Race Recap: Philadelphia Half Marathon

Philadelphia Half Marathon
November 17, 2013

State: Pennsylvania (repeat)
Lifetime Half: #41

Can we just discuss that I can't believe I didn't point out that Wine & Dine was my #40 half overall.  40.  Halves.  I can't believe I've run that many halves in only 7.5 years.  Whoa.

Anyway, back to the task at hand - let's recap the Philly Half.

This is my 4 time running Philly - I've done the marathon twice and the half twice.  We headed down to Philly on Saturday.  After dropping our stuff of at Megan's and picked her and Chloe (her daughter) up, we headed to the expo.

The number/shirt pickup was held all the way in the back of the room.  Super annoying to get too.  Once we got there, it was relatively quick to pick up our numbers and shirts.  I have to say, I really like the shirt this year.  It was a great color (it's a sky blue, my phone made it a weird color) and the saying is perfect.

The expo was pretty small, smaller then I remember from last year.  I picked up some gu's and added to my Sweaty Band collection and then that was it.  Not too much to see.

After the expo, we had an early dinner and spent some time relaxing before an early night of sleep.  Which was good because the alarm went off really early.  I barely remember eating breakfast.  I didn't know what to wear.  It was November 18, but it was unseasonably warm.  I ended up going with a shirt and tank.  In November.  Weird weather folks.

Megan's place is very close to the start, less than a 10 minute walk.  It was an easy way to get to the race start.  We ended over there not too early to avoid standing around.  Since we were also so close, I didn't check any baggage which made going through the security very easy.

Since we were there right at the start, we headed straight to the corrals.  They were nicely spaced and not too crowded.  The start was relatively quick and went smoothly.

I was running this race as a training run, so not too concerned with the pace.  The first couple of miles loop around downtown.  We headed to the water first and ran along that for a little, before headed back to center city.  The course goes right past Independence Hall, which I've always loved.

After Center City, we headed towards the universities (UPenn and Drexel).  Along the way there, I saw Megan and got a nice boost from her and Chloe.  They were so cute to come out!

The next section of the course is the only part with hills.  They are small relatively speaking, but the one heading into Fairmont Park always kills me.  Following a brief little jaunt through Fairmont Park, we did a brief out and back along the water before heading back to the art museum for the finish.  Always glad to see that!

As I said, I was running this as my long run, so I wasn't too concerned with my time.  But my pace was pretty solid throughout the whole time.  I felt much better then I did at Wine and Dine only 1 week before.  I felt like I was putting in less effort, but my pace was faster.  So, that's good, right?

Not loving the medal (I just don't feel like it's that special for a half), but maybe that's just me?

Results
Official: 13.1 mi, 2:03:51, 9:26 pace
Garmin: 13.25 mi, 2:03:55, 9:21 pace

Philly Half Marathon Registration

Registration for the Philadelphia Marathon Weekend opened on Monday (April 1) and unlike Chicago and Marine Corps, Active.com did not crash!  There have been a lot of issues with race registrations lately, it's been quite insane.  I can't believe how quickly races are selling out anymore.  

Anyway, there seemed to be no problems with the Philly opening.  I managed to snag one of the discounted spots for the first 1,000 registrations and I had a $5 coupon (for completing a survey about last years race), so the race ended up being under $60!  Love a cheap race.

Looking forward to another race weekend in Philly with Kasey.  This will be year number 3 that's we done it together (Half for her all 3 and me 1 marathon and 2 half's). 

On a total different note, this weekend starts the Final Four.  Syracuse is in it for the first time since they won in 2003 - hard to believe it's been 10 years (sorry everyone for screwing up your brackets)!  I remember when they won - it was probably one of the best experiences of my college years.  Watching the game in the Dome, running down to Marshall Street, everyone celebrating and cheering and singing  'We are the Champions' all night long.  Definitely something I am glad I got to experience!  

In case you want to jump on the SU bandwagon, you can join Jimmy Fallon!  Great video - good move  Jimmy!  (On a side note, I am excited for him to take over for Jay Leno).

LET'S GO C-U-S-E!!!!

Medals

Here are some pictures of my Philadelphia Medal and since I never posted a picture of my Chicago medal, here's that too.

Crossing the finish line in Philyl

Here is the "official" picture of me crossing the finish line in Philadelphia. Don't I look awesome? Woohoo!

Halfway back to normal

I am still slightly sore today, but nothing too bad. Mainly in my legs. Kinda look ridiculous walking around my office all stiff.

Philly team mis-behaving party tonight with margarita's. You know how I love margarita's :)

Finally done

I am finally done. Philly was great. I finished in 4:17 - a time I am SUPER happy with. My goal time was 4:15, so to finish right near there - I was thrilled. The race was good overall. The weather was much better then Chicago - mid 40's and even misted at times. Didn't rain enough to truly get me wet. I was feeling good for almost the entire time. At Mile 17, Kiernan jumped in and ran with me, which was a nice pick me up. Then Dave jumped in and ran with me until 21. It was after that that it started to get really hard. I had never run that hard for that long before and my body was aching. 21 was definitely my worst mile. Right before Mile 22, I saw Coach Sandy and Krista cheering on the sidelines. They jumped in and ran with me to 26. They were awesome. Kept me moving, would run in front of me if it was windy, ran ahead to get water for me. It was HUGE help in those last 4 miles and definitely kept me moving. Then, at mile 25.5, Coach Steve H and Melka also jumped in and ran with me. I had my own entourage (I hope some got a picture of it!). They all jumped out right at 26 and left me to finish. It was so great crossing the finish line! Finally felt like I had run a race on my terms and was so proud.

I like our medals a lot (I'll post a picture of it soon) and didn't remove it the entire day. So glad its finally done!

I am definitely sore today, but not as bad as after Chicago. Just taking it easy today and plan on treating myself for the week :)

I bought a bike!!!

Yes, that's right. I bought a bike. Its a beautiful Cervelo. I'll take some pictures and post them soon :)

Philly is an less than 4 days! Woohoo!

Weekend run

Went for a short run this weekend. Looked like the weather was going to be crappy - it was pouring here Friday night and freezing. But by Saturday morning, it has stopped raining, but was still cold. Went for a quick 5 miles run. Less than a week to Philly! This week is all about the taper. And lots of stretching. So excited to eat lots of food at Thanksgiving, which conviently falls 4 days after philly :)

Weeknd Run

This is the last long run before the marathon (which is in 9 days, holy crap!). We'll be running about 6 miles. As of now, the weather looks like it may be crappy (rainy or potentially snowy!), so if it is, I will probably run on the treadmill. I'm feeling like I have a cold coming on and can't risk running outside in that kind of weather.

If you're interested in learning more about the half-ironman, check out: www.timbermantri.com
It'll tell you all about the event I'll be doing :)

Running filled weekend

Definitely did a lot of running this weekend. Got up on Saturday for my last long run prior to the marathon. And it was raining. And not a little bit of rain, a lot of rain. But marathon training does not wait for nice weather, so I ran. In the rain. Got the 20 miles done. I felt good, towards the end I started to get some rubbing in my shoes from the wet socks, but other then that it was a good run.

On Sunday, I did the Poland Spring Marathon Kickoff 5M in Central Park. It was cold (only 53 degrees), but a nice cold. Ran it nice and slow (still recovering from the 20 miler, so no need to push it) and finished in 47:46 - a 9:33 min per mile pace. Not bad for my first race from Chicago.

Only 20 days until Philly!

Good run

Had a great run last night. I couldn't run on Tuesday night with the Team because I was bag watching (all mentors take turns bagwatching so everyone else can run), so I ran last night. And since it was gross and rainy, I ran inside. Typically, I don't like running on the treadmill. I usually find it boring and extremely tiring. But last night, I had a great run. After warming up for 5 mins, I ran for another 50 mins at a 10:00 min pace and even some for a 9:50 mile pace. Felt comfortable, prolly could have kept running. Feeling back to myself for Philly!

Weekend Run

Went for my first "true" long run since Chicago this weekend. Did about 13 miles and let me tell you it was tough. My legs definitely took a long time to feel good again. But I did it and its over. One last long run next weekend - 18-20 miles - left before Philly.

On a side note, went looking for road bikes this weekend so I can do some tri's next year. I am freaking nuts!

Its official!

It's official - I have lost my mind! I just registered for the Philadelphia marathon. Holy crap, I'm crazy!

This weekend

Got a nice and short run in this weekend. Ran 5 miles on Saturday with the team. Before our run, we had a meeting with Coach Ramon to discuss the Philly Marathon and logistics. Looks like its gonna be a team of about 40 or so people. Insane!

All recovered

Well, I'm all recovered from Chicago. My quads are still a little tight, but nothing too bad. Believe it or not, I'm ready to start running again. As I said before, I'm considering doing the Philly marathon on the 18th. Ramon is holding a meeting tomorrow morning to discuss. Can't believe I'm so insane! But some of my teammates are considering doing it, so I'm not alone :) I'll keep you all posted on my decision.

Chicago Re-cap

Well, the Chicago marathon has come and gone. And let me tell you, it was one for the books. While I finished, it was most definitely one of the hardest things I've done. It was super hot in Chicago - so hot in fact that it was record breaking. Yup, record breaking. The temp reached close to 90 degrees. It was insane out. I just tried to drink as much water and gatorade as possible in order to stay hydrated. It was not an easy job. I was drinking 2 cups of gatorade at every station and pouring as much water on me as possible to stay cool. I was also putting ice in my hat to keep my head cool. The ground was un-godly hot. By Mile 17, my feet were on fire. And to top it all off, at Mile 23.5, the marathon was CANCELLED. That's right, cancelled. We were allowed to continue, but we're encouraged to walk. I still got to complete the entire 26.2 and cross the finish line. It was unreal. There were ambulances everywhere and people collapsed on the side of the course due to the heat. The heat just got to everyone.

I did finish, and I am very proud of it (especially considering the heat factor), but I do feel like I missed the true Chicago experience (although I won't be running there again for a while). Some of our team members weren't even able to finish! Ramon is organizing a team for the Philly marathon on November 18th for people who feel "cheated". I am seriously considering running it. Hmmmm. I'll be making a decision soon.