Sheppard AFB Half Marathon Report

Conditions: low 60s, drizzly, overcast morning. Perfect conditions for a PR!!!

The course was pretty flat, no major hills to climb that take your legs away. It was a two loop course. There were no mileage points on the course. They were two water stations, I guess spread out about 2 miles apart.

I only ran 5 miles the week before and had put in 9 miles previous to Saturday this week so I didn't know what to expect although my Tuesday run of 5 miles was run at a 7:46 pace.

I remembered to double knot my shoes!!! A friend from my running club got me on base and told me he was going to run with me - I told him I was concerned that I would hold him back. Anyway the race starts and he takes off and I let him go since I made the mistake at my first half marathon of trying to run with someone faster than me.

About a mile and half into the run my bladder is crying to be relieved, well what do you know there were no facilities on the course except at the start/finish area!! I reach the first aid station in about 17 minutes, but declined any fluid as I am feeling prenty good. The weather is cool and the drizzle keeps me from heating up. Which is a good thing cause I wilt in the heat and humidity. The second aid rolls around 16 minutes later and I decide to drink some Gatorade. Well it was like syrup!! I took about two sips and dropped the rest. It was pretty sweet. About six minutes later I am really laboring - my body is saying slow down I can't take this pace!! I figure I have about 12-15 minutes back to start area and tell myself that you can hang on for that long and then you can take a break since I was going to have to stop to empty the bladder. I get back to the S/F area in 12 minutes - first half of the race in 52:46.

I run into the bathroom to take care of the bladder. When I exited the facility there was someone singing the the National Anthem and everyone was standing at attention. So I figured it would be in bad taste if I just took off. So I waited it out, it only delayed me a little bit and the delay probably did me good by dropping my heartrate. I was in the S/F area for about 2 minutes and then I started on my second loop.

The legs felt fine but the lungs where hurting - I told myself you can survive between the aid stations. Just keep going and when you get to the aid stations you can walk, drink your water then get your butt in gear!! So that was the plan for the second loop and I guess I did it fairly well as my second loop time was about a little more than a minute slower than the first lap - 53:52.

Total time was 1:48:26 a new personal record!!!

I guess the next goal will be 1:44:35, which would make my splits 7:59.