Good job everyone!
I ran the inaugural City of Manchester Half Marathon Sunday morning. It was a perfect day for a race with a start time temp of 43 warming to 53 by the finish. There was a little wind during some points in the course, but overall not to bad. The course seemed to be either running up hill or down hill with very few flat miles. You can see this in my splits.
One thing was that there was no MP3 players allowed. If you were spotted with one you were DQ'd and your results would not be posted. Which kind of affected me as I use my Nike+ for my pace.
I had set a goal of 1:44:59 and my pacing strategy was the first few miles would be around 8:20 then I would try to hold 8:00 for the next 9 miles then give it all I could for the last 5k of the race. Well, I soon realized I need to take time whenever I could.
This race was gun timed, not net timed so the clocked started as soon as the siren went off. I started my watch then instead of when I crossed the actual starting line. I probably only took me about 5 seconds or so to cross.
Splits
Mile 1 - 8:32:08 right about on pace
Mile 2 - 8:20:92 right on pace
Mile 3 - 8:12:41 still on pace, but need to make up some time
Mile 4 - 8:00:37 on pace, but thinking I need to make up time.
Mile 5 - 8:02:31 right on pace, still worried about making up the 60 seconds
Mile 6 - 7:21:49 downhill almost all the way, made up some time though
At this point I start doing the math, I knew I needed 8 minute miles so a little multiplying 7 x 8 = 56 minutes when I hit mile 7. This went on until mile 12.
Mile 7 - 8:45:17 - (57:13) all uphill there goes the time I just made
Mile 8 - 7:47:35 - (1:05:01) only 61 seconds off
Mile 9 - 7:57:26 - (1:12:58) down to 58 seconds off
Mile 10 - 7:34:46 - (1:20:32) I pushed hard here, maybe too hard
Mile 11 - 7:47:60 - (1:28:20) 20 seconds to go
Mile 12 - 8:04:66 - (1:36:25) Uphill and it sucked the life out of me
So I'm trying to do the math and realize I need a 8:34 for my goal for the last 1.1 miles.
Mile 13 & .1 - I forgot to hit the split button at the mile marker, the last mile was a downhill grade though it was into the wind. I made the final turn and when I could see the clock it read 1:43:xx. I knew I had sub 1:45 and now wanted sub 1:44. I know I was being greedy.
Final 1.1 - 7:37.25 Woo hoo.
My watch said 1:44:02 official results were 1:44:04. I think on a net timed race I would have been sub 1:44.
I finished 116 out of 816 and 14 of 60 in my 35 - 39 age group. I had a great time and it was a fun race.