Race Review: Vancouver First 1/2 Half Marathon

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This morning I woke up bright an early after a so-so kind of night, not the greatest sleep of my life. I showered to wake myself up and put on my race gear then headed to the kitchen for some peanut butter on toast. I felt pretty good and ready for the run, so I headed out to meet Nikki so we could ride in together to meet her friend Solana. When we arrived it was very clear to me that this was going to be a race of mainly elite or faster runners, I then started to get a little bit more nervous but we stopped to take some pre-race pictures anyway...

I was more than happy to get started because it was pretty chilly out there this morning. 

Within the 1st kilometer I realized that my left sock was going to be a problem, I had already adjusted it twice from slipping down into my shoe before the race... grrr! I made a quick stop and yanked it up and off I went again around BC place and back down Pacific towards the sea wall. As we approached the seawall I was very apprehensive -- the seawall and I have a love/hate relationship especially since Lululemon. At the SeaWheeze Half Marathon last August I got my worst time EVER, I blame the heat and the seawall, it just went on and on. However, at the Vancouver Historic Half last November I PR'd and that was a double loop of the seawall. I plugged along at a relatively good place, got a good picture on one of my water breaks:

At this point I knew we were about to round onto second beach, I looked at my watch and we were only at 13km so I knew there would be another little loop before heading back on the seawall towards Pacific avenue. To my surprise/horror we still had to run around the lagoon, it's not that far but I was annoyed because I could see the way back and then we basically turned and went in the other direction. At this point I got nervous about getting a PR, I knew if I wanted to try for one I really had to book it so that's what I did. I didn't stop again until the very last hill which was less than a mile from the finish, I very quickly walked up the hill and started sprinting. If I didn't sprint full out for that last little bit I never would have PR'd, it was close. So my new PR is 02:17:38.

I'm glad I PR'd but I honestly thought that it would be better after my experience at Running from an Angel & Disney. Anyways, it's time to look past this race and prepare for the Fort Langley Historic Half next Sunday. I can confidently say that will not be a PR, I know the course, and more importantly I KNOW THE HILLS but it's my town and I gotta do it.

So just like that, 3 races of the year are behind me, 13 to go. Here we go 13in2013!