Southern Cailfornia Half Marathon 1-10-2009.

This blog entry was recycled from a report I did on the bulletin board for the group I run with so it presupposes knowledge of the Silver Comet Half Marathon. See www.silvercometraces.com.

I was in DC getting ready for the Marine Corps Marathon so I missed the Silver Comet Half in Oct 2008 that takes place in Austell, GA but I think have now done a similar course. The Silver Comet half is run on a Rail-To-Trail course with a short stint on a local street at the start. It is a flat course and a great race to go get a PR in. The Southern California Half Marathon course is FLATTER. The only elevation changes were going down to and coming back up off of some bikeways that run along and above the local flood control canal that runs trough Irvine, CA. Think Terminator 2 or any of the movies where there is a car chase in the flood control canals.

I did a PR. My clock time was around 2:04:20. My chip time (provided by my Garmin) was 2:03:30. 19 minutes better than my ATL Half from Nov '08.

Talking to a few locals before the race it seems that the race is experience growing pains. A small town race that is attracting a lot of racers. On the course the race was very well organized. Clocks every mile. Water every 2 miles. Lots of U turns and I think we repeated the bike lane part of the routes many, many times. Not sure though because that part of the course looked same no matter where you were on it. I know we passed the same band playing at one particular intersection 4 times. There were course workers at every turn with sign. Awesome job by the volunteers.

Cotton T-shirt, no medal, no food at the end. (Correction the top 3 in age groups received medals) I would have liked a medal but I think it was great choice by the race directors. Spend the money on the support out on the course.

Funny stuff: I experienced near wardrobe malfunctions with my shorts at the beginning and I NEED a new fuel belt. I lost the fuel belt at the 2 mile mark and had to walk get that sorted out. I also lost it on the sprint to finish. I was in a groove and boom goes fuel belt. I was glad to have on the course so I could sip as I needed and do water with my gels but I gotta get a new one.

It was great day. The Santa Ana winds were there but I don't think they slowed me much.

Having mile times on the course was interesting. I did the 1st mile in 10:20ish then I put (for me) the hammer down and started to do sub 10:00 pace every mile. When I got to mile 12 and the clock read 1:54 I know my super stretch goal of sub 2 hours was not gonna happen but that sub 2:05 was gonna happen.

Not sure I'd go out of the way to go this race but if it syncs with my work travel like it did this time I'd do it again.

Things I'd do different? Nothing in the race dept, nothing in the nutrition department. Just need to get the shorts and fuel belt worked out.