half marathon #14 done!
i didn’t have really high hopes going into this race since i know i am still building back up after my crazy month of may, but i still wanted to do well. i wasn’t sure what my legs were capable of at this point and just wanted to get out there and give them a little test as to where i am at right now. i have built my long runs back up to 12 and have gone to the track a couple times, but that’s pretty much it. no tempo runs since pre-marathon and not a whole lot of distance either. i didn’t have any strict time goals and didn’t really think i could PR at this race (1:42:39) but i remembered that when i ran this as my first half marathon in 2008, they posted the wrong time originally (1:48:37 which they later changed to a 1:51:03), so i thought it would be fun and reasonable to get a 1:48 or less this time around.
the race is in alameda which is about 30 minutes away depending on traffic. my friend jessica was here for the race and we drove over to tara and maritza’s house to caravan over. we left at 6:15 thinking we would have plenty of time to get there, but it ended up being kind of a cluster. we parked a few blocks away because the line to get into the race parking lot was a mess, i lost the girls, went through some crazy line to get our timing chips (we could pick up bibs before but not chips) and finally found everyone – whew it was a little stressful! we made our way to the porta potty line and stood in it for about 20 minutes. it was getting close to the start time of 8am, but we made it over and into the shoot with TWO minutes to spare. talk about perfect timing.
it’s been pretty warm this week and i knew weather would play a factor in today’s race. luckily it was pretty foggy this morning but so so so humid (98%! not a normal california thing). i just hoped the fog would hang on. before i knew it, the horn blew and we were off!
the race starts off with a slight downhill and i was using it to my advantage and was also swerving around a number of people since i didn’t start up closer to the front. i wasn’t paying much attention to my watch at all, i figured this race would be about effort pacing. obviously i was feeling good in the first two miles, i had NO idea they were that fast until i checked later.
mile 1 – 7:46
mile 2 – 7:53
i started getting into a groove and was having fun remembering this course. you run along the bay and then around a golf course and into a business park with lots of buildings. its not the most scenic half but it’s pretty flat and i have good memories of this area since i did a number of training runs for my first full marathon out here.
mile 3 – 8:03
mile 4 – 8:00 (gu @ 4.5)
mile 5 – 8:09
i distinctly remember in mile 6 feeling the fog burn off and the sun come out. it got warmer right away and i could feel the sun on my skin. i willed it away and just kept on going trying to hold the same effort. i was cruising to my music and although i started slowing down a little i was still happy with where i was at.
mile 6 – 8:09
mile 7 – 8:07
mile 8 – 8:13
i started getting tired here. the sun was zapping a bunch of my energy. we wound back onto the path that runs next to the bay and i was thankful to be near the water. there weren’t a ton of people around me but i used a couple girls to pace off a couple times, just trying to keep my legs going.
mile 9 – 8:12 (gu)
mile 10 – 8:13
mile 11 i just started feeling awful and really wanted to be done with this race. i was warm, i was tired, i was running out of water (i carried my small handheld with me and took one cup at a station which i breathed in and choked on, must work on that) and i was ready to be at the finish! i really didn’t care too much about my overall time and had no idea what my average pace was at that point (current lap view on the garmin), i just told myself to keep pushing, it was only a couple more miles.
mile 11 – 8:28
mile 12 – 8:22
FINALLY i was in the last mile. we wound through the park and it was fun seeing all the spectators cheering. one thing i have to say is this race had awesome spectators. there may not have been a ton, but they all cheered for you as you ran by which was great! so many races they just stare at you, but everyone that was out there was cheering, i loved it. i could see the finish line in the distance and once i hit mile 13 on garmin i knew i had about .2 left to go. i told myself, that’s less than 1 lap on the track, get this done! i was able to pick up the pace and push it through to the finish line.
coming into the finish!
thank you naomi for the pic 
mile 13 – 8:12
last .19 – 1:24 (7:10 avg)
i stopped my watch and scrolled over to the overall screen was 1:47 and was happy with that. i of course saw i was only a few seconds off being sub 1:47 and kicked myself but whatever, moving on!
garmin time: 13.19 miles/1:47:09/8:07 avg pace
official results:
13.1 miles/1:47:08/8:10 avg pace
overall: 61/1931
age group: 12/301
i found a couple of my friends and waited for the rest to come into the finish. it sounded like a lot of people had rough days out there with the warm temps and the humidity, so i was actually pretty happy with how i did. and it was my 4th fastest half marathon time out of 14! with no tempo runs, just getting back into some good training and the weather, i think i did pretty well and did my best for today and that is the most important.
once we were all together again we walked around and got some fun stuff, this race has the best vendors! they gave away bottles of smart water at the finish, had bagels and peanut butter, jamba juice, granola and yogurt, not to mention the endless champagne! we also got awesome champagne glasses this year which were very fun. definitely a great race for swag!
we parked ourselves in front of the champagne tent and enjoyed the afternoon sunshine chatting away. it was such a fun afternoon!
post race party
camped out in front of the champagne tent
all the girls!
naomi, maritza, sima, melissa, me, kerry, page and tara!
maritza, tara and me
congrats to all my ladies out there today! you all did great <3
Great job out there today! That weather was icccckky
loved hanging out afterwards and enjoying some bubbles! 
That's an amazing time given the temps and the lack of specific training – it shows you just how fit you actually are and that those track workouts are helping your longer run speeds as well!
Impressive Aron!
You rock!
Congrats on a great half marathon! I love that they had champagne afterwards, what a great idea!! 
GREAT job!! must have been soo gross outside!! You totally rocked it though
awesome job! that weather sounds awful but you pushed through and totally beasted it
i love the champagne after, it's a nice dichotomy between being all hardcore in a race and then all glamorous 
Awesome race! Looks like a fun day.
)
Good job! It was much hotter than it was last year. I actually cut off 14 minutes of my PR, so even though I was suffering in the heat (as well), I survived! Congratulations to everyone!
So glad to see you again! You rock!
awesome job!
given the temps, you did amazing!! the has been so bad out here, too. really zaps the life out of you.
i would do anything to run a race with chamapagne at the end. that would be like a dream come true to me. loooove the bubbly. will definitley be taking a bottle to boston with me. we can pop it at the finish!
I can't keep track of you and all your races! Fabulous job! Maybe you are just getting faster in general if you didn't do tempo.
Way to go girl! 1/2 Marathon #14 is under your belt! Your a machine! SO so proud of you!! <3 Keep up the great work!
Congrats! You did amazing despite the heat – I was pretty zapped and I only ran a 5k!
Wish I could have done the 1/2 and hung out with you girls after.
Definitely an awesome finish time given all the circumstances. Congrats!!!
Great race pictures! You look great at the finish!! Congrats on a great race speedy!!
Congrats Aron! That heat/humidity is brutal for racing, but you pulled off a great pace. Sounds like the after-party made it all worth it too.
Great run Aron! And wow- half number 14! Way to power through and finish strong!
Nice job! With that weather, it makes you even faster!
Don't know about Jane but I sure sounded like see Aron run…nice job!
14 half marathons already, you definitely are a seasoned runner! Great job on the race!
Congratulations! It sounds like a great day with the extra challenge of PR-ing in the heat!
Great Stuff! Why don't they have champagne after EVERY race? What a great idea. Way to tough it out and still run a very fast time. You rock!
Congrats on another great race!! That's an amazing 1/2 m time
I agree, champagne after the race is AWESOME – I had a glass yesterday after mine, too. Yum! ha
You would kick yourself for almost going sub 1:47 and just missing it.
Good job on a good race even in the heat. It must have killed you since I know how much you hate it! 
I want to run this race someday, I love the swag!
Great job out there on a hot day! Sounds like a fantastic race!
Great job out there, glad you got to revisit your old stomping grounds of the first half marathon!
You did great and thanks for being so supportive (as always)…it was poopy out there!
Wow, great job!
I say this is a great result given your current training. Speed and endurance go away quickly, very quickly and that is OK, the body needs a break. I am curious what you've decided about your marathon plan. I sort of started mine (it is a 20 week, but as I said, the first 4 weeks are more base training)
Barefoot champagne is quite yummy:)
1:47 is very respectable for 90+% humidity! Great race! Very consistent paces too. Awesome job, Aron!
Great run! You out did your expectations and that ALWAYS make for a job well done.
Good run.
nice job! you have run SO many half marathons, is that your favorite distance? also: lusting after that forward motion jerz. I always get a t-shirt when I'm home.
Nice work! It's great that you're pleased with your time after going into the race without too many expectations.
And champagne at the end? Very nice!
Hmm, it seems that a lot of folks outside the South are getting a taste of running in heat & humidity. Well done. I know it ain't easy!!
Oh the HEAT!! Way to rock it out speedy!!
Wow! Looks like the day ended up beautiful for being so foggy and humi at the start. But then anytime you can get together with friends it's a nice day! Congrats on a nice race.
I also ran a half that day and the weather was pretty much opposite- pouring rain, no sun at all. But it actually wasn't that bad
Glad you had a good race!
OMG!!! We ran the exact same time in our half marathons! I ran on the same day on the other side of the state in 1:47:06! That actually gives me some hope that if I train as hard as you have, I might be able to run a marathon as fast as you do.
It was humid in Southern California too. That didn't mix well with the hot weather.
Great job running a strong race. Congratulations on a great finish.