trying to avoid the icy spots. Then we settled into snowpack for another couple miles and the line of racers thinned out.

I stayed with my 4:30/:30 plan as much as possible, focusing on the run portion to be relatively comfortable but not easy. On the gradual up-hill I was somewhere around a 9:30-9:45 pace. I was happy to see friends I knew who were out there cheering along the way, which is always awesome. I also got a few shout-outs from fellow runners ahead of me on the back portion before I hit the turn-around. The aid stations were located about every 2 miles and knew a few people volunteering as well. I probably didn’t go more than 10 or 15 minutes without seeing someone I knew!

Once I hit the turn-around I was at about the distance of my recent longest runs. The last time I ran this event I was able to pick it up and take advantage of the downhill. This time I didn’t really feel that, but I still tried to push the running sections a little bit. Another benefit of running this race is that I know the trail well, so the familiarity helped as I could check off landmarks/locations, but I do remember being surprised seeing mile markers come up relatively quickly. I felt that was a good sign that the race was progressing well. Sometimes my watched beeped when I wasn’t expecting it. (Nothing worse than thinking four minutes have passed and it’s only been one!) In general I was feeling pretty good other than my hip flexors and left hamstring getting tight. I wasn’t too concerned, just something I’ll need to pay attention to post race – stretching, massage, and to keep on strengthening. (I already have a massage scheduled for Thursday!)

As I was getting into the double-digit miles, my pacing was still feeling consistent even though I was starting to feel some of the pounding. The leg ache hit at about mile 12, but with only a mile to go this was just a mental game. The last couple miles were melting snowpack, so it was a little slippy here and there, but at least it was a soft surface! As I crossed Cache la Poudre/Mesa on the trail I knew it was about a half mile to the next bridge, and then just a little further to the finish. There is a little bit of an uphill bit to the finish and with the snow meant that my usual sort of non-existent finish kick was very non-existent.

Official chip time 2:12:07. AG 20/39.

Nutrition/Hydration:

I was doing a little experiment with Generation UCAN fueling today. I’ve used this product for several years, but with the slight hiatus I’ve had from racing, I haven’t revisited a pre-race strategy with it. Today I took a heaping scoop of the chocolate (contains a little protein) and a heaping scoop of the cinnamon and around 12 oz of water and drank that starting at around 9:15 and finishing it around 9:30am, 30 minutes before the planned race start. Then my only on-course fuel was Skratch hydration, so really not much in the way of calories, more just electrolyte supplementation. (I carried a 18oz bottle in a handheld.) In the past I’ve taken one, maybe 2 gels during a half, but this time I was curious on how long a slightly larger serving of UCAN would do for me. I did have some clif blocks if I needed a boost and I knew there would be gatorade on the course.

I used the whole race to go through all but an ounce or two of my bottle of Skratch. Most of the aid stations I took a little bit of water, and the last two aid stations I took some gatorade. Just a couple ounces each, and it was definitely watered down. This seems to have worked well. Had my pace been a little quicker, I might have needed a little boost but with more calories. If it were warmer out I probably would have needed a little more fluids. (I did make a quick pit stop around mile 8-9.)

The test of my nutrition is always at the finish – how did I feel once I stopped. When I’m underfueled/underhydrated I can tell when I stop, as I feel a little “off” or light headed. I didn’t feel that way after this race, though I was hungry and started to feel that way at about mile 11. Once I crossed the line and got my medal, I walked to the finish line station and grabbed a small cup of pretzels and M&Ms (had been looked forward to that!) and some water. Then I got my clothes bag which had my post-race shaker of vanilla UCAN. I used a couple cups of water from the station, grabbed one more pretzel M&M cup, and walked back to my car finishing that UCAN. I knew I was hungry and needed to eat but I don’t get that “famished, need to eat everything in sight” feeling with UCAN.

I dropped off my stuff and then checked out some of the awards at Jack Quinn’s. I got to chat with a few more people and then headed home to eat real food, bake some brownies, and then go to a friend’s house to watch Broncos win the Super Bowl!

Personal Note: I’ve run this race 2 times before. Once with a 5:00/:30 run walk and I ran a 1:50. Then the following year I had come from some time off and ran a 1:53. My heart rate hung out in the upper 160s/low 170s, finishing near 180bpm. This time I was in the upper 140s-low 150s the whole time. Granted, I’m a few years older so would expect a slightly lower heart rate. My big question is how much of this is the medication, as it has definitely affected my heart rate. Am I less strong because of the MS? I’ve got some questions and am looking into some physiological testing to get some more information. (It would have been interesting to have worn a Moxy during the run, too. Next time!)