Huntsville Half Marathon Race Report
2:20:38!
Not bad for one gym workout (Tuesday night normal routine), no running during the week (emotionally shot) and I think the hilliest course around -- including the one that I did in August in Parkersburg, West Virginia. (Parkersburg had a couple of steep inclines in the first three miles. The first hill, which you see twice, is worse than the 13th St. hill in the last mile or two.)
Go figure! 2004 in Helotes? 2:21:41 in the second of three straight Saturdays with half marathons (Akron, Helotes, Huntsville.) This year? 2:31:28.33.
2004 in Huntsville? 2:23:25 that I ran with a friend of mine, Shelley Stephenson from Seabrook via Akron, Ohio. This year? 2:20:38.24.
Incredibly this was the 5th best half marathon of the 20 that I've run in the last two years, the best since May 1st and the best fall half marathon ever for me.
And I didn't feel like I had "it" at all. If anything, I was disappointed that I couldn't keep up with fellow Seven Hills Running Club runner Melissa Broussard. (Melissa really ran a nice race and she estimated that she finished in 2:09. Actually, 2:11:16!) Another runner that was close to me a little bit that really had a nice stride today was 69-year-old Lou Wilson from The Woodlands. Lou finished in 2:17:27.
I really admire Lou (and his wife, Nora, who registered an Ironman to her credit this summer). I can't say that I saw him slowing down for water stops even (and I don't believe that he wears a fuel belt at all.)
Houston Running Bloggers' own Edwin Quarles ran one of his better half marathons (if not his best) this morning in 1:40:02, he told me, but was about 5 minutes from being able to place. (3rd place was 1:35:15. That made me about 42 minutes from placing!)
Cleveland's Clint Sherrouse defended his half marathon crown in a time of 1:16:24 and a really solid runner in Shay Emerick from Magnolia won the female's division in 1:33:35.
Additionally, Kingwood's Bill Schroeder, who I saw as I passed mile 4 on the half marathon route (he was already finished with the 5K), finished 4th overall in the 5K with a time of 18:46, but I believe that he had a couple of youngsters to contend with. (Bill, those lime green glow-in-the-dark shoestrings should come issued with a pair of sunglasses. Wow!)
Ben Schulz, the former Woodlands HS great, won the 5K in a time of 16:08. Carlo Deason, who has won the 5K a few times at this event, was second in 17:36 while Adam Santos was third in 18:11.
As far as my running was concerned, I'm very happy with my time. I did NOT expect the performance that I registered and felt that on another day, I can do that course in PR time (i.e. under 2:16). It is really a tough course!
It helped quite a bit to have Dr. Chris Wilson, a psychology professor at SHSU (and the course director), cheering me on at multiple points. I went by Hans Jaegar, who is in the mid-30s count in marathons and just completed one in his home country of Switzerland this summer, twice on the course as he was providing traffic control at MLK and 12th Street near the Walls Prison Unit.
And thanks too to Jan Parks, who was near the finish line on the first loop, Debbie Tripp and Nora Wilson as well as SHRC vice president Lindsey Tlustos, who I heard offering verbal encouragement from the refreshment table just before mile 6 and after I crossed the midway point.
My plan was to hit my watch, but really not look at the splits - because of the hills knowing that they might be off. But I'm really not disappointed if you look at these splits below:
Mile 1 -- 9:51.31
Mile 2 -- 9:59.88 (19:51.19)
Mile 3 -- 9:56.50 (29:47.69)
Mile 4 -- 9:55.42 (39:43.11)
Mile 5 -- 10:27.60 (50:10.71)
Mile 6 -- 11:02.39 (1:01:13.10)
Mile 7 -- 11:00.33 (1:12:13.43)
Mile 8 -- 10:58.72 (1:23:12.15)
Mile 9 -- 10:47.04 (1:33:59.19)
Mile 10 -- 11:26.50 (1:45:25.69)
Mile 11 -- 11:11.12 (1:56:36.81)
Mile 12 -- 11:38.15 (2:08:14.96)
Mile 13 -- 11:20.85 (2:19:37.81)
Last .1 -- 1:00.43 (2:20:38.24)
Front Half -- 1:07:03.00
Back Half -- 1:13:35.24
The hills are tough to maintain an even pace on. I knew that when I crossed the half way point in 1:07 that I wouldn't be able to turn it back into a 2:14. But I just wanted to make sure that I didn't slide to over 2:24, which was 11 minutes a mile. And I didn't.
In mile 7, which includes the first big hill, my hamstrings started to go a little bit. (A sign of not enough work, I think.) But once I got to the mile 7 marker, things were smooth and I bypassed the water stops just past mile markers 7 and 8, but hit the one right after nine. I took two cups of Powerade and then got the water stop about a half mile away. That is what stretched my time to 11:26 in mile 10, but I needed the liquid refreshment to make it through to 11.
Mile 11 takes you up a very short jag up in the road at the corner of Bearkat and Bobby Marks and then three rights later, you begin to go up a couple of inclines as you begin to go around the Walls Prison Unit and the old Texas Prison Rodeo Arena. Once you turn left onto MLK from 13th St., there's a downhill stretch there before a short uphill in front of the 11-mile marker.
Mile 12 gets a downhill turning left on to Avenue I, but you get a double hill on University Ave. (meaning you come out of one, go flat for a few yards and then go up another.) You recover on 17th St. and then pick up some steam on Avenue J before turning back onto Bearkat Blvd. and seeing the mile 12 marker.
I thought if I could get to the Mile 12 marker in 2:08 I might have a chance at sneaking under 2:20, but it wasn't to be. For me to run 11:20 in that last mile which included a long, gradual incline through much of the mile, I had to keep running which was a little tough at that point.
Some other folks that I saw or met for the first time:
Vincent Attanucci - A regular at Run The Woodlands 5K who is getting ready for the White Rock Marathon in an effort to qualify for Boston finished 3rd in his 50-54 age group in a time of 1:36:10.
Bill Rowe - A gentleman that I've seen at a number of races, including some Run The Woodlands 5Ks, finished just behind me in 2:25:43. I met him as he was picking up his packet today.
Jeff Pack - A part of the huge Kingwood Fit contingent this morning, Jeff saw me and asked if my last name was Walk. I responded, "Not if I'm in trouble!" He is in on a deer lease with Barry Shevchuk, who ran the Houston Press 5K with Waverly in January, and some other friends of my Dad's. He posted an even 2-hour finish in the half.
The "Run The Woodlands" Crew - Tripp, the Wilsons, Dominic Lanzilotti, Russell Meyer and Ann Leoni. Russell was second in the 35-39 age group with a time of 1:33:06, Dominic was third in the 40-44 age group with a 1:37:16 showing while Ann posted a 5th place time of 1:49:41 in the 40-44 age group. Debbie posted a strong 5K showing to finish second in her 45-49 age group in 29:50.
Mindy Schroeder - Houston Strider from Kingwood who took first in her 50-54 age group with a time of 2:02:52.
Robert Duncan - SHRC member who finished first in his 45-49 age group in 19:11 good for fifth overall in the 5K.
Danny Gilbreath - Newest addition to the Run The Woodlands 5K 20-race club ran 23:54 to take first in the 50-54 age group.
J.C. Guzman - Another SHRC member who took first in the 30-34 age group in 21:27.
And, as always, I got the chance to visit at length with a very good friend of mine in Karen Thibodeaux. As always, can't wait to see her pictures from the race today!
Not bad for one gym workout (Tuesday night normal routine), no running during the week (emotionally shot) and I think the hilliest course around -- including the one that I did in August in Parkersburg, West Virginia. (Parkersburg had a couple of steep inclines in the first three miles. The first hill, which you see twice, is worse than the 13th St. hill in the last mile or two.)
Go figure! 2004 in Helotes? 2:21:41 in the second of three straight Saturdays with half marathons (Akron, Helotes, Huntsville.) This year? 2:31:28.33.
2004 in Huntsville? 2:23:25 that I ran with a friend of mine, Shelley Stephenson from Seabrook via Akron, Ohio. This year? 2:20:38.24.
Incredibly this was the 5th best half marathon of the 20 that I've run in the last two years, the best since May 1st and the best fall half marathon ever for me.
And I didn't feel like I had "it" at all. If anything, I was disappointed that I couldn't keep up with fellow Seven Hills Running Club runner Melissa Broussard. (Melissa really ran a nice race and she estimated that she finished in 2:09. Actually, 2:11:16!) Another runner that was close to me a little bit that really had a nice stride today was 69-year-old Lou Wilson from The Woodlands. Lou finished in 2:17:27.
I really admire Lou (and his wife, Nora, who registered an Ironman to her credit this summer). I can't say that I saw him slowing down for water stops even (and I don't believe that he wears a fuel belt at all.)
Houston Running Bloggers' own Edwin Quarles ran one of his better half marathons (if not his best) this morning in 1:40:02, he told me, but was about 5 minutes from being able to place. (3rd place was 1:35:15. That made me about 42 minutes from placing!)
Cleveland's Clint Sherrouse defended his half marathon crown in a time of 1:16:24 and a really solid runner in Shay Emerick from Magnolia won the female's division in 1:33:35.
Additionally, Kingwood's Bill Schroeder, who I saw as I passed mile 4 on the half marathon route (he was already finished with the 5K), finished 4th overall in the 5K with a time of 18:46, but I believe that he had a couple of youngsters to contend with. (Bill, those lime green glow-in-the-dark shoestrings should come issued with a pair of sunglasses. Wow!)
Ben Schulz, the former Woodlands HS great, won the 5K in a time of 16:08. Carlo Deason, who has won the 5K a few times at this event, was second in 17:36 while Adam Santos was third in 18:11.
As far as my running was concerned, I'm very happy with my time. I did NOT expect the performance that I registered and felt that on another day, I can do that course in PR time (i.e. under 2:16). It is really a tough course!
It helped quite a bit to have Dr. Chris Wilson, a psychology professor at SHSU (and the course director), cheering me on at multiple points. I went by Hans Jaegar, who is in the mid-30s count in marathons and just completed one in his home country of Switzerland this summer, twice on the course as he was providing traffic control at MLK and 12th Street near the Walls Prison Unit.
And thanks too to Jan Parks, who was near the finish line on the first loop, Debbie Tripp and Nora Wilson as well as SHRC vice president Lindsey Tlustos, who I heard offering verbal encouragement from the refreshment table just before mile 6 and after I crossed the midway point.
My plan was to hit my watch, but really not look at the splits - because of the hills knowing that they might be off. But I'm really not disappointed if you look at these splits below:
Mile 1 -- 9:51.31
Mile 2 -- 9:59.88 (19:51.19)
Mile 3 -- 9:56.50 (29:47.69)
Mile 4 -- 9:55.42 (39:43.11)
Mile 5 -- 10:27.60 (50:10.71)
Mile 6 -- 11:02.39 (1:01:13.10)
Mile 7 -- 11:00.33 (1:12:13.43)
Mile 8 -- 10:58.72 (1:23:12.15)
Mile 9 -- 10:47.04 (1:33:59.19)
Mile 10 -- 11:26.50 (1:45:25.69)
Mile 11 -- 11:11.12 (1:56:36.81)
Mile 12 -- 11:38.15 (2:08:14.96)
Mile 13 -- 11:20.85 (2:19:37.81)
Last .1 -- 1:00.43 (2:20:38.24)
Front Half -- 1:07:03.00
Back Half -- 1:13:35.24
The hills are tough to maintain an even pace on. I knew that when I crossed the half way point in 1:07 that I wouldn't be able to turn it back into a 2:14. But I just wanted to make sure that I didn't slide to over 2:24, which was 11 minutes a mile. And I didn't.
In mile 7, which includes the first big hill, my hamstrings started to go a little bit. (A sign of not enough work, I think.) But once I got to the mile 7 marker, things were smooth and I bypassed the water stops just past mile markers 7 and 8, but hit the one right after nine. I took two cups of Powerade and then got the water stop about a half mile away. That is what stretched my time to 11:26 in mile 10, but I needed the liquid refreshment to make it through to 11.
Mile 11 takes you up a very short jag up in the road at the corner of Bearkat and Bobby Marks and then three rights later, you begin to go up a couple of inclines as you begin to go around the Walls Prison Unit and the old Texas Prison Rodeo Arena. Once you turn left onto MLK from 13th St., there's a downhill stretch there before a short uphill in front of the 11-mile marker.
Mile 12 gets a downhill turning left on to Avenue I, but you get a double hill on University Ave. (meaning you come out of one, go flat for a few yards and then go up another.) You recover on 17th St. and then pick up some steam on Avenue J before turning back onto Bearkat Blvd. and seeing the mile 12 marker.
I thought if I could get to the Mile 12 marker in 2:08 I might have a chance at sneaking under 2:20, but it wasn't to be. For me to run 11:20 in that last mile which included a long, gradual incline through much of the mile, I had to keep running which was a little tough at that point.
Some other folks that I saw or met for the first time:
Vincent Attanucci - A regular at Run The Woodlands 5K who is getting ready for the White Rock Marathon in an effort to qualify for Boston finished 3rd in his 50-54 age group in a time of 1:36:10.
Bill Rowe - A gentleman that I've seen at a number of races, including some Run The Woodlands 5Ks, finished just behind me in 2:25:43. I met him as he was picking up his packet today.
Jeff Pack - A part of the huge Kingwood Fit contingent this morning, Jeff saw me and asked if my last name was Walk. I responded, "Not if I'm in trouble!" He is in on a deer lease with Barry Shevchuk, who ran the Houston Press 5K with Waverly in January, and some other friends of my Dad's. He posted an even 2-hour finish in the half.
The "Run The Woodlands" Crew - Tripp, the Wilsons, Dominic Lanzilotti, Russell Meyer and Ann Leoni. Russell was second in the 35-39 age group with a time of 1:33:06, Dominic was third in the 40-44 age group with a 1:37:16 showing while Ann posted a 5th place time of 1:49:41 in the 40-44 age group. Debbie posted a strong 5K showing to finish second in her 45-49 age group in 29:50.
Mindy Schroeder - Houston Strider from Kingwood who took first in her 50-54 age group with a time of 2:02:52.
Robert Duncan - SHRC member who finished first in his 45-49 age group in 19:11 good for fifth overall in the 5K.
Danny Gilbreath - Newest addition to the Run The Woodlands 5K 20-race club ran 23:54 to take first in the 50-54 age group.
J.C. Guzman - Another SHRC member who took first in the 30-34 age group in 21:27.
And, as always, I got the chance to visit at length with a very good friend of mine in Karen Thibodeaux. As always, can't wait to see her pictures from the race today!
posted by WalkSports.com | 9:26 PM
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