Charlotte's Thunder Road Half Marathon

.......I know, I know, the 2 blogs about Grand Canyon trek are still due..... and I have received complains from my readers(S)... yes, its plural :p (thank you all the 3 of you.. :). One of my reader, I am looking at you Ashwini Tantry (metaphorically ofcourse) commented that, my 2 blogs gave the impression that Hobbes didn't do much in the trek; other than pitch tent. I agree that my last blog does not cover much about Hobbes and I am partly to blame for that, but its only because, on that day Hobbes and I were not together for much of the day. I would categorically like to state that this WAS Hobbes trek, which I was lucky to be a part off... There you go Hobbes thank you again, and please take a bow.

...... this blog was able to slide up the queue because I am still high on the endorphins from the run. And like all other mistakes, they are to be blamed for all the mistakes we make.. :).

I just finished the Charlotte Thunder Bird Half Marathon. I ran with Parag my Blore rommie and his buddies Anand aka Coach and Gautam. Thanks a lot guys. Clock time was 1:52.xx I am still waiting for my official chip time. I hope its under 1:50.
I was on target for this till mile 11. The race clock was showing 1:28.xx on mile 11. So, I would have gone a at least 4-5min under. But I got an acute stitch(pain) in my upper abdomen and was not able to shake it off; no matter how much I tried. Sadly it stayed with me till the finish line. Also I wasn't even able to finish the last 0.25 mile with a sprint like I have been practicing :(.

But those were just the dark lining on an otherwise Silver cloud. I still met my target of finishing under 2:00 and I felt great doing an fast 8.25 pace till mile 11 and I felt great after the run with no post race pain.
:)

will update the photos and race time once I have them..


Beware regular readers - The following section is for runners only. For Non-runners this section might look like vanity :), but for runners its valuable information. :)

4 mistakes I made in the race.
1. Did not study the route - The 12th and 13th mile was all up hill. And I mean every inch of it, hell even the finishing 20 meters were at a incline. That cost me a lot.
2. I was too conservative at the start - I was not able to take advantage of the slopes and flats at the beginning of the race cause we ran a very conservative race. This is partly circles back to mistake 1.
3. A long run in the week of race - I hurt my back while doing a run on Tuesday, luckily that did not cause any problems in the race. But thats the very reason all training schedules ask you to cool-down in the week of race.
4. Breathing and improper posture - I think my upper abdomen stitches were caused by forgetting to concentrate on breathing while setting the pace after mile 6. Also I was slouching down, which I didn't realize until the pain kicked in.

Miles as they flew by...
Start: Shot of the gun and off you go. 7:50 AM 34F and no wind. Its so stupidly exciting. Stupidly because you know that pain awaits you, still you are excited. The only console, 3000 people feel share the feeling. :). A kaleidoscope of jerseys move on...............................mile 1 - 10.31

Mile 2 : Due to some confusion we loose track of Anand and Parag, Gautam sticks with me. We up the pace, But its a bit crowded to run fast................................mile 2 - 19.20

Mile 3: Feeling good so far. Not really running a high pace. The streets are still crowded with runners so we decide to run on the sidewalk. Few running enthusiasts braving the weather and cheering us on Thanks!!!!................................mile 3 - 28.20
Mile 4: quick drinks break, increase the pace a bit. But still doing the high 8s................................mile 4 - 37.xx

Mile 5: Bells ringing, whistles blowing, kids/supporters yelling. The trail weaves around the suburban neighborhood................................mile 5 - 45.xx

Mile 6: Almost half way there. Never felt this great after a 6 mile run. The pace was a tad slower than my training runs. But its OK, don't want to burn to fast. Also, I have 7 more miles to cover up the 3 mins loss. It looks good so far. My back is not showing any signs of the pain that was worrying me yesterday...............................mile 6 - 54:00

Mile 7: Feeling in good shape I tell Gautam that I will speed up and try to get the 1:50. I split with him at the 6 mile mark. Time for my GU pack. A good downhill is helping the pace. I cannot believe what the race clock is reading 1:01:23. Holy Cow!!!! I am running a 7.5 pace...............................mile 7 - 1:01:23

Mile 8: A BIG THANKS to the volunteers for serving us drinks and water. Still running....................................mile 8 - 1:09:05

Mile 9: People holding placards for their loved one. Hi 5s to people and kids who are cheering....................................mile 9 - 1:16:55

Mile 10: I have settled into a nice rhythm. 4 miles at under 8 and I don't feel the slightest strain. I cannot believe this is really happening.....................................mile 10 - 1:24:xx

Mile 11: The grove continues. But now I am feeling a slight strain to take long steps, so I slow down a bit. I am already set to go under 1:50. I am now dreaming of a 1:45.....................................mile 11 - 1:33:xx
Mile 12: Oh ohh!!! getting a stitch in my upper abdomen. I do everything I have learned to get rid of a stitch. But to no avail. The uphill run is not helping either. The bastard sneaked up on me.....................................mile 12 - 1:42:50
Mile 13: I am loosing time and fast. The upper abs stitch is now radiating through the entire right abs. Even a 5 sec break to stretch is not helping. Its bearable on flats, but is absolutely killing me on uphill. I am just hoping to I find a little flat stretch towards the end to accelerate and finish hard. I have been practicing finishing the last 1000 yards with under 5 mm pace. I am hoping to execute it today. The flat stretch that I seek continues to elude me. Who designed the fucking course. An 2 miles all up hill finish. Even the last 100 feets have an incline...Seriously!!!!!!... I see the finish line the clock reads 1:51:01. Arggh.....Daam you hills. Determined to finish on high, I grit my teeth and do a sprint for the final 10 or 15 steps. Victory salute - smile for the camera, punch the air and a mini leap.... its done................................... under the banner - 1:53:45

my personal time - 1:51.xx (we started about 2 mins after the gun shot)
Parag : 2:09:xx
Anand : 2:05:xx
Gautam 1:57:xx