Paris Grand 1/2 Marathon Report
Posted: Sun Nov 13, 2005 10:17 pm
A road race in mid November can have some pretty unpredictable weather. Today the temperature was ideal for me, about 10C at race time, overcast with the threat of rain, but it held off for the race. However the wind was pretty brutal, I heard that the wind gust where up around 50km/h!!
I got to Paris pretty early, got my race kit and chilled out for a bit, my knee and ankle that I injured a week ago were OK to run on, but my ankle was still a bit swollen and it didn't have full motion. I got my gear together, and listen to some tunes to get into my groove.
My groupies showed up about 8am, Sister's family, and my parents, my nephews entered the 1km kids run. This was their first race, 7 and 5 years old, they had a great time and it was a nice way to start the day, they ran in front of all the 1/2M and 5k runners.
Back to pre-race comments; in a smallish race like this (236 HalfM and 118 5k runners) there sure were a bunch of Boston marathon jackets walking around!! Joseph Nderitu showed up, he just spent some time by himself, did a little slow warm-up then blasted out a 15:39 5k in the wind with some decent hills!!
Now to the race, rolling hills, that’s for sure!! I don't think there was any extended distance without an incline or decline so it was hard to gage my pace; I ran a lot of this race by feel, and checking my time at 5km intervals to see how I was progressing.
At 10k I was feeling good, I felt I may be able to meet my goal sub 1:40 and went into cruise control for the next 5km, then at 15km we headed back into town directly into the wind and still battling those rolling hills at the same time, which started to get harder now. The 20k marker is at the top of the biggest hill on the route, but I knew I was in the home stretch after that and my goal time was still possible so I bore down.
The finish line is in site now just 3/4 lap of the track and sprint to the finish 1:39:19!! PB by 6:36.
4:43 average pace!! 40/236 Overall, 12/23 Age Group, 31/107 Gender
I didn't see BaldGuy, I don't think he made it, however I did meet Sheldon (a lurker) from Georgetown that introduced himself to me, he was a nice guy and had a nice race too.
This was a great race; I have no complaints, organization, support, food, all where great. The course is a challenge, it’s not for those that shy away from hills, but it was interesting.
3 weeks after Detroit Marathon, a stump for an ankle, hills, wind, I can still go lower.
I got to Paris pretty early, got my race kit and chilled out for a bit, my knee and ankle that I injured a week ago were OK to run on, but my ankle was still a bit swollen and it didn't have full motion. I got my gear together, and listen to some tunes to get into my groove.
My groupies showed up about 8am, Sister's family, and my parents, my nephews entered the 1km kids run. This was their first race, 7 and 5 years old, they had a great time and it was a nice way to start the day, they ran in front of all the 1/2M and 5k runners.
Back to pre-race comments; in a smallish race like this (236 HalfM and 118 5k runners) there sure were a bunch of Boston marathon jackets walking around!! Joseph Nderitu showed up, he just spent some time by himself, did a little slow warm-up then blasted out a 15:39 5k in the wind with some decent hills!!
Now to the race, rolling hills, that’s for sure!! I don't think there was any extended distance without an incline or decline so it was hard to gage my pace; I ran a lot of this race by feel, and checking my time at 5km intervals to see how I was progressing.
At 10k I was feeling good, I felt I may be able to meet my goal sub 1:40 and went into cruise control for the next 5km, then at 15km we headed back into town directly into the wind and still battling those rolling hills at the same time, which started to get harder now. The 20k marker is at the top of the biggest hill on the route, but I knew I was in the home stretch after that and my goal time was still possible so I bore down.
The finish line is in site now just 3/4 lap of the track and sprint to the finish 1:39:19!! PB by 6:36.
4:43 average pace!! 40/236 Overall, 12/23 Age Group, 31/107 Gender
I didn't see BaldGuy, I don't think he made it, however I did meet Sheldon (a lurker) from Georgetown that introduced himself to me, he was a nice guy and had a nice race too.
This was a great race; I have no complaints, organization, support, food, all where great. The course is a challenge, it’s not for those that shy away from hills, but it was interesting.
3 weeks after Detroit Marathon, a stump for an ankle, hills, wind, I can still go lower.
Superb!
