Trailbreaker Half Marathon
you could say i’ve got “history” with the Trailbreaker event here in my (adopted) hometown. this year’s edition was the 18th running of the event and i’ve participated in twelve of ’em. (Marathon – 4 times; Half Marathon – 7 times ; 5K – just once)
i arrived only thirty minutes before the half marathon was to start and hurriedly picked up my race number. my warm up run was limited to the run to the registration and back to my car to drop off the technical shirt i received from the entry fee. with temperatures in the upper 30’s and a swirling wind, i opted for a long sleeved compression top with a short sleeved shirt over the top. longer cut compression shorts were selected to keep the quads/hammies warm.
while the pre-race announcements were going on, i had the chance to greet Marc (AKA “Woody”) who i hadn’t seen in a while. he was sporting a chicago blackhawks hat, but i didn’t hold it against him. after the national anthem was sung by bonnie clarey, we were off and running through frame park. rather than jackrabbitting – as is my habit – i dialed it back to slightly above seven minute pace and positioned myself behind other runners to partially shield myself from the wind.
after winding our way through the downtown, we made our way to the glacial drumlin trail which is where i regularly train. there is a great deal to be said for knowing not only the route but the elevation changes on a course. we rolled past the city limits and made our way toward the turnaround point for the half marathon course. not long before turning around, i could begin seeing the race leaders rolling past me in the other direction. occasionally i’d shout out a word of encouragement to someone i knew but for the most part i was counting how many folks were ahead of me to get an idea of where i stood.
i made my 180 degree turn and was a bit surprised that the buffeting wind wasn’t subsiding after the turn. heading eastbound along the glacial drumlin, i did my best to focus on the task at hand and turned the volume up slightly on my ipod to drown out the sound of the wind. i passed the ten mile mark at roughly 71 minutes which was on track for the initial pace i had set out on, which was encouraging.
admittedly, my lack of fitness began to show over the last five kilometers and i could feel my form deteriorating a bit. a kind word from a volunteer as i turned north toward bethesda park brought a smile to my face. regular checks to my GPS watch confirmed i was making progress towards the finish line. after winding my way through the downtown area i was back in frame park and within view of the finish. a few more glances to my watch told me i had a chance at avoiding my slowest time at the Trailbreaker half so i gave what i could and narrowly avoided that personal worst by a mere seventeen seconds.
time: 1:33:09
overall: 36th/357
M35-39: 3rd/26
after collecting my finishers medal, i got changed out of my clothes and got some food/drink. since my wife & kids were out running errands, i opted to hand around a bit and socialize with Nic, Jeff and a few other folks. eventually, i made my way home for a much needed shower.
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