VERY low participation Half Marathon in Bixby Oklahoma; with Jason who easily won the race.
Feel like I got punked by:
Weather: ~62-68 with South Wind 12-16 gusting 25; Humidity 88-83% (don't believe the "light breeze" the timing company put at top of results = they didn't check the weather I guess were basing it on sitting around a bunch of buildings!)
Course: Using mapmyrun and looking at elevation and using google streetview it appeared the course wouldn't have any significant hills; it did. All of the multiple uphill sections weren't given back until one very sharp downhill section of about 1/2 mi around mile 10 (my garmin had me 5:56 pace heading down) = so a lot of up and a down that was too fast on fatigued legs to help long-term. Mile 4-5 had majority of uphill and I hit 7:04 pace using same effort as 6:26 mile later.
Race Mgt: I was actually on sub 6:30 pace through mile 8 and could see through a tree-line there was a water stop around a corner at mile 8; I turned the corner and the guy was just standing there with NO cups filled. I took my gel before turning corner....ugh...mouthful of strawberry gu and nothing to drink. He stumbled around and I just said "never mind" and kept going; I tried to spit out the remainder..."good luck with that"; then he comes zooming up on his atv with a cup...filled with gatorade! I know the rules and how downing gatorade on top of a gel can turn stomach so I just used it to swish mouth and spit out. Then there wasn't another water stop until 2 miles later. I went into dehydration and needing energy failure mode.
My Body: With less than 2 miles to go and wind to my back...I walked. My head was very light and spinning; I thought I might collapse. The last water station was 2 miles back and none in sight. I counted to 30-one thousand and started again; with a mile to go the last water station arrived and I took the cup and walked again counting to 20 this time; took off still feeling faint. After finish I held on to a road sign to avoid falling over (coudn't even hold on to my water bottle). I hate the idea of walking (such as up a hill or late in race when mind grows weak....but this was different; my body had just given out on me to point of failing.
Price: I paid $70 for this race and drove 1 1/2 hours to get there. After the last point I could see Jason ahead of me with leading golf cart (they turned a corner and never saw again) I thought....here I am just running a solo effort down a country road and nothing to look at other than pasture and cows...I paid for this?? ha
Tough day but actually some silver lining in my early performance; mile 8 for me was still 6:21 so my effort was strong early on until body failed; I also know I am in shape to PR the Half if on right weather day and right course; unfortunately my next HM is on another tough course and weather is always iffy = OKC.
Glad for the experience and chance go with Jason to run somewhere different. We neither achieved our overall goal this day, but still a trip that will be remembered.
Note: DS Racers worked out great in "their" HM debut for me; zero ankle pain and body feels good.
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