So after spending 2 days volunteering with race prep (It's best to blow up martians while holding their neck--but don't overinflate their head or their brains will blow!), I decided to just set the alarm for 6:30, get up and check the weather. If it was raining and snowing, as forecast, then I would stay home. If nice, I would go run the Martian Half in Dearborn. It was nice, and so I went.
The Good
I saw both Susan (mousemgr2) and Todd (jeanigor) at the expo and at the race.
I had the pleasure of finding Todd on the course and walking/running him in to the finish. And putting the medal round his neck (while nearly knocking off his glasses)
The weather was good-30's at the start, 40's at finish. On the edge for tights for me, which is what I wore.
Since I am in taper mode for Boston, my plan had me doing 13 miles at marathon pace (8:45). I decided that I wanted to race, though. So I started out around 8:20 and decided to make this race an experiment--could I go faster than my previous PR, which was on this course. Spent first half running around 8:18 and felt pretty good.
Didn't stop running at all--even for my one Gel (normally would do 2, but only had 1 at home)
Placed 3rd in my age group again and got a glass for it
The Bad
The medal--while a cool silhouette-- is less hefty than last year and on a plain lanyard (yes--I am a race bling person). Minor.....but not the following
This is not a new race. But every year for the last few, things seem to be tweaked. This year it was the start line-fine, no problem. But it appears that they didn't adjust the half turnaround point (which I learned by talking to one of the race staff). Now I had my Garmin set to just show average pace, not distance. But at some point a few people on the course commented on how the splits in the second half of the race seemed off. I thought the usual--running the tangents, etc. I was runnig well--faster in the second half of the course and figured I had my time from last year beat by 2 minutes+. Crossed the finish line and was blown away to see that I finished 34 seconds SLOWER than last year. Chatting up runners who all consistently showed 13.5 miles on their Garmins--mine was 13.51. So my official time was 1:50:53. My Garmin says I averaged 8:13 minute/mile--which is almost 15 seconds per mile faster than this race last year, but the record will show my pace as 8:28.
I came home and uploaded my data and my time through 13.1 miles was 1:47:50, which is 2-1/2 minutes faster than my previous PR. But it's the PR that will never offically be.
The Ugly
Not that I had it on my list or anything, but had I run in 1:47:50----or even 1:48 something considering the usual course slop, I would have automatically qualified to run New York Marathon. The QTfor a half for 50+ is 1:50. So I am sorta, kinda miffed.
So trying to end on a positive note.....I kicked butt! And I am hopeful that my Boston race goes well. I have not set any time goals for it--it is Boston, and the course has some killer hills. But I feel pretty good about being able to hold my pace for a while.
Thanks for reading.....
Maura
UPDATE The race acknowledged an error in length and have posted the results for 13.4 miles. A revised time for 13.1 may be forthcoming, although I don't know if that will be recognized externally.
GO! WISH Team GO! 
