Presque Isle Half Marathon Race Report
State No. 18 was actually a pretty good effort from me today, Sunday, July 15 at the Presque Isle Half Marathon in Erie, Pennsylvania.
I drove just under three hours from my grandparents in Tipton, Pennsylvania, ran the race and came back to their house.
My "chip time" was 2:19:17. (The gun time on my watch was 2:19:58, but when I crossed the finish line the clock was showing 2:20:38. I'm going with what I had unless I see something more conclusive.) This is still 10 minutes off of my personal record. To run this in temperatures 60 degrees or better in July, I'm happy.
The biggest news of the trip - after meeting potential U.S. Olympian Brian Sell yesterday (actually I met him at the last two press conferences of the Aramco Houston Half Marathon) - is that I met Arlington, Virginia's Dane Rauschenberg. Dane, who ran a certified marathon each and every weekend in 2006, even has his own Wikipedia page!
Within 15 minutes of the race start, I was walking around and I saw him bending down to put his timing chip on. His picture showed him to be a little bit more broader in the shoulders and I really began to have my doubts. As he got up, I tried to look at his bib to see if I could catch his name. I said, "Excuse me." And once he looked at me, I said, "I'm sorry. I thought you looked like Dane Rauschenberg." He said, "I'm him (or that's me)."
We chatted for about five minutes. He reminded me, when I asked, that he was from Titusville, which is just south of Erie about an hour down US 79 towards Pittsburgh.
We talked about him running Leadville last year - where I was last weekend - and he told me that he had to run it as it was the only marathon on the calendar last year.
He said that he was in to see his parents and that he was hoping to break an hour and 20 minutes! (I checked the results and he came in at around 1:23. Excellent effort nonetheless as he may have set a new personal record anyway slipping under 1:23:52.)
I was just hoping to be under 2:20 and I may have been able to barely make that.
Mile 1 -- 9:54.69
Mile 2 -- 10:07.04 (20:01.83)
Mile 3 -- 10:10.58 (30:12.31)
Mile 4 -- 9:57.69 (40:10.00)
Mile 5 -- 10:18.35 (50:28.35)
Mile 6 -- 10:19.65 (1:00:48.00)
Mile 7 -- 10:30.85 (1:11:18.85)
Mile 8 -- 10:22.50 (1:21:41.35)
Mile 9 -- 11:02.72 (1:32:44.07)
Mile 10 -- 12:04.66 (1:44:48.73) -- maybe long
Mile 11 -- 10:44.24 (1:55:32.97) -- maybe short
Mile 12 -- 11:05.91 (2:06:38.88)
Mile 13 -- 11:36.64 (2:18:15.52)
Last .1 -- 1:01.78 (2:19:17.40)
I ran a pretty good race until the start of mile 9. The weather was in the low-to-mid 60's, overcast and breezy and the course, otherwise, was pretty well shaded. Really a nice flat course so this really gave a good barometer of where I'm at right now. I'd like to put this ahead of the 2:17 that I ran in Fargo in May because it was a lot colder there then. I managed my fluids extremely well today as I didn't have as much salt on my face as I normally do. And this even though I was soaked at the end (which sometimes isn't a guarantee as I lose it all and then start to dehydrate.)
I learned that I need to do more work on the roads, instead of hammering away in the gym. I'm pretty beat up even though I was messaging my legs pretty heavily as I drove back from Erie. And, of course, every pound I can lose enhances the effort as well too.
The Erie Runners Club have a nice location in Presque Isle State Park to host events and they do an absolutely incredible job, with chip timing. Very impressed.
When I was checking on how to get there on Saturday night, I came across these updates on the club's web site. The race about didn't happen!
Half Marathon Update
11 July 2007 - Okay, what part about the State Budget Approval isn't clear? The race is on, we have 396 registered, and we're in pretty good shape. We have a boatload for the picnic, and all is right with the world. In case I don't get a chance later, THANK YOU to all the volunteers.
Without them, it wouldn't happen. The current list of registered folks is here. Please be sure to check your division, age & Tank Top size. In case it's not clear yet, there are no T-Shirts this year. (Simpler for my volunteers).
They're Ba-a-a-ack!
10 July 2007 - I just saw on the news that the budget mess is settled. The Half is on and I'll turn Active.com back on. Thanks to all for your patience & understanding. All those who waited.... well. Anyway, it's back.
Due to circumstances beyond our control...
9 July 2007 - Well, not completely beyond our control. We voted for them. The State of Pennsylvania has yet to pass a budget for the coming fiscal year, which means that, effective at Midnight Sunday night, all non-essential workers were to be furloughed. Which means our beloved Presque Isle State Park will not be open. A final decision on the status of the race will be made Friday if the budget doesn't pass.
In short, if the budget doesn't pass, we can't hold the half-marathon on PISP.
But what about the picnic at Waldameer? The picnic will go on regardless. Any who registered for the race gets to eat at the picnic for free. Friends & family will be able to buy a ticket at the pavilion ($6.50). Ride-a-rama tickets will be available cheap.
Other options may present, but (as the race director), I don't know if we can put an alternative together fast enough to put on a good race somewhere else. Should the race be cancelled, all registrations will carry to next year (no fee, no paperwork, just automatically carry over).
Please, do NOT call or email about whether the event is still on. Final status will be posted here on Friday morning and (should the event be cancelled), I'm going to be very busy calling all participants (or emailing if I have valid emails) to tell them the status. Thank you.
Funny, but sad! Again, the Erie Runners Club did a wonderful job of putting on this event!
I can get 25 states by the end of the year; however, I'd have to sacrifice some possible "soft" commitments (which could include a MD-NJ double on the weekend of October 13-14.) We'll see. Since the end of April, I've added OK, ND, MN, WY, CO and PA. Some of those are tough states, but all in all - I'm having fun!
I drove just under three hours from my grandparents in Tipton, Pennsylvania, ran the race and came back to their house.
My "chip time" was 2:19:17. (The gun time on my watch was 2:19:58, but when I crossed the finish line the clock was showing 2:20:38. I'm going with what I had unless I see something more conclusive.) This is still 10 minutes off of my personal record. To run this in temperatures 60 degrees or better in July, I'm happy.
The biggest news of the trip - after meeting potential U.S. Olympian Brian Sell yesterday (actually I met him at the last two press conferences of the Aramco Houston Half Marathon) - is that I met Arlington, Virginia's Dane Rauschenberg. Dane, who ran a certified marathon each and every weekend in 2006, even has his own Wikipedia page!
Within 15 minutes of the race start, I was walking around and I saw him bending down to put his timing chip on. His picture showed him to be a little bit more broader in the shoulders and I really began to have my doubts. As he got up, I tried to look at his bib to see if I could catch his name. I said, "Excuse me." And once he looked at me, I said, "I'm sorry. I thought you looked like Dane Rauschenberg." He said, "I'm him (or that's me)."
We chatted for about five minutes. He reminded me, when I asked, that he was from Titusville, which is just south of Erie about an hour down US 79 towards Pittsburgh.
We talked about him running Leadville last year - where I was last weekend - and he told me that he had to run it as it was the only marathon on the calendar last year.
He said that he was in to see his parents and that he was hoping to break an hour and 20 minutes! (I checked the results and he came in at around 1:23. Excellent effort nonetheless as he may have set a new personal record anyway slipping under 1:23:52.)
I was just hoping to be under 2:20 and I may have been able to barely make that.
Mile 1 -- 9:54.69
Mile 2 -- 10:07.04 (20:01.83)
Mile 3 -- 10:10.58 (30:12.31)
Mile 4 -- 9:57.69 (40:10.00)
Mile 5 -- 10:18.35 (50:28.35)
Mile 6 -- 10:19.65 (1:00:48.00)
Mile 7 -- 10:30.85 (1:11:18.85)
Mile 8 -- 10:22.50 (1:21:41.35)
Mile 9 -- 11:02.72 (1:32:44.07)
Mile 10 -- 12:04.66 (1:44:48.73) -- maybe long
Mile 11 -- 10:44.24 (1:55:32.97) -- maybe short
Mile 12 -- 11:05.91 (2:06:38.88)
Mile 13 -- 11:36.64 (2:18:15.52)
Last .1 -- 1:01.78 (2:19:17.40)
I ran a pretty good race until the start of mile 9. The weather was in the low-to-mid 60's, overcast and breezy and the course, otherwise, was pretty well shaded. Really a nice flat course so this really gave a good barometer of where I'm at right now. I'd like to put this ahead of the 2:17 that I ran in Fargo in May because it was a lot colder there then. I managed my fluids extremely well today as I didn't have as much salt on my face as I normally do. And this even though I was soaked at the end (which sometimes isn't a guarantee as I lose it all and then start to dehydrate.)
I learned that I need to do more work on the roads, instead of hammering away in the gym. I'm pretty beat up even though I was messaging my legs pretty heavily as I drove back from Erie. And, of course, every pound I can lose enhances the effort as well too.
The Erie Runners Club have a nice location in Presque Isle State Park to host events and they do an absolutely incredible job, with chip timing. Very impressed.
When I was checking on how to get there on Saturday night, I came across these updates on the club's web site. The race about didn't happen!
Half Marathon Update
11 July 2007 - Okay, what part about the State Budget Approval isn't clear? The race is on, we have 396 registered, and we're in pretty good shape. We have a boatload for the picnic, and all is right with the world. In case I don't get a chance later, THANK YOU to all the volunteers.
Without them, it wouldn't happen. The current list of registered folks is here. Please be sure to check your division, age & Tank Top size. In case it's not clear yet, there are no T-Shirts this year. (Simpler for my volunteers).
They're Ba-a-a-ack!
10 July 2007 - I just saw on the news that the budget mess is settled. The Half is on and I'll turn Active.com back on. Thanks to all for your patience & understanding. All those who waited.... well. Anyway, it's back.
Due to circumstances beyond our control...
9 July 2007 - Well, not completely beyond our control. We voted for them. The State of Pennsylvania has yet to pass a budget for the coming fiscal year, which means that, effective at Midnight Sunday night, all non-essential workers were to be furloughed. Which means our beloved Presque Isle State Park will not be open. A final decision on the status of the race will be made Friday if the budget doesn't pass.
In short, if the budget doesn't pass, we can't hold the half-marathon on PISP.
But what about the picnic at Waldameer? The picnic will go on regardless. Any who registered for the race gets to eat at the picnic for free. Friends & family will be able to buy a ticket at the pavilion ($6.50). Ride-a-rama tickets will be available cheap.
Other options may present, but (as the race director), I don't know if we can put an alternative together fast enough to put on a good race somewhere else. Should the race be cancelled, all registrations will carry to next year (no fee, no paperwork, just automatically carry over).
Please, do NOT call or email about whether the event is still on. Final status will be posted here on Friday morning and (should the event be cancelled), I'm going to be very busy calling all participants (or emailing if I have valid emails) to tell them the status. Thank you.
Funny, but sad! Again, the Erie Runners Club did a wonderful job of putting on this event!
I can get 25 states by the end of the year; however, I'd have to sacrifice some possible "soft" commitments (which could include a MD-NJ double on the weekend of October 13-14.) We'll see. Since the end of April, I've added OK, ND, MN, WY, CO and PA. Some of those are tough states, but all in all - I'm having fun!
posted by WalkSports.com | 3:56 PM
3 Comments:
Good race! ..So, how many Penn State T shirts and hats have you seen in the past two days?
John, So great to meet you!
People kept forgettting that the clock was started for the wheelchair runner. So the discreprancy in time was the difference between when he started and the runners started.
There are never enough Penn state t-shirts. :)
Like Dane, one more Penn State t-shirt, hat or whatever else wouldn't have been too much.
It was so great to get home and see my grandparents. Even two days worth lasts a great while. :)
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