Fitness Run

Distance: 4 miles
Time: 34:37
Pace: 8:39 min/mi

Comments: I've been considering what type of training I need in order to improve my performance in the half-marathon this month. Obviously, the main area is to get faster. So I need to do some runs that push my pace a little. No time like the present to start.

I have no intention to start track workouts or anything, just regular runs that are sub 9 minute per mile average pace (my old "training run" threshold). Needless to say, I took care of that today and some -- even with the hills on my routine course. I'll do a longer run this weekend but dial back that pace considerably.

Fitness Run

Distance: 4 miles
Time: 41:27
Pace: 10:21

Comments: This went surprisingly well for my post-race run. My legs took a beating during the half-marathon and my hopes for this effort were not high. I was plenty stiff getting started and a little concerned about a couple aches might prove to be more substantial.

After the halfway point, though, things settled down and I got into a acceptable groove. The last mile went so well I had to really concentrate in order to keep my pace down at the finish. My legs still have a bit of post-race ache but not nearly the amount of fatigue that hit me after the 10K.

The 2018 Cowtown Half Marathon

Race: The Cowtown Half Marathon
Watch Time: 2:03:41
Official Time: 2:03:37
Pace: 9:26 min/mi

Comments: Ah, yes. The Cowtown. We meet again. This was my fourth time to run Fort Worth's premier running event. I planned on finally taking the leap and doing the full marathon last year but work intervened.

I've been back running for a good two months now, so I figured I should be ready to handle a half-marathon. I haven't done anything further than nine miles recently but I felt the overall mileage had me ready to go. Still, not putting in the distance had me concerned so I planned to keep my pace down as much as possible for the first half.

Of course I ignored that and blasted out some stupidly fast splits up to mile eight. In my defense, I really didn't feel like I was going over fast since my breathing never got labored or anything like that. And I took advantage of every downhill to grab up a few more seconds on my pace.

The problem, and I knew it from past experience, was mile nine. This is a long incline where the road goes over the  Paddock Viaduct and approaches the courthouse in downtown. The overall incline runs about a mile but the steep part is a quarter mile where the elevation increases about 100 feet. It sucks.

And it beat my ass again. I tried to keep is slow and conserve my energy but it just sucked the energy out of my legs. At that point I though a sub-two-hour time was possible and I worked to make up some time on the next stretch which is pretty level. But the hill on Lancaster Ave. approaching Summit Ave. finished me.

From that point on I was just gritting through the pain and trying to finish in a respectable manner. My pace slipped a full minute in the last mile (to about what I did on the mile up the hill) but I found enough in the tank to run it in at the end.

Overall, I'm pretty happy with the effort. The time is really not that far off of my last effort here and gives me plenty of room for improvement. One thing is for certain, I'll have to really think hard about trying a full later this spring though.

Despite the devil hill, I do love this race. It's a nice course (mostly), the organization is top notch and folks are always friendly. Hopefully I can take a stab at the full next year.