13 Feb 2016 - Hilton Head Island Half Marathon

It feels sooooooo very good to be back running half marathons!

 

That's me in the Bronco Orange shoes!

 

 The HHI (Hilton Head Island) trip was an interesting one. The race was held on the 13th of February, South Carolina was my 13th state running a half or full marathon in, and I was running 13.1 miles.  Definitely a 13 themed race but luckily not of the bad luck kind. I was thrilled with my finish time and we had a blast. 

We flew into Savannah Georgia on Thursday and drove roughly an hour to Hilton Head Island. We rented a condo through Homeaway and everything went smoothly picking up the keys and getting into the condo. The condo was in Seaside villas near Coligny circle and had a great beach view from the balcony. The condo was not fancy but was great for Julie and me. We cooked most of our meals there and were able to relax and unwind from our busy lives for a few days. Also being able to walk down the stairs and pretty much right onto the beach was a wonderful perk. 

On Friday, we visited the Sea Pines Plantation and Harbour Town. The most interesting stop was the Lighthouse. I've seen it in several HHI pictures which made it a bucket list item. We paid the $4 fee and climbed 110 steps to get to the top. It was a pretty easy climb (11 sets of 10 stairs) and the history of the island and Lighthouse were detailed in pictures and words on the walls. The views from the top were wonderful but it was a little cool and breezy to spend much time out there. 

We also walked on the beach in Harbour Town. It was kinda weird as there was lots of foam along the beach. Not sure why but I found it interesting enough to take a picture!

We talked about driving the course but decided it would be too tough to navigate due to the off road portions. Also the course descriptions said it was mostly flat except for the bridge climbs so I decided to trust them. The race expo/packet pickup was held at the Westin. Like everything else, it was about a 15 minute drive from where we were staying. The expo was small but very well organized. The race packet had all the necessities including a red long sleeve race shirt. 

Our pre-race meal was pasta, chicken, salad, and breadsticks. Just like we usually purchase at Olive Garden but this time homemade. After dinner, we laid out our intended race gear and hit the sack. It was kinda tough figuring out what to wear since the race temps were predicted to be 40 and about 10mph winds. Sounded cold so we decided to dress in layers. 

Saturday morning the temps were as predicted but it didn't feel that cold. We left the condo about 640am and I decided to run with shorts and a long sleeve shirt over a short sleeve shirt. I figured the long sleeve shirt would get tossed at some point during the race. Pre-race I walked around in sweats and a beanie. It was chilly just hanging out waiting for the race to start. We arrived at Jarvis Park right around 7am and parked at a school about 5 minutes walk from the start. The only complaint I have about this race is there were not enough toilets or porta potties. Luckily when I needed to go the lines were short but they were really long the closer we got to race time. 

The pre-race area was great!  I came to the race prepared but for those that didn't there were bananas and bagels and other snacks. About 20 minutes before 8am the race announcer requested we head over to the start. About 5 minutes before the start they played a recording of the star spangled banner. We then lined up based on our expected pace and waited for the start.  All three race groups (5K, half and full marathon) started at the same time; 8am. I started towards the front so I didn't get stuck behind early walkers.  I expected to finish in under 2 hours but did not expect to PR. My main goal was to finish the race and enjoy the experience. 

I knew my pace at the start was quick but it felt good so I stayed with it. My breathing felt fine and so did my legs in the early miles. The first two miles were out from Jarvis Park along Pembroke Drive and back. From there we ran around the lake and then onto the side of highway 278 and towards the bridge. I averaged about 8:15 the first 4 miles and felt great. At around mile 5 we ran through the toll gate for the highway.  That was kinda fun!  Next we encountered the climb and descent associated with the bridge.  Even with the bridge hill I averaged 8:26 for miles 4-8.  The bridge on the way out was probably my favorite part of the run.  I really enjoyed the views from the bridge. Mile 6 through 9 we were off the highway and ran mostly on side streets and some dirt through a wooded area.  Mile 9 was a little slower but I still felt great and ran at a 847 pace. At this point I began thinking how well the run was going and got my PR hopes up.

My hopes were quickly thwarted after we went back onto the side of highway 278.  The slope of running on the side of the highway for the next 4 miles got to my IT band. The pain reminded me of the Maui marathon. Not a good memory.  It felt pretty uncomfortable the last 3 miles but I pushed through. The race photos just happen to be mostly taken during this time and they look awful.  My head is down, my running form is awful and it is obvious I am hurting.  

 

How not to run...Lift your head up Bob.

Final push to the finish line...

My pace the last 4 miles slowed down to about 9:14. I knew at mile 10 the PR was out of the question and was just hoping to beat 1:55.  I ended up finishing in 1:53:09. I was happy with the finish time and it felt great when they gave me the medal at the end.   After crossing the finish line, it was a bit difficult locating water but once I found it, I also spotted all the goodies. There was pizza, fruit, cupcakes (maple syrup, bacon, french toast), beer and other stuff. Lots of goodies for after running a half marathon. 

After getting goodies, I ventured over to the timing booth. I knew my time was decent and was curious how I stacked up against the other 55-59 year old dudes. I was pleased to discover my time was 4th out of 31 old dudes. Once again just outta the age group awards but top 4 felt good. Overall I had a great race and felt blessed to be back out on the roads working towards my goal of running at least a half marathon in every state. 

After the race we enjoyed some time on the beach and then enjoyed a terrific sunset dinner at a seafood restaurant called  Hudson's on the Dock.

Sunday morning Julie and I wore our race shirts and enjoyed the cold and windy beach.  It was great to be on the beach even though we were getting blown away..

The numbers:
Finish time:   1:53:09
Overall:         119th out of 658 runners
Men:              72nd out of 278
Age group:      4th out of 31 (55-59 year old men)

Here is the Strava details for my run.

Next for me:  Kentucky Derby half marathon on April 30th in Louisville Kentucky.  I'm really looking forward to running on the infield of Church Hill Downs!