Race Report: 2018 Gasparilla Distance Classic Half Marathon
This year marks my third participation in the Gasparilla Distance Classic. This festival is one of the best and fastest races on the circuit. This year it is part of a professional series and drew some big names. The $30,000 prize purse also doesn't hurt. The 15k on Saturday is also a major race for that distance, being one of the few odd distance races that offers a prize purse. There are four total races (15k and 5k on Saturday; Half marathon and 8k on Sunday). My employer is a sponsor of the race and employees can submit for a free entry. I got one this year so an added bonus was it's a free race!
Race Week
Race week goal was to hydrate and detox by eating smart. I tried to stay away from junkier foods and upped the fluid intake. I also capped caffeine at 200mg/day max. That's what I usually shoot for in a day but I am typically more lax when it isn't race week. I was keeping an eye on the weather all week as the forecast became less and less pleasant for the weekend. Initially, I thought we might be ok with a low of 62 but that changed and by Friday forecast lows were near 70. Yikes. Coach gave me instructions to take it as a training run. I'll be honest. I was not in the least happy to have to change my goals. Not at all.
Race Day
With an early, but not Disney-early, wake up call, we were out the door around 5am. I parked in our usual Ft. Brooke garage and then warmed up a little by the Jose Gasparilla, docked at the convention center. By the time I did a few minutes, it was time for the corrals. I didn't have time to worry because I was already running late. I finished my SOS hydration and took a pre-race gel.
Race
Since I technically had a red bib in the 2nd corral, I started near the back. The race isn't strict, like Disney, but I still am generally a rule follower. I ended up crossing the start line around the same time as the 2 hour pace group. And so I began to run the race.
The course first goes over the bridge onto Davis Islands, where I spend every day at work. I am so familiar with these streets because I run them all the time after work. It is nice to run in familiar territory but it is also a bit lame. It doesn't feel like a race. This is where I do a majority of my running -- just another day out running. At 6am, the island is black. There aren't many street lights and the portables they provide aren't much. It's a residential neighborhood so I understand not flooding it with light. However, the streets also aren't paved with gold. Caution is heavily advised.
I begrudgingly kept to my pace plan and started very conservatively. Somewhere around mile 3, I found Coach and a large number of our running group members. They had a pirate flag and I ran with them for a few minutes. Then, I proceeded to run my own race as I always do. Around mile 4, I started feeling pretty bad. The island has no wind and the humidity was ungodly. I felt half like I was choking and half like I wanted to throw up. Since my car was yellow in the morning, I figured I was just having some issues with post-nasal drip and allergy. So I slowed up for a minute to try to clear my throat and nose. I used some water and took a gel. Then things felt better. But it was something I'd have to keep an eye on for the rest of the race. No need to get sick if something else was going on.
We made the exit from the island and then proceeded south on Bayshore. Now, I could feel a slight breeze and that pre-dawn little cooling effect. It was much better. Bayshore is mostly concrete for the upper half. I try to run near the median to cut off distance and also find the flattest portion. I hate roads with camber and Bayshore is definitely one of those. The race is well-supported and stops were frequent along Bayshore. I settled into my rhythm for the rest of the race.
Meb made an appearance at the water stop around mile 6. He was giving out high 5s wearing a race shirt and a floppy hat. I nearly missed him because of the floppy hat. He was like a stealth ninja out there. But I managed to get a high 5. It's at this point, I decided to try to cut a little off of my miles. Coach had me run a steady pace until 10 and then "race the rest". I started to drop pace a bit early around mile 7, but only a handful of seconds per mile. I didn't want to drop too quickly and flop.
At the turn around, I was feeling good and decided to keep dropping the pace. By this time, I could do some math and my previous half marathon PR of 1:42:48 was within sight. So, hang the code! I went for it. There was still a crosswind, which kept the perspiration evaporating. I was laser focused for these miles, not even caring who I saw. It was tough but I felt like my pace was sustainable.
The last few miles were getting hot as the sun came up. I didn't feel too bad with the persistent crosswind. I could tell it was hot but it really didn't bother me. As I came up on mile 12, I knew it would be close. I'd have to put out a sub-7 mile to beat my time. I rolled the dice and I lost. I came in just over. The record will stand for another year.
Overall 1:43:05
Yep, I was 17 seconds from taking a PR on the half. It's one of those "aww man" moments, not because I physically couldn't do it but because I had underestimated the math. (Editor's note: "Aww man" was not what was going through my head). I needed to drop a few seconds earlier rather than trying to hit it at the last mile. It's a very similar thing to what I did at my marathon, where I realized I made a math error too late to correct. I felt physically good after the race but remembered I needed to keep walking. I probably did 5 more miles of walking and waiting for Kim to finish the 8k.
Other than a math error, I did manage to have a very nice negative split, due to a conservative start. It is the exact opposite of my 1:42, where I had front loaded a bunch of time and basically walked the last mile and a half. Two different styles and very similar outcomes. Lots of people tell me it's not always about PRs. Yes, it is. It's about setting goals. It's about winning. Ok, not winning the race (or my age group where I came in a surprising 50) but beating myself. Maybe others can run for the sake of running. I set goals and beat them. That's how I find joy in sport. Goals aren't always PRs but there are still goals for every single race. I'll get over it. It usually takes me a week but I'll be frustrated for that week and then move on with my life.
After this race, there is Best Damn Race New Orleans. I might scrap the goals and run it with friends. My goal there is to have some awesome beignets. That's an easy win. Then running season transitions over into triathlon. Maybe next year, we will have a Gasparilla cold front. Or I could just pick a different race.
Race Week
Race week goal was to hydrate and detox by eating smart. I tried to stay away from junkier foods and upped the fluid intake. I also capped caffeine at 200mg/day max. That's what I usually shoot for in a day but I am typically more lax when it isn't race week. I was keeping an eye on the weather all week as the forecast became less and less pleasant for the weekend. Initially, I thought we might be ok with a low of 62 but that changed and by Friday forecast lows were near 70. Yikes. Coach gave me instructions to take it as a training run. I'll be honest. I was not in the least happy to have to change my goals. Not at all.
Race Day
With an early, but not Disney-early, wake up call, we were out the door around 5am. I parked in our usual Ft. Brooke garage and then warmed up a little by the Jose Gasparilla, docked at the convention center. By the time I did a few minutes, it was time for the corrals. I didn't have time to worry because I was already running late. I finished my SOS hydration and took a pre-race gel.
Race
Since I technically had a red bib in the 2nd corral, I started near the back. The race isn't strict, like Disney, but I still am generally a rule follower. I ended up crossing the start line around the same time as the 2 hour pace group. And so I began to run the race.
The course first goes over the bridge onto Davis Islands, where I spend every day at work. I am so familiar with these streets because I run them all the time after work. It is nice to run in familiar territory but it is also a bit lame. It doesn't feel like a race. This is where I do a majority of my running -- just another day out running. At 6am, the island is black. There aren't many street lights and the portables they provide aren't much. It's a residential neighborhood so I understand not flooding it with light. However, the streets also aren't paved with gold. Caution is heavily advised.
I begrudgingly kept to my pace plan and started very conservatively. Somewhere around mile 3, I found Coach and a large number of our running group members. They had a pirate flag and I ran with them for a few minutes. Then, I proceeded to run my own race as I always do. Around mile 4, I started feeling pretty bad. The island has no wind and the humidity was ungodly. I felt half like I was choking and half like I wanted to throw up. Since my car was yellow in the morning, I figured I was just having some issues with post-nasal drip and allergy. So I slowed up for a minute to try to clear my throat and nose. I used some water and took a gel. Then things felt better. But it was something I'd have to keep an eye on for the rest of the race. No need to get sick if something else was going on.
We made the exit from the island and then proceeded south on Bayshore. Now, I could feel a slight breeze and that pre-dawn little cooling effect. It was much better. Bayshore is mostly concrete for the upper half. I try to run near the median to cut off distance and also find the flattest portion. I hate roads with camber and Bayshore is definitely one of those. The race is well-supported and stops were frequent along Bayshore. I settled into my rhythm for the rest of the race.
Meb made an appearance at the water stop around mile 6. He was giving out high 5s wearing a race shirt and a floppy hat. I nearly missed him because of the floppy hat. He was like a stealth ninja out there. But I managed to get a high 5. It's at this point, I decided to try to cut a little off of my miles. Coach had me run a steady pace until 10 and then "race the rest". I started to drop pace a bit early around mile 7, but only a handful of seconds per mile. I didn't want to drop too quickly and flop.
At the turn around, I was feeling good and decided to keep dropping the pace. By this time, I could do some math and my previous half marathon PR of 1:42:48 was within sight. So, hang the code! I went for it. There was still a crosswind, which kept the perspiration evaporating. I was laser focused for these miles, not even caring who I saw. It was tough but I felt like my pace was sustainable.
The last few miles were getting hot as the sun came up. I didn't feel too bad with the persistent crosswind. I could tell it was hot but it really didn't bother me. As I came up on mile 12, I knew it would be close. I'd have to put out a sub-7 mile to beat my time. I rolled the dice and I lost. I came in just over. The record will stand for another year.
Overall 1:43:05
Yep, I was 17 seconds from taking a PR on the half. It's one of those "aww man" moments, not because I physically couldn't do it but because I had underestimated the math. (Editor's note: "Aww man" was not what was going through my head). I needed to drop a few seconds earlier rather than trying to hit it at the last mile. It's a very similar thing to what I did at my marathon, where I realized I made a math error too late to correct. I felt physically good after the race but remembered I needed to keep walking. I probably did 5 more miles of walking and waiting for Kim to finish the 8k.
Other than a math error, I did manage to have a very nice negative split, due to a conservative start. It is the exact opposite of my 1:42, where I had front loaded a bunch of time and basically walked the last mile and a half. Two different styles and very similar outcomes. Lots of people tell me it's not always about PRs. Yes, it is. It's about setting goals. It's about winning. Ok, not winning the race (or my age group where I came in a surprising 50) but beating myself. Maybe others can run for the sake of running. I set goals and beat them. That's how I find joy in sport. Goals aren't always PRs but there are still goals for every single race. I'll get over it. It usually takes me a week but I'll be frustrated for that week and then move on with my life.
After this race, there is Best Damn Race New Orleans. I might scrap the goals and run it with friends. My goal there is to have some awesome beignets. That's an easy win. Then running season transitions over into triathlon. Maybe next year, we will have a Gasparilla cold front. Or I could just pick a different race.
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