Race Recap: RnR Providence Half Marathon

Rock 'n' Roll Providence Half Marathon
September 29, 2013

State: Repeat
Lifetime: #38

This past weekend I ran the Rock 'n' Roll Providence Half Marathon.  This was my 3rd year running the race and it has definitely become one of my favorites.  It's a nice course and the weather in Providence this time of the year is just beautiful.  The leaves were just starting to change which made it really nice.

I did this race as part of my 14 mile run, so before it started I got some extra mileage in.  The start was right up the block from our hotel, so it made for a nice and easy race morning.  Race morning was typical for me - oatmeal and a banana when I first got up, followed by PowerBar Energy Blasts 30 mins before the start.

It was a little cooler then I anticipated at the start and I had forgotten to bring any throwaway clothing.  But I had brought an extra long sleeve shirt just in case of this, so I had something to keep me warm.  I ended up keeping the shirt on until like mile 10.

The start was delayed for about 10 minutes before the start, but otherwise it was pretty well organized.  I am not sure why there was a delay.  Once they got started, the waves went off quickly.  Only took me about 5 minutes to get to the start and off we went.

The course is nice and goes through several Providence neighborhoods and includes some time on the water.  There are several hills in it which do make it a little more challenging.  The one between miles 4 and 5 is pretty tough, but not impossible.  It's also short so that's nice!

This is one of the smaller RnR races, so the course never felt crazy crowded which is nice.  Since I was doing this as part of my long run, I really tried to keep the pace easy.  It was faster then my long run pace should be, but it felt comfortable.

I have to admit I am not a fan of the medals this time around.  The previous 2 years I really liked (they had sailboats on them) but this one is just not my style.  I know people who did really like them though!

Results
Official: 13.1 miles, 2:10:34, 9:58 pace
Since I kept my watch going for the full 14 miles, only have official times this time.