Race Recap: ING Miami Half Marathon
My first race of the year under my belt and I fulfilled my goals. I finished healthy. I stuck to my game plan. I had fun. My training and motivation had not been great leading up to this race and I did feel a bit intimidated as we were preparing for the start, but I let these fears and doubts slide from my mind and stuck with my game plan.
First, I would recommend the ING Half Marathon to anyone wanting to do a destination race. The expo was big with lots of action. The race was super organized with no real logistical issues (more later on this). The course had sections with lots of crowds. The flat course made it one of the easier half’s I have experienced. The finisher medals were impressive and race shirts were one of the better tech shirts out there. All of these things add up to a fantastic first race experience and personally one of my most favorite half’s to date. It didn’t hurt that it was a great location for the weather and beaches.
The one and only thing that was cumbersome was the loading into the corrals and management of runners trying to get from the drop off point to the gear check. Since the finish is some four blocks from the start line you had to navigate through thousands of runners walking in multiple directions to get to the gear check area. This made for a stressful 20 minutes of hoping that I got my gear checked, shoes laced up and stretched for the start. Once I did find the gear check area and made my way to the corral (I had to leap a fence to sneak in) it was an organized start. Each corral had their own start, about 10 minutes after each other. I was lucky to be in corral C, I wonder if those in corral F and above had a longer wait between.
Remind me never to run a full marathon that has a half marathon taking place at the same time. I give those running the full lots of respect as they had to deal with rather larger crowds, a faster pace and a turn off only a mile or so from the half finish. Talk about a mind F. Although, the course marshalls did a better than normal job of separating the two groups as you came closer to the split, something that in the past has never been really that organized or c
lear.
I experienced something new which I hope is a staple at all running events I attend in the future. At the water stations they made available 82Go Water- a thing of beauty and total convenience. They are 8 oz of purified water in a plastic water packet, almost like a balloon or gel pack. I would grab two of these and hold one while I bit open the corner of another drinking while running without the uncomfortable drinking from a pinched corner of a cup. I tell you, every race should have these. They are absolutely brilliant. Easy to drink from, no choking on water and handy enough to hold onto while running. I gotta say, the best new thing I have seen at a race ever.
As for my race, I ran the way I wanted. I went out slow for the first 3.2 miles. I broke the race into two further parts of 5 miles each. I had some cramping and slight dehydration issues along with some residual issues from my cough/cold, but my legs and hips felt great. My time wasn’t important to me and neither was a PR- 1:56 was my time, far from my 1:39 to 1:42 that I have been averaging. I enjoyed this race, it was fun and got me off to a great start to my running year. My base has been set and I am looking forward to the future races on my calendar.
There is something rewarding in setting a PR, but there is also something fantastic about running a race on minimal training and running for fun and the experience. My motivation seems to be coming back and I am looking forward to preparing for the next races on my schedule.
Are all races you finish considered a success? Do you try to PR at ever race? If you don’t PR is it a disappointing race? Have you seen 82Go water packets? Did you race this past weekend, how did it go?
- Scott
Never seen – or heard of – the 82Go water packets until now. They sound like a brilliant idea though. Hopefully more races will start using them – particularly because they are far more sanitary than having volunteers fill cups from giant garbage cans full of hydrant water as some races do!
Wait until you see them at a race and get a chance to use them, totally awesome. And ewww, I’ve never seen giant garbage cans full of hydrant water, that is just gross!
About as brilliant an idea as a trip to the carribbean or some other developing nation where this packaging is pretty common. I’ve used very similar little water bags during races in Jamaica and the Bahamas. First I’ve seen them in the U.S., but certainly not a new idea.
All races finished are a success! While I have been supremely disappointed with some of my marathon finishing times, the fact that I finished is better than what others have done/will ever do. As for the ING Miami – what a fantastic destination race. We did that one last year and absolutely loved it.
Congrats on a great race and good luck this year!
Good luck to you as well. After my NYC marathon experience last year I totally on board with the “all finished races are a success” mantra.
Glad your race went well!
Those water packets look awesome!
I don’t always set out to PR at every race. It would be nice, but it’s not always realistic for me. So I set out to just make sure I feel good about the race at the end. If I gave it my all and that wasn’t my fastest I’m ok with it.
Totally agree, finish healthy and finish feeling good about the race, I’ve definitely grown as a runner with this new mentality.
Great Review for my hometown race. Glad you enjoyed it! Will be there next year uninjured
Good luck with healing from your injury! Your hometown put on a great race!
AMAZING performance! Stick to your guns and you can pull of some amazing things, sir!
Second, I want those water things, genius!! So brilliant.
I wish I was smart enough to invent those water things, damn….
I’ve never seen those at a race but would absolutely love them!!! talk about convenient!!! My best friend ran this as his 1st half.. he had a ball.. we agreed to do it together next year
WTG on your time.. may not have been a PR but still a great time
You def should do it next year, especially if you live in the cold north.
Glad you went down there and ran the race you wanted to. You’ve definitely set the tone for the rest of the year.
Was almost like a “naked” race, pretty fun doing it that way.
Congrats on running a race that way YOU wanted to run.
Love the idea of the water packs…never seen anything like that before.
Thank you, was nice just to go out and run without any true time in mind.
Great recap.. maybe I’ll add Miami to my “eventually” list. And those water packets look awesome! Now I want one!
Megan
Congrats to you on a great race! I, too, ran the Miami half, and enjoyed making it a long weekend down in the warm weather! With half-hearted training, I ran a fun race, and like you, also saw the congestion in the beginning. I was in Corral D and was dodging walkers .25 miles into the race and weaving in and out of people for 3 miles. Overall, it was decent, but quite frankly, I thought NYCM was much better managed with twice the field size.
I’ve done half of my races as races, and half as more fun run races with friends. I think it’s a good way to keep balanced and focused on really what is important. sometimes we get really wrapped up in self-competition and PRing… but is that the reason we run? partially, but not the entire reason and sometimes we need those reminders to keep ourselves in check.
They started using those water bags last summer in triathlons I think… that’s when I first saw them. Trijuice.com wrote and article about them if I remember correctly.
but really, sounds like you had a great wkend in Miami, congrats! & badass medals!
[...] I’M LUSTING AFTER: After 82Go Water that iRunner introduced me to. Um, these things are simply amazeballs. All other running or endurance races [...]
my PR 10k (41:00) and marathon (3:40) days are over and done with…but I still want to go under 14 for an Ironman. Will try this in 2013 when I am 60. There are always new goals “out there” .
This year I really did not set out to PR each run but after my Aramco Houston Half Marathon finish in January of almost 2 minutes faster than the pevious year and only 17 seconds off my PR, I thought it was do-able. Since then he next half in Feb, was a PR and then just this last Saturday I got another new PR and qualified for my first Full for next Jan 2013!!!!