Bayshore 1/2

Did the inaugural Bayshore 1/2 today. This was my second ever 1/2 Road Marathon. My goal was a 1:3X:XX finish. Based on recent runs I figure that a more realistic expectation would be a little under 1:45. I have been working nights this week and originally I was planning on heading to Owen Sound at the end of my shift. Instead I booked some vacation time and left work at midnight and managed 4 hours of restless sleep before race time. Up around 6:30am I dressed and was out the door by 7am . Did a coffee and a bagel at 07:30, 90 minutes before the 09:00 am start time.

The first 5k of the race were almost dead flat. We were running parallel to the Bay and were mostly shaded by trees running on the east side of the road. There was no breeze but the temperatures were creeping up probably somewhere between 22-24C. Between 6 and 7K my left knee began to hurt. I have had this issue for the past three runs. I slowed down a bit an began to hop along until the pain passed. A hundred meters or so I was back running normally pain free again. 7K in we turned East and were more or less totally exposed to the sun. At around 8.5K we began a 2 K climb that was rather steep at times. My avg pace going into the hill was around 4:50. My goal was to drop no more then a 5:00 pace though 10.5K then pick it up in the last half of the race. At the top of the climb I grabbed a cup of water at the aide station and when I paused to drink my left knee pain flared up again. Started running slowly and once again ran through the pain. Gelled at 12K , I really didn't think I would need any carbs being a short race so I t was done as a precaution. After the climb I was quiet warm but when we headed South at the top of the escarpment there was a nice breeze and I was able to recover and pick it up he pace again. 13-15K were mostly downhill bleeding off most of the elevation what we gained earlier. At 15K I managed to work the avg pace down to 4:59 and with 6K to go I knew my 1:3X:XX goal was not possible. I was now concentrating on bring it in under 1:45. Paused again for water at the aide station and once again the left knee acted up, that would be my second and last stop for water! There was no breeze after the decent and around 17K we were on an rather hot dusty gravel stretch that was really uncomfortable and slow. With 4K to go the avg pace had crept back up to 5:02 and I was fighting trying to pick up the pace. I crossed the finish line in 1:45:21 really hot and happy to be finished.

The course had lots of character with the up and down but I don't think there would be many PBs especially on such a warm day! I am handling the heat much better then earlier this summer. In the last 10K I passed a half dozen folks and was only passed by one guy that I almost caught on the last few hundred meters. I was a little disappointed in the results but all in all it was a successful run. I look forward to making this an annual event!