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….

🙂