I made my way to Bowling Green this past weekend for my final test race prior to the Akron Marathon later this month. The Soaring Eagle Runs Boy Scout Half Marathon had three things going for it: 1. It was timed perfectly for me with it taking place one month prior to Akron. 2. It's a close race at about an hour drive from my place. 3. It's cheap! I think it was around $30 for this low-key race.
The race started and ended at the Wood County Fairgrounds, so there was ample parking. Packet pickup was a breeze, too. I've mentioned before that I really like these low-key races. There's no worrying around about parking issues and whatnot.
My goal for this race was simply to run a nice, easy pace and break 2:00 as a warm-up for Akron. We started out by heading west out of Bowling Green and made our way around on country roads. There wasn't much to report scenery-wise, other than flat ground and farmland. Lots of farmland. My pace was right where I wanted it to be as I hit 9:17, 18:26, and 27:39 for my first three miles. I kept around 9:07 per mile for the next five miles as we continued down some long stretches on our way back towards town.
Once we hit town, I sped up just a bit to where I was breaking 9:00. The humidity rose well past what I was expecting (we had a storm the night before) and I was feeling the miles, despite the easy-going pace. We wound around town into some nice residential areas. There were a few people out and about to cheer on the runners which was appreciated. My ten mile split was around 1:30. Again, this is right where I wanted to be. I sped up a little more for the final 5k of the race. Nothing crazy, mind you, more like the pace I would run about five miles in at any other half. We made our way back to the fairgrounds for a lap around the horse track to the finish line. Final time- 1:56:47
I felt great after this race. I FINALLY executed my plan to take the race easy, avoiding trying to go for a PR so close to the marathon as I've made that mistake before (Dayton River Corridor Classic Half Marathon prior to the Sphinx Run Fest Marathon in 2010 and the Air Force Half Marathon prior to the Columbus Marathon in 2011). The best part of all this...I have only one more long run prior to Akron! That alone is worth celebrating.
Next race: Akron Marathon- Akron, OH
