Who out here likes to pass countless hours on Reddit, when the wells of Instagram and Facebook run dry? I do! Favorites include r/Aww and r/Powerwashingporn (get your mind out of the gutter). Another favorite is r/Running, and in that sub I’ve noticed that Race Reports are a thing. I’ve had fun lurking around and following along, so I figured I’d share one here about my run in last weekend’s Eversource Hartford Half Marathon. 🙂
I know what you’re thinking… UM HELLO WHAT ABOUT SEAWHEEZE, GIRL. I started writing a SeaWheeze blog immediately after the race, and it got long. Too long. So, I’m working on trying to pare it down into a manageable few pieces, instead of the most epic TL:DR you’ve ever ignored. I have by no means glossed over the wheezy seas.
>>> EDIT: Part I of my SeaWheeze 2018 Recap is now up 🙂 <<<

Race Report: Eversource Hartford Half Marathon – 10/13/18
Weather: 48°F (9°C), steady rain for the duration of the race
Course Type: Road
Elevation Gain: 361 feet
Why I Chose This Race: To see if I could take advantage of hopefully cooler weather and parlay #SeaKatyWheeze training into a possible PR, after running a less than ideal race in Vancouver.
Outfit & Footwear: Lululemon Fast & Free Crop, Sculpt Tank II, Invigorate Bra. Feet – Brooks Ravenna 9, Smartwool PhD socks
Accessories: Garmin Forerunner 235, Jaybird X3, FlipBelt, iPhone X
Hydration & Fuel Strategy: Carried Amphipod 20oz HH of water & ProBar Strawberry Lemonade Energy Chews, Nuun on course at aid stations approx every 2 miles.
Mile by Mile
Mile 1: Try not to run too fast. Damn, now these people are going too slow! Gahhh so many people underfoot.
Mile 2: Ok you got the first mile out of the way. Settle it down, sister… you do realize you still have to run 11 miles after this one, right?
Mile 3: Don’t go too hard. Don’t go too slow. Still trying to find the goldilocks pace. *Passes by a sign directing the 5K runners back towards the park* F those lucky f-ing people your cute little half hour race is almost over. Oh wait, I CHOSE to run 13.1 miles in the cold rain. Heh.
5K Split: Official – 29:20 (9:27/mi) / Garmin – 28:47 (9:16/mi)
Mile 4: Ruh roh that first 5K was speedy. Maybe too speedy. I’m tired now.
Mile 5: I’m tired, all the roads look the same.
Mile 6: I’m wet, all these roads still look the same.
10K Split: Official 1:00:08 (9:41/mi) / Garmin – 59:28 (9:34/mi)
Mile 7: Did my watch just tell me I ran 10k in 60 minutes back there? Oh sh*t. I mean. Yay. I mean sh*t, I definitely went out too fast. Still waiting on that change in scenery.
Mile 8: Agh, the 2:10 pacers have caught up to me. And now there goes the sign out of view. Oh, and that’s cool I can barely keep pace with the guy next to me who is PUSHING SOMEONE UPHILL IN A WHEELCHAIR.
Mile 9: I’m tired, but now let’s run through the park. There are guys from Harpoon handing out small cups of beer. Do I drink the beer? I’ve never run a beer mile before, probably shouldn’t take the beer. But carbs. But race. Fine, I won’t drink the beer. 10 steps past them… fuck it, I should have taken the beer.
15K Split: Official 1:31:36 (Pace: 9:50/mi)
Mile 10: You know what, I’ve probably looked terrible and tired for all the other race photographers on the course so far. Let’s smile and wave this time.
Mile 11: Another 2:10 pacer passed me. So I guess that was the back of the pack. The extra time cushion I bought myself by going out quickly in the first half has vanished.
Mile 12: SeaWheeze doubts all over again. Hey, if you can’t run a 2:10, run something damn close that you’re proud of. Keep steady and don’t blow out on the hills, take advantage of every downslope you hit.
Mile 13: Who puts an uphill in Mile 13?! Was the one at 11.5 not enough?!
Mile 13.1: Spotify NAILED IT. As I came down the generous downhill and turned into the final chute, the algorithm piped a song from one of the Fast & Furious movies into my earbuds, and that’s exactly how I finished the race. In the last quarter mile, I sped up to 8:12/mi, and managed to truck it across the finish line at a 7:46/mi pace.
The 2:10 had passed on the clock at the finish line, my chip time was about a minute back from the gun time when the race began. It was close. Couldn’t believe my eyes when I looked down at my Garmin as I crossed the finish.
OFFICIAL FINISH: 2:09:42 (Pace: 9:54/mi)
Unofficial Garmin Ego Boost: 13.1mi in 2:08:14 (9:47/mi), 13.3mi in 2:09:50 (9:47/mi)
I did it. I f*cking did it, and I may have cried a little bit after I crossed the finish line. I was feeling much better physically than the day I woke up for SeaWheeze, so I had high hopes that I’d be able to PR. A PR by a spectacular few minutes wasn’t realistic, but a PR is a personal best no matter whether it’s by a second or an hour. I’ll take it.
With Hartford in the can, I’ve gone 2/2 on rainy half marathons in 2018. With work and weather, it’s unlikely there will be a trifecta this season.
Now that the miles have been run and I don’t have another race on the books, I feel like a lost puppy. Does anyone else feel that way once you’ve got the finisher’s medal around your neck?
WHAT NEXT?!
Hmm….
🙂
Go Katy, go! Great job!
Thanks April! 🙂
Congrats! A PR is definitely a PR.
Thank you! :D:D:D
Loved this post! What a great effort.
Thanks Rae! 😀
You are awesome!! Congrats on the PR! This was fun to read. And extra brownie points for running in the rain!
Maybe only one brownie point for running in the rain, because I complained LOUDLY in the 48 hour leading up to the race on how much I was dreading it haha 😛