Comeback race
RR: Half MarathonSudbury: The weather's good. It's cool (40f)and clear, but the wind is gusty.I start a little diffident for two reasons: periformis and sciatica pains all week. Also, I haven't run 13.1 miles in 6 months(all at once). All winter(until April) I ran 7-8 miles a day on the treadmill.

The race.We start and my legs feel good. The field is only about 200 and if I run well, I should be in the top 10 or so.I'm around 10th and feeling winded the first few miles, but I start to gain my cadence and hit the 5K in 19:55. Whoops! a little too fast: my goal was around 1:28 or so. I turn it down a notch; after all, I haven't run this far in a long time. A woman was chatting a little with me and I let here go, hoping to catch here the last 5K.10K: 41:06. Well, I meant to slow a little but not a full minute on the 2nd 5K. Still I'm waiting for the 16K marker so I can reel in those ahead the last 5k. I blame the wind for the slow down.A guy in a knee brace behind me passes slowly at 11K. I draft off him. I don't believe for a second that it helps to draft off one guy, but I like to pretend it helps: It's a way of getting back at someone for passing you.

He pulls 100M ahead of me and I "tie the tether" at that distance. We start to pass some of the marathon runners who started earlier. I encourage them and they return the encouragement. There's no more wind in our face, but the slight uphill grade keeps the pace from improving.

10 Miles: I hit the mark at 1:07:48. I'm slowing down. But knee-brace guy is still only 100m ahead. We turn, and I realize my chance at a good time is truly shot: a gradual uphill INTO and gusty wind. Some of the marathoners start to walk when the wind really blows(they have to do this course twice). But we HMers are too close to the finish.At 18K 11.2 miles I can feel the legs start to lock up a little--no fast final 5K for me. I'm getting closer to knee brace guy, but never too close. It flattens out but the wind is steady. I try to speed up, but after a couple of minutes the juice is gone and I just try to maintain form. I finish in 1:30:19.

It breaks down like this in approximation:
5K: 19:55 (6:27/mile)
10K 41:05(21:10) 2nd 5K (6:50mile)
15K 1:03:15 (22:10)3rd 5K (7:10/mile)
20K 1:25:45 (22:30)(7:15/mile) 4th 5Kand 21.1 K (Half Marathon) 1:30:19 (6:54/mile)
It's not the time I was shooting for. But it was a nice race. Almost like a solo long run on a nice day. Sudbury's surrounded by lakes Now if I just DO some more long runs...I was 10th overall and 4th in AG....drats!(but at least we didn't have to wait around for a ceremony. we had 3.5 hours driving to get home).