Vindication! The final final final results are now in and I was correct in thinking that I had completed the ½ marathon in less than 3 hours. I was seriously bummed when the first “official results” came out and they had me at 3:05.
38598 Dunn 66 M 2:54:45 3:21:26 64 93.1%
Bib#..............Age.. Time..... Gun Time.... Age graded
Oddly enough, if you were to look at the finish line photos, you would see me staring at my GPS unit in almost every frame they shot of me. I was intent!No, it wasn’t the fastest time I ever had but it was the time that I thought I had; that’s important. After a couple of years of this kind of racing you get a feel for how fast you are and you can almost forget the watches and other timers. Almost.
Now I can get on with my "walking" life. I have a race in Durham in two weeks (5K) and another in March; the Bidwell Classic 1/2 marathon.
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Thursday, January 18, 2007
Facts
Some interesting facts from the P.F. Chang people (Rock n' Roll 1/2 Marathon - Phoenix)
36,617 Combined Participants*
10,224 Marathon Registrants
8,127 Marathon Finishers
24,005 1/2 Marathon Registrants
20,245 1/2 Marathon Finishers
I find the last two bits of data to be "interesting". Where did the extra 240 people come from? I was also surprised to see that 2,000 people dropped out of the marathon, though I'm sure a number of them were no-shows.
36,617 Combined Participants*
10,224 Marathon Registrants
8,127 Marathon Finishers
24,005 1/2 Marathon Registrants
20,245 1/2 Marathon Finishers
I find the last two bits of data to be "interesting". Where did the extra 240 people come from? I was also surprised to see that 2,000 people dropped out of the marathon, though I'm sure a number of them were no-shows.
Wednesday, January 17, 2007
Still Wondering
The ½ marathon results are still in question. A race results webpage has pulled their version of the results for the Rock n’ Roll ½ and that was the one that had my original 13.02 pace for the 10K. And 13.02 matched with my GPS unit and the clock, as I had a 12:47 first mile. It’s all very frustrating… and I need to get over it.
Tuesday, January 16, 2007
What?
Darn! Now I'm baffled...The marathon results are in, though incomplete, and they show me with a total time of 3:05. Sorry, I don't believe it. My GPS unit showed 2:54 and that's about what I could have expected. At 10K I was at on a 13.02 pace and never dropped below 4.5 mph the rest of the way. Do the math.
Monday, January 15, 2007
Wonderful!
Here's the message I see when trying to search for my results...
"Attention Half Marathon Participants: Due to some unprecedented power surges in the area of the half marathon finish line, a number of the finish times in the half marathon may have been affected, the individuals involved have an asterisk (*) after their name.
A review of the finish line video is currently being conducted and as soon as it is completed, the official times will be posted. We are very sorry for the inconvenience."
I was able to do some specific searching by age and came within a few minutes of my estimated time but the records beyond that were gone... even a search by my bib number comes up empty.
"Attention Half Marathon Participants: Due to some unprecedented power surges in the area of the half marathon finish line, a number of the finish times in the half marathon may have been affected, the individuals involved have an asterisk (*) after their name.
A review of the finish line video is currently being conducted and as soon as it is completed, the official times will be posted. We are very sorry for the inconvenience."
I was able to do some specific searching by age and came within a few minutes of my estimated time but the records beyond that were gone... even a search by my bib number comes up empty.
Race Day...Over!
Another race day is history. And I'm the proud owner of a new t-shirt and a medal. Can't ask for more than that...well, I suppose I could ask for more but won't.
In case you hadn't heard, Sunday morning was cold and at 7:30 I was out and among the thousands of racers all trying to warm up under the clear Phoenix skies. (27 degrees) I was wearing shorts and two shirts and that seemed to be fairly normal, though in the minority. I did a lot of walking about and hopping in place, anything at all to keep the blood flowing. Despite that, my legs were soon numb and that helped. The real problem lay in the fact that we all had an hour to wait before the scheduled start of the 1/2 marathon. I was ready right now!
(I was unprepared for the numbers of people that were doing this race; there were 37,000 total for the marathon and the half marathon. That's a lot!)
The race started late and that meant an additional 10 minutes or more of hopping about in the now confining space of the "corrals" where we had to wait. They use a wave start with corrals moving forward at about 1 minute intervals to cross the starting mat. I was in corral 18, which meant I had about a 20 minute shuffle before I could see the starting line. And then we were off...
I got off to a fast start, probably too fast; the first mile was completed in 12:43. I kept trying to slow down a little but the crowd was moving at about the same pace or faster, so it was easy to be led into a faster pace.
The race course was soon an obstacle course as well, as people began shedding their warmup clothes and these accumulated in piles on the road. Hats, shirts and gloves...thousands of them! Interesting; the most common piece of clothing to be found on the street were the "bunnysuit" pants used in cleanrooms. These probably came from the many employees of Motorola and Intel; they both have large cleanroom facilities in this part of Arizona.
Except for the large numbers and the fact that most were first timers, the race was normal enough. But the first timers made navigation tricky at the water stations because of their habit of slowing down as they approached and then strolling through the water station, cup in hand and chatting. I had to weave in and out between them to grab my water and go. Another unfortunate habit was that they would drop their cups in the center of the road as well as off to the side. Pretty soon the road was a sea of paper cups that the cleanup crews couldn't rach because of the numbers of racers.
Since I had no injuries, I was certain of finishing...but what was my time going to be? I kept trying to slow down a little so that I would have plenty left at the end and I suppose that was a good decision, though I wish I had been a little bit faster. At the 12 mile marker I began to speed it up again and then at about 12.75 I started sprinting for the finish...just because it's so much fun! I ran across the finish line at what I thought was 2:54. 9 minutes short of my intended goal of 2:45. Pacing was my problem and there were very few racewalkers around me to help with that, so I'm sure my pace was erratic.
Before this race, I thought the Portland marathon was big...with 12-13,000 contestants...but this was on a far different scale! It was great experience...but I'm looking for a smaller race for this time next year. The Sedona 1/2?
Well, I guess I had better check out the website for my official time for Sunday...
In case you hadn't heard, Sunday morning was cold and at 7:30 I was out and among the thousands of racers all trying to warm up under the clear Phoenix skies. (27 degrees) I was wearing shorts and two shirts and that seemed to be fairly normal, though in the minority. I did a lot of walking about and hopping in place, anything at all to keep the blood flowing. Despite that, my legs were soon numb and that helped. The real problem lay in the fact that we all had an hour to wait before the scheduled start of the 1/2 marathon. I was ready right now!
(I was unprepared for the numbers of people that were doing this race; there were 37,000 total for the marathon and the half marathon. That's a lot!)
The race started late and that meant an additional 10 minutes or more of hopping about in the now confining space of the "corrals" where we had to wait. They use a wave start with corrals moving forward at about 1 minute intervals to cross the starting mat. I was in corral 18, which meant I had about a 20 minute shuffle before I could see the starting line. And then we were off...
I got off to a fast start, probably too fast; the first mile was completed in 12:43. I kept trying to slow down a little but the crowd was moving at about the same pace or faster, so it was easy to be led into a faster pace.
The race course was soon an obstacle course as well, as people began shedding their warmup clothes and these accumulated in piles on the road. Hats, shirts and gloves...thousands of them! Interesting; the most common piece of clothing to be found on the street were the "bunnysuit" pants used in cleanrooms. These probably came from the many employees of Motorola and Intel; they both have large cleanroom facilities in this part of Arizona.
Except for the large numbers and the fact that most were first timers, the race was normal enough. But the first timers made navigation tricky at the water stations because of their habit of slowing down as they approached and then strolling through the water station, cup in hand and chatting. I had to weave in and out between them to grab my water and go. Another unfortunate habit was that they would drop their cups in the center of the road as well as off to the side. Pretty soon the road was a sea of paper cups that the cleanup crews couldn't rach because of the numbers of racers.
Since I had no injuries, I was certain of finishing...but what was my time going to be? I kept trying to slow down a little so that I would have plenty left at the end and I suppose that was a good decision, though I wish I had been a little bit faster. At the 12 mile marker I began to speed it up again and then at about 12.75 I started sprinting for the finish...just because it's so much fun! I ran across the finish line at what I thought was 2:54. 9 minutes short of my intended goal of 2:45. Pacing was my problem and there were very few racewalkers around me to help with that, so I'm sure my pace was erratic.
Before this race, I thought the Portland marathon was big...with 12-13,000 contestants...but this was on a far different scale! It was great experience...but I'm looking for a smaller race for this time next year. The Sedona 1/2?
Well, I guess I had better check out the website for my official time for Sunday...
Thursday, January 11, 2007
Flying
No where to go but up now... and then back down to Phoenix.
I went in to the park yesterday for a quick and short practice. 2 miles in 24:56.
I'm still hoping for a "surge" on Sunday when I'm surrounded by thousands of others doing the Rock n' Roll 1/2 Marathon. 2:45 would be a nice time for the distance and it's always doable if the competition is there. In most 1/2 marathons, the race walkers are so spread out; there is rarely anyone to compete with.
The best part? I'm doing it somewhere other than Bidwell Park. I'm so tired of walking around that park!
I went in to the park yesterday for a quick and short practice. 2 miles in 24:56.
I'm still hoping for a "surge" on Sunday when I'm surrounded by thousands of others doing the Rock n' Roll 1/2 Marathon. 2:45 would be a nice time for the distance and it's always doable if the competition is there. In most 1/2 marathons, the race walkers are so spread out; there is rarely anyone to compete with.
The best part? I'm doing it somewhere other than Bidwell Park. I'm so tired of walking around that park!
Tuesday, January 09, 2007
Goals
I did a long walk this morning in preparation for Sunday’s ½ marathon event in Phoenix. I got in an 11.54 distance in a time of 2:36. That gives me an average of 13.52 minute/miles. What was best about this time was the fact that I simply walked the last 2 miles. My goal for this race is to do it in less than 3 hours and as long as I don’t end up injured, that should be easy.
I know it’s not the goal I stated earlier; a 2:45 time. It’s actually about 10 minutes off my normal time for the half, but since the holidays have taken a toll on the time available for my practices and I have gained more weight than I like, I really can’t expect much better. Shame on me!
But I have all spring and summer to make up for this lapse. Another ½ marathon is coming up in early March and I anticipate being in better shape for that one.
I know it’s not the goal I stated earlier; a 2:45 time. It’s actually about 10 minutes off my normal time for the half, but since the holidays have taken a toll on the time available for my practices and I have gained more weight than I like, I really can’t expect much better. Shame on me!
But I have all spring and summer to make up for this lapse. Another ½ marathon is coming up in early March and I anticipate being in better shape for that one.
Wednesday, January 03, 2007
Gray
Very foggy outside! And I need to get in to the park for a practice walk. I guess I can brave it. But I’m not looking forward to the walk itself; drippy trees and damp air don’t make for a pleasant walk.
(Later) My fears of an unpleasant walk in the fog were unfounded. Once I got across the river, the skies lightened and I saw a faint orange disc in the sky. It could only get better and it did. I went out fairly fast but then settled into a pleasant and moderate pace. I did a quick enough, in and out of 5.16 miles in 68 minutes.
As I walked, I tried to plan for the season ahead. I’m trying to work around a disappointment as I found out this morning that Portland doesn’t have a ½ marathon to go along with the full marathon. I was hoping to make that trip for the race this fall and then extend it for a visit to Vashon Island. Perhaps there is a Vashon ½ marathon? If there isn’t; there should be!
Nope. The only ½ marathon I found was the Seattle, which I really want to do sometime. But, the date for that one, November 25th, is right in the middle of a holiday weekend and that would make flying problematic. Should I do it this year or next? Decisions!
Back home; the fog returns. Dreary.
(Later) My fears of an unpleasant walk in the fog were unfounded. Once I got across the river, the skies lightened and I saw a faint orange disc in the sky. It could only get better and it did. I went out fairly fast but then settled into a pleasant and moderate pace. I did a quick enough, in and out of 5.16 miles in 68 minutes.
As I walked, I tried to plan for the season ahead. I’m trying to work around a disappointment as I found out this morning that Portland doesn’t have a ½ marathon to go along with the full marathon. I was hoping to make that trip for the race this fall and then extend it for a visit to Vashon Island. Perhaps there is a Vashon ½ marathon? If there isn’t; there should be!
Nope. The only ½ marathon I found was the Seattle, which I really want to do sometime. But, the date for that one, November 25th, is right in the middle of a holiday weekend and that would make flying problematic. Should I do it this year or next? Decisions!
Back home; the fog returns. Dreary.
Tuesday, January 02, 2007
Not Bad
I’m just back from a satisfying practice session in the park. My goal was to get in a 2 hour practice and I did that. Doing 8.67 miles in 1:54:30 and then strolling for another 5.30 minutes before calling it quits for the day. That’s a 13.20 minute/mile average and that isn’t bad for practice.
And I have received my final instruction notice from the Rock n’ Roll folks in Phoenix. My race number is 38598 and I’m in Corral #18, based on my forecast of a 2:45 finish time for the race. Let’s see…13.20 x 13.1 = 2.9 hours, a little slower than my forecast. OK, so I will stay towards the back of the Corral.
Now for the future; I have to make plans for some more races this year after the ½ marathon in Phoenix. There will be a ½ marathon in March, the Bidwell Classic, and I will do that one for sure. The Almond Blossom 5K is in Durham, but I forget if that’s before or after the Bidwell Classic…oh well, I’m sure I will find out in time to get signed up. I want to do the Portland ½ marathon this year (The end of September) and that would effectively end the long races for the year. But there’s a long time span between Bidwell and Portland and I need to find some interesting races to fill those months.
And I have received my final instruction notice from the Rock n’ Roll folks in Phoenix. My race number is 38598 and I’m in Corral #18, based on my forecast of a 2:45 finish time for the race. Let’s see…13.20 x 13.1 = 2.9 hours, a little slower than my forecast. OK, so I will stay towards the back of the Corral.
Now for the future; I have to make plans for some more races this year after the ½ marathon in Phoenix. There will be a ½ marathon in March, the Bidwell Classic, and I will do that one for sure. The Almond Blossom 5K is in Durham, but I forget if that’s before or after the Bidwell Classic…oh well, I’m sure I will find out in time to get signed up. I want to do the Portland ½ marathon this year (The end of September) and that would effectively end the long races for the year. But there’s a long time span between Bidwell and Portland and I need to find some interesting races to fill those months.
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