Race Report - Asbury Park 1/2 Marathon

Apparently there never seems to be a good time to update this blog lately. Not sure if my life is really that busy or a sign of poor time management. In any case, I've opened my race season since you last visited me. This is my race report for the Asbury Park Half Marathon held in...Asbury Park, NJ.

Saturday night I went to bed late, it was 12:30am when I laid down. But in 2 short hours we entered daylight savings time, so I had to set my clock ahead 1 hour. It was now 1:30am in the blink of an eye. I got up at 7am for the 9am race. I got a little lost trying to find exactly where it started and then I had to fight with a uber slow Muni Meter machine to pay for my parking spot. By the time I got close to the starting line I missed the start by about 2 minutes. I don't mind starting late but I never like being rushed around and sprinting about to get to the start on time, leaves me out of breath at the start and not relaxed.

The course was 4 laps of a ~ 3 1/4 mile loop. The course roughly looks like a giant T. You start at the intersection point on the T and head left (north) along the boardwalk for about 1/2 mile. U turn and head back towards the start and then bang a right for a 3/4 mile-ish out and back (the stem on the "T"). After coming back to the boardwalk you bang a right for a ~ 1/2 mile, u-turn, back to the start. Repeat 3 more times. The course is all flat but the weather was windy. It was an offshore wind so you hit a strong headwind on the "out" 1 mile section and a tail wind coming back. There were 2 aid stations setup, plenty of fluids were made available along with Power Gels.

My first lap was good and I was running 9:30-ish miles. By the 3rd lap I was getting a little tired and the 4th really felt like the 4th. The "out" section on the last lap was tough. I wanted to walk but decided that would not be a good way to start off my season. So I kept at the task, albeit slowly, and finished the race in 2:11. Exactly 10 minute miles.

You get a white running cap as a finishing prize (and a white t-shirt just for showing up). It was a fun race, glad I made it out for it. I have the NJ Shore Marathon in 6 weeks. I figured I would race this 1/2 marry as fast as I can and then double that time as my time goal for the marathon. With 5 weeks of training and a week of rest that goal would be achievable. So my marathon goal time is going to be 4:22 - exactly 10 minute miles.

I'm not going to sit here and bitch that I should have run it faster. I know I'm capable of a much better time but it is what it is. Training during the week isn't very realistic right now so I'm doing what I can on weekends only. So be it. Rock on peeps! Out!