Dick Beardsley Half Marathon

Ok, I am pretty happy with my performance considering. I had several goals:

Finish the race without destroying my foot. CHECK
Finish the race in under two hours. CHECK
Have fun. CHECK

Here's the numbers according to my garmin . . . pretty consistent until the end.

06-Sep-08 at 08:37:16AM 13.27 01:56:46
Lap 1 at 08:46:05AM 1.00 8:48
Lap 2 at 08:55:05AM 1.00 9:00
Lap 3 at 09:03:54AM 1.00 8:49
Lap 4 at 09:12:33AM 1.00 8:39
Lap 5 at 09:21:11AM 1.00 8:38
Lap 6 at 09:29:45AM 1.00 8:34
Lap 7 at 09:38:23AM 1.00 8:38
Lap 8 at 09:47:06AM 1.00 8:43
Lap 9 at 09:55:42AM 1.00 8:36
Lap 10 at 10:04:38AM 1.00 8:56
Lap 11 at 10:13:38AM 1.00 9:00
Lap 12 at 10:22:57AM 1.00 9:19
Lap 13 at 10:31:54AM 1.00 8:57
Finish at 10:34:02AM 0.26 2:08

I almost missed the start of the race. Packet pickup was crowded - I think they had record participation this year. I went off in search of an out of the way bathroom before the race. I was quite a ways away from the start when I saw all the runners take off. I sprinted to the start and crossed the starting mats in the middle of spectators following behind the runners. I think I was one of the last to start. Of course that made me try to sprint at the start of the race. But after about half a mile of catching up with the pack I began to hold back a little bit.

My heel was feeling pretty good. Only a vague dull pain, not the sharp biting pain I had been feeling the last couple weeks. I was passing everyone at the back of the pack for most of the race. My goal was to beat the two hour clock and I was doing well. My pace didn't start to slip until after mile 10. I wish I could blame it all on my foot but the reality is my foot was not that bad. I was babying it a little bit but the slowdown in miles 11 and 12 was because I was feeling tired. I knew my training was not up to snuff and that was obvious in miles 11 and 12. I did drop down to walk some at the water stations. Fortunately I was ahead of my goal pace so I didn't let it worry me. Better to save my feet and my body for the upcoming marathon.

Overall I am real happy.

From onlineraceresults.com:

Dick Beardsley Half Marathon
Half Marathon

September 6, 2008 - Detroit Lakes, MN
Summary
number of finishers: 832
number of females: 385
number of males: 441
average time: 2:01:00

Gregory Cook
bib number: 117
age: 42
gender: M
location: Fargo, MN
overall place: 371 out of 832
division place: 39 out of 65
gender place: 268 out of 441
time: 1:56:45
pace: 8:55
guntime: 1:58:33
half split : 57:04