Myrtle Beach Half-Marathon Race Report

Yesturday was the Myrtle Beach Marathon & Half-Marathon and I made the trek out there from Clemson for the weekend. Originally my plan was for this to be my third and last half-marathon in my build up to the Boston Marathon in April, but I found out about a much more local race 3 weeks from now that I’m fairly certain I’ll do in an effort to drop my PR even further as it’s a net downhill course but this weekend’s time may prove difficult to beat.

So my last two races, Charleston on 1/14 and Miami on 1/29 resulted in a new PR in a great race followed by an awful race. Since Miami, though, I haven’t really had a single bad workout. By last Saturday I had built up to equal my longest training run, but cruised through it and felt great, and then I smoked a nice 12 mile threshold workout on Tuesday.

As a result, I was pretty confident heading into this race and once again I didn’t have too many goals because I wanted to just use it as a good marathon training run. I arrived to Myrtle Beach on Friday evening with a large group of Clemson FCA runners and friends, many of whom I met for the first time. Friday evening we had a group prayer and asked God to protect those of us running and to help carry us through the race. I had never done anything like that before, but I felt somewhat obligated to participate as these were some extremely kind people letting me stay with them.

It was chilly on race morning in Myrtle Beach but not unbearable and it seemed as though the conditions would be almost perfect for fast times. I went out feeling rather comfortable with the pace for the first mile in 5:38 before fearing that I would soon suffer considerably. I switched my watch display from total time and distance to my HR and total time. I knew that my HR had averaged 180 in Charleston 5 weeks ago so I wanted to keep it around that, but it just stayed in the low- to mid-180s instead. I figured that it would be okay so long as I found my rhythm. Miles 2 & 3 were 5:46 and 5:57 (5k in 17:58) before stringing off 3 of my only 4 miles over 6 minutes (6:02, 6:03, 6:07). At mile 6 we entered a shopping area and I started to surge ahead slightly with a group that had caught me. I went through 10k in my second fastest time ever (36:50). Mile 7 dropped to 5:52 and I followed that up with a 5:51 heading along the return side of the out-and-back between miles 5 & 8. Miles 9 & 10 were 5:57 and 5:55 (15k in 55:08) and I just prayed that I could hold on over the last 5k. Mile 11 was my last mile above 6 minutes in 6:01 before I picked up the pace heading to the finish with another 5:55 for mile 12 and a 5:47 for mile 13 before kicking in the extra 0.16 (by my Garmin) at 4:47 pace in 47 seconds. I went through 20k according to my Garmin in 1:13:37, making my 2^nd 10k even faster than the first 10k by 3 seconds! I couldn't have asked for better weather or better conditions and the group of Clemson friends I'm staying with have been incredibly welcoming despite having just met them.

Next up is a local duathlon in Greenville that I’d like to win but it will be a good indicator of where my bike fitness is heading towards Powerman and Collegiate Nationals in the next couple of months.