2011 Capital City Half Marathon Race Report

After running the Columbus Marathon in October, I really struggled with my running. I wasn't looking forward to running and felt like I was in a funk. I knew I needed a race to train for and after I decided not to run Boston, I settled on training for the Capital City Half Marathon in downtown Columbus. My training was alright, I definitely did most of my runs on the treadmill from January-March and only recently was able to get outside more often. A few wrenches were thrown into my training plan when I started teaching an extra 3 classes/week, Todd & I moved, and I got sick a couple weeks ago. I was hoping for a few more longer runs during training but only managed one 10 miler and one 12 miler.

Since I knew my training had been less than stellar, I didn't have high hopes for this race. My PR is 1:38, which I ran in my first half marathon back in 2006, and I knew I didn't have a chance of coming close to that. My goal was to run 1:45 or under 8:00 min pace. This race course was under new management this year and was a slightly different course than when I ran it in 2009 but I still knew it'd be pretty flat and fast. Along with the half marathon, there was also a quarter marathon (apparently this is the next big thing) and a 5K. In all, they were expecting around 12,000 runners.

The stats

Mile 1: 7:32 (This was not what I wanted to run my first mile in, I'm going to regret starting this fast in a few miles)

Mile 2: 7:41

Mile 3: 7:40

Mile 4: 7:41

Mile 5: 7:44 (Hmm, so maybe that 7:32 first mile wasn't too fast, I feel great and my splits are pretty even)

Mile 6: 7:51 (Time for some fuel....good thing I brought along some Lifesaver gummies)

Mile 7: 7:51

Mile 8: 7:45 (Yay, I finally see Todd!)

Mile 9: 7:57 (My legs are starting to get tired)

Mile 10: 7:49 (You can do this, you only have a 5K to go and you might be able to run every mile under 8:00 min)

Mile 11: 8:06 (Ok, apparently running every mile under 8:00 minutes was wishful thinking....seriously, pick up the pace! It's not like I'm running a full marathon, I can push it for another 15 minutes or so)

Mile 12: 8:10 (Here comes the steady incline up High Street & Front Street I was waiting for all race)

Mile 13: 7:17** (Ok, I seriously doubt I just ran a 7:17 mile, something isn't right with my Garmin)

Mile 0.1: 1:16**

Overall time for 13.1 miles: 1:42:22

Average Pace: 7:49
Overall: 468/5945
Female: 97/3471
Females 25-29: 16/737

**My Garmin was right on track the entire race up until the end. My mile splits would beep right as I'd get to each mile marker so I knew my Garmin should read very close to 13.1 miles at the end of the race. I slowed down a bit the last few miles and was really surprised my last mile split was 7:17 pace. I knew I picked it up but I really didn't think I was going that fast especially on tired legs. When I finished, my Garmin read that I'd run 13.22 miles in 1:42:22 for 7:45 pace. I think my Garmin got messed up at the end since it was right on the entire race up until that point and I don't think I was weaving in and out of people to add on an extra 0.12 miles. I'm not really sure what my mile 13 split was but it was probably more like 7:57 instead of 7:17.

I really thought I'd be able to break 1:42 but I guess I slowed down more than I thought in the last few miles or I did the math wrong in my head. Either way, this is probably one of the more evenly paced races I've ever run and I am still pleased I surpassed my goal by a few minutes. I would really like to pick up the intensity of my training with summer coming up and run another half marathon in a few months before (gasp!) I run the Columbus Marathon yet again in the fall. Yeah, I knew I wouldn't be able to go a year without running a full. I'm determined to break 3:30 and won't be satisfied until I do.

Packet pick up on Friday night.....I'm pretty sure people thought this was my first race since I was taking this picture

I scored a great deal on my Asics Nimbus at the expo....$30 off!

The race shirt

Em & I showing off our bib numbers before the race

Todd really knows how to take great running pictures (note the sarcasm)....not only am I taking off my long sleeve shirt that's tied around my waist to give to him but my eyes are also closed

Downhill to the finish....it's actually the same finish line used in the Columbus Marathon in the fall

Ahhh yes, my favorite thing about this race....lots of bubbly to go around!

Todd even had a glass because he had a great race spectating

Trying to get Em a little tipsy so I can convince her to come out of retirement and run another marathon with me

They had the Brooks running bus at the race after party and there was even a treadmill on the top level with someone running on it!

All in all, this race has come a long way since the last time I ran it in 2009. It is managed by a different race company and they put on quite the race from the expo to the after party. The weather was perfect and I felt really good running. I honestly couldn't have asked for a better race. We'll see where my training takes me this summer but I would love to run another half at the end of the summer followed by the Columbus Marathon in October.