Somerset Stampede Half Marathon

I checked the weather report earlier in the week and quickly signed up for this small race in Somerset Center, Michigan.  It was a comfortable 50 degrees at the start of the race which is unheard of in mid-August.  This race game me a chance to knock off my ninth state and get a tune-up in for the Air Force Half Marathon next month.  And this little race was only $20.

The morning started early as I left Tiffin a little after 4 to make the trek to Somerset Center.  I was amazed at how cool it felt outside.  Perfect running weather for any time of year.  I arrived at Somerset Beach Campground with about an hour to spare.  This gave me plenty of time to stretch out and check out the course map.  The race is billed as scenic and one of the toughest half marathons in the state of Michigan.  It was a very scenic race around the countryside and it was definitely tough.  In fact, this was the toughest half marathon course I've completed.

We started out at 7:30 and made our way through the campground area to the first of many dirt roads.  This was one of the great things about this race.  We ran on asphalt some, but most of the race was on dirt roads and even some trails.  The hills started in right away.  And they never stopped!  Most of them were rolling but some were pretty steep.  I clocked in at 9:00 for the first mile, 18:12 for the second, and then an inexplicable 28:25 followed by 33:37.  The mile markers were obviously off, so I stopped paying attention to split times and focused on how I felt.  And it felt rough for the first five miles or so.  The constant ups and downs are something I'm just not accustomed to running.

We continued on some trails during mile 5 and back to dirt roads.  The course was scenic and there were very, very few cars.  It was simply a nice crisp morning.  I took a gel at mile 5 and it helped.  Mile 6 felt pretty good and I started to run a lot faster around mile 7, despite the never-ending hills.  I got into a battle with another runner at mile 8 that went on for about two miles or so.  He led for a bit, then I led, then we just ran together for a short time.  I finally left him somewhere during mile 10 and passed a few others along the way.  The mile 10 split time showed up at 1:23 but I knew that was impossible on this course.  1:26-1:27 is more likely.

The last three miles went by in a blur.  There was one major hill during mile 11, then we made our way to a nice trail that wound its way around the campground.  The soft surface was a nice change because my body was feeling all those hills.  I finished hard down the final straightaway and came in at 1:50.06.  This is my fourth fastest half marathon time but I'm a bit skeptical.  I did feel like I ran one of my best races of the year, but those hills definitely work against you.  The mile markers were off at times, so I wonder if the course was a bit short.  Regardless, it wouldn't have been more than a few minutes slower, so my sub-2 hour half marathon streak has been extended to ten!  This is the confidence boost I need going into the Air Force Half next month.  I'm hoping to run a sub-1:50 at that race.

Next race: Air Force Half Marathon- Dayton, OH

Carey Twilight 5k

I'm a week late with this post, but I ran the Carey Twilight 5k last Saturday evening.  Due to some thunderstorms moving through the area, it was interesting to say the least.  The race itself was much bigger than I was expecting with 250-300 runners.  I got to the start later than I meant to and didn't have much time to warm-up.

The start was the best part of this race.  We waited at the start line, looking down the first hill, and saw nothing but dark clouds with lightning in the distance.  That was a first for me, despite having ran in 90+ races.  The race director stated that he thought we could get the race in and to find cover if it got too bad.  Okay.  Will do.  The nice thing about the weather was that it cooled everything down.

The downhill start was unfortunate because I really wanted to run negative splits in this one.  But, of course, I had no choice but to start fast.  We made it to the bottom of the hill, made a sharp left turn and entered a very cool park.  We did a lap around the park and hit the first mile maker in 7:00.  I was feeling pretty good and tried to keep up that pace.  The weather was getting worse and we saw some lightning strikes just outside of town.  I noticed this as I made my way around a pond.  Water+Lightning=Picking up the pace

The second mile wasn't far off the first, clocking in at 14:12.  There's not much to say about the course at this point.  It was nice running in the evening, but it was your typical 5k through a small town.  The line of people spraying hoses in the air along the course were nice.  It wasn't really necessary since we were getting some sprinkles anyway.  I tried to pick it up on the third mile but the course was mostly uphill at this point.  I passed some people and clocked in at a respectable 21:44.  Much better than the 23:00 I ran at my last 5k.  I waited around for the awards and was pleasantly surprised to receive a nice glass for placing second in my age group.

I've been looking for a half marathon to do because I want to make sure that the Air Force Half next month will be my 20th.  I looked at several races and decided on making the drive north to Michigan to get my 9th state.

Next race: Somerset Center Stampede Half Marathon- Somerset Center, MI