2018 Navy-Air Force Half Marathon

Scroll all the way down to the end of the post for the abridged version.

Prologue

Going into the race, I’d been training for the 2018 New York City Marathon since July using the 18 week, 55-70 miles per week plan in Pfitzinger Advanced Marathoning, 2nd ed.  This would be my first “tune up” race of the training cycle.  After lots of slow running this summer, I was apprehensive about how I’d perform.

This race has been around for seven years.  In year’s past, I ran the Parks Half Marathon during my build up to the New York City Marathon but this year, I decided to try something different.

The week before the race, I only ran two hard workouts – an interval workout (6x1000m @ 5K pace) on Monday and a 15-miler on Thursday.

Goals

Personal Records:

• Half Marathon PR: 1:32:19 (7:03 pace), 2014 Woodrow Wilson Bridge Half Marathon
• Most Recent Half Marathon: 1:43:28 (7:54 pace), 2018 Shamrock Half Marathon

Achievable: Sub-?:?? (?:?? pace).  I haven’t done much speedwork during this training cycle, so I had no idea what to expect.  Whee!!  This should be fun!

Stretch: Sub-1:42 (7:48 pace).  Last week, I realized that I didn’t have a qualifying time for the 2019 New York City Marathon.  I might go for it…

Strategy:  Run a moderately fast pace for the first 9 miles to the turn-around on Rock Creek Parkway and then push hard for the final 4 miles.

Course

This course is fast!  It starts by the Washington Monument in downtown Washington, D.C.  After a quick loop around the north side of the Tidal Basin, the route heads to East Potomac Park (aka, “Hains Point”).  After completing that jaunt, runners cruise along Ohio Drive to the Rock Creek Parkway.  The course turns back downtown after about 100 yards up the ramp to Calvert Street.  Then, it’s back down to Independence Avenue and the finish back at the Washington Monument.

There are aid stations with water or Gatorade about every two miles.  Crowds were pretty sparse except near the start/finish.

Playlist

 I arranged 1 hour and 50 minutes of music, which I hoped was generous.

Pre-Race

Friday.  Packet pick-up and the race expo were at the D.C. Armory – a location convenient to work, so I ran over on Friday afternoon.  Bib pick-up was a little confusing – instead of pre-assigned numbers, runners picked a set of lines based on whether they expected to finish less than or more than 2 hours.  After securing my number, I went to get a t-shirt only to find the smalls and mediums hadn’t arrived.  I was told a shirt would be mailed to me and ran back to work.

Saturday.  The night before the race, I went to bed a little after 9am.

 

 

 

 

Weather

It had been a rainy week in Washington, D.C. and an important section of the course flooded.

Hains Point closed! US Park Police just closed the park because of high tide and flooding. pic.twitter.com/1ekZKsVEuH

— Victoria Sanchez (@VictoriaSanchez) September 9, 2018

But, the day before the race, runners were assured the course wouldn’t be re-routed.  Yay!

On race day, the temperature was around 70 degrees, with humidity near 90%, and winds coming out of the north.

Race Day

I woke up a little after 4:30am and immediately checked to see if the Berlin Marathon was being televised.  I wanted to see if Eliud Kipchoge was going to break the marathon world record.  Unlike the Breaking2 attempt, which occurred the night before the 2017 Eugene Marathon, I got to see the historic finish!

After having coffee and some toast with peanut butter, I left the house at 5:45am.  Out the door and on the way to my car, I saw two neighbors walking to the street wearing bibs!  We greeted one another and talked about the race – it would be the first Navy-Air Force Half Marathon for all of us.  We parted ways as their car service pulled up.

I drove downtown.  My newest ritual for races that start at the Washington Monument is to park in Capitol Hill and jog the two miles to the start.

With about 15 minutes before 7am, I got in line for the port-a-potties.  The queue moved quickly and I got to the starting line with about 10 minutes to go.  The race director made some remarks, the colors were presented, the National Anthem was sung, and then the race started!

The Race

Early Miles – Miles 0 to 5 (National Mall and East Potomac Park)

Runners lined themselves up nicely and there wasn’t much weaving at the start.  I told myself not to go out too fast and to focus on a comfortable pace.  The loop through the Tidal Basin felt easy.  My split at Mile 1 was under 8:00 but not as close to 7:45 as I would have liked.  I pushed the pace a little on 15^th Street towards Hains Point.

On windy days, the Hains Point loop can feel miserable because there isn’t anything to break the wind but today it felt calm.  Thinking about my race strategy, looping “Kill the last four miles” in my head helped me dial down the pace.

At Mile 2, I heard 7:48 pace through my headphones – closer to the sub-1:42 pace but still too slow.  And, my breathing was harder than I thought it should be so I tried to ease off the effort a little more.  The first water stop came about a half mile later but I ran through it.  A male runner – possibly Indian – passed me and made a point to say hello and wish me well.  I felt bad for not recognizing him, “Do I know him?”

I passed the Mile 3 banner and I was very disappointed to hear 7:53.  After swinging through the tip of Hains Point, I veered to the far side of the road and tried to get into a better frame of mind.  I saw a group of runners coming my way and recognized Kevin Hart in the pack!  I smiled and waved.  It must have given me a boost because I finally clocked a sub-7:45 mile split, if only by one second, for Mile 4.

Minutes later, there was a water stop and this time, I grabbed a cup of water.  Exiting Hains Point, I hit the lap button, heard the pace, and although it was faster than my early miles, I knew I wasn’t on pace to meet the half marathon qualifying standard for the New York City Marathon.

Splits (by course): 7:57, 7:48, 7:53. 7:44, 7:49.

Middle Miles, Miles 5 to 9 (Ohio Drive and Rock Creek Parkway – North)

Running along Ohio Drive now, the pack had thinned but I found myself in a rough patch.  I reached into the back pocket of my shorts for a Crank Sport e-Gel.  For the next two miles, I nursed the gel and tried to find motivation to run harder.

At the bend in the road leading to the Rock Creek Parkway, the Mile 6 marker approached.  A man who’d been running next to me for a while stopped to walk.  In that instance, I noticed how humid it concluded that was why he was struggling.

The course went under the John F. Kennedy Center and I hugged the far right side of the road – still just trying to make my body feel like racing.  There was an enthusiastic cheering squad on the other end of the building, but I couldn’t quite enjoy it

Visualizing the course before the race, I thought the Rock Creek Parkway would go uphill starting at Mile 7.  But, it was still descending!  What luck!  But, I didn’t feel confident enough to take advance and increase my stride.  The front runners – three men running stride for stride – passed me on their way to the finish.

By Mile 8, on Rock Creek Parkway, I’d settled into a pack of a few female runners hovering around 8:00 pace.  We passed or stalked one another for the stretch leading to the left turn towards Calvert Street.  There was a water stop but I wasn’t thirsty.  I just wanted this section of the race over.  I slowed down substantially and when I reached the turn-around…  My legs were turning over so fast that it was as if I was falling down the hill!  A little while later, I passed the Mile 9 marker and was surprised to hear 8:07 pace!  That wasn’t bad considering I’d slowed to almost a walk.

Splits (by course): 7:52, 8:01, 7:59, 8:07.

Later Miles 9-13.1 (Rock Creek Parkway – South and National Mall)

I rolled downhill Rock Creek Parkway for the next few miles, passing several runners.  I logged another sub-7:45 split at Mile 10, where there was a timing mat.  I expected my split would have been faster but accepted that this late in the race, feeling that way was good enough.  I allowed myself to admire the park and scout my neighbors among the runners making their way to the turn-around.

The course finally made a subtle incline about a quarter mile before Virginia Avenue – just before Mile 11.  There were people out cheering and another water stop.  With two miles to go, I knew I didn’t need fluid so I ran through that stop, too.  The JFK Center cheering squad had crossed the road and I nodded in a show of appreciation.  Under the building, for the first time, I noticed how soaked I was with sweat!

Rounding the turn onto Independence Avenue after the Watergate Steps, I reaching Mile 12.  My stamina finally started to wane.  I wondered, “Why now?!” There was a final water stop and I thought about dousing myself with water but pushed on.  About a half mile from the finish, a runner was down.  I hoped she was okay but it made me feel even worse.  The road went uphill ever so slightly and I thought, “Now we get a hill?”

The course took a sharp turn onto 15^th Street.  I passed the 13 mile marker and managed something resembling a kick.

Splits (by course): 7:44, 7:48, 7:50, 7:55, 0:44 (6:45 pace).

Post-Race

Walking through the chute, I crowded around the first person handing out medals until I got mine.  I grabbed a bottle of water and sat on the granite wall next to the National Museum of African-American History and Culture until I felt recovered.  Then, I ran a cool-down jog back to my car in Capitol Hill.  On my way home, I took a picture of my medal next to the Air Force Memorial, which is in my neighborhood.

Result

My time was 1:43:16 (7:53 pace) [Log Details].  I was the 312nd finisher out of 7,601 (top 6%), 69th woman out of 1,941 (top 4%), and 6th in my age group out of 178 (top 4%).  But, I missed the qualifying time for the 2019 New York City Marathon by just over a minute!

In the elite race, local runner Jeffrey Stein pulled away from two challengers and finished in 1:10:20 (5:21 pace).  Another local, Lindsay Carrick won the women’s race in 1:20:57 (6:10 pace).

Epilogue

What a great course!  With the exception of about 100 yards on the hill leading to Calvert Street from Rock Creek Parkway, it was flat or downhill the entire way!

I felt content with the result because it was about what I ran at my last half marathon.  Referencing the VDOT table in Daniels’ Running Formula, 2nd ed., a sub-3:33:00 (8:08 pace) marathon could be in my future.  Over the next few weeks, I want to increase the pace on my long and medium runs.

Next race: 2018 Army Ten Miler on Sunday, October 7th. (My Complete Racing Schedule.)

Abridged Version

This was my first time running this race, which has become a local favorite.  During the first few miles, I felt winded – probably because I haven’t spent much time at threshold pace this summer.  On the Hains Point section, I saw Kevin Hart out on a long run!  By mid-race, my body adjusted to the effort.  My time was 1:43:16 (7:53 pace).  I missed the qualifying time for the 2019 New York City Marathon by just over a minute, which means the pressure is on for November.