Race Preview: San Francisco 1st Half Marathon

Race: San Francisco 1st Half Marathon (SF1HM)
Date & Time: Sunday, July 27, 2014

Course reconnaissance:

According to the race website:

The 1st Half Marathon covers the first half of The San Francisco Marathon.  The race starts on the Embarcadero near the Ferry Building, traversing San Francisco. The 1st Half Marathon runs through Fisherman’s Wharf, the Marina, across the roadbed of the Golden Gate Bridge, through the Presidio and finishes in Golden Gate Park. The course is USATF certified.

Compared to the 2nd Half, which I ran last year, SF1HM is much hillier and has a crazy early start time, but it’s also much more scenic.

Weather forecast:
It’s been unusually hot and muggy in the Bay Area, and the weather doesn’t look like it’ll be changing before tomorrow’s race.  Tomorrow morning looks hot and humid, with temps in the high 50s/low 60s at 5am and creeping up to the 80s by noon.  The upshot of this?  No fog (most likely) and clear views from and of Golden Gate Bridge (GGB).  Oh, at least I’m running the 1st half and will be done by 8:30 a.m., before the real heat sets in.

Goals:
Ha! Considering that, just a few weeks ago, I wasn’t sure that I’d stay ahead of the sag wagon due to ongoing aches and pains, I’m not sure that “time goals” are even relevant at this point.  That said, I think that 2:30 is very likely and doable, and sub-2:30 if I’m feeling spunky and energetic.

I plan to take plenty of photos during my walk breaks, especially across the GGB, which will be closed to vehicular traffic just for the race.  Having dealt with these nagging issues for the past few months has also given me the perspective of gratitude.  I’ve paid lip service to that in the past, but this time I really mean it.  It’s true of any race — my next race could be my last, so I’m planning on enjoying it!  (Though I really hope it’s not my last race — plus, I’ve promised the Gypsy Runner not to injure myself further!)

Strategy:
Going into race day, I’m feeling strong and rested.  I’m tempted to say “screw you!” to run/walk intervals, but the truth of the matter is that I haven’t run more than 4 minutes at a time for a while now, and I don’t think race day is the time to rock the boat (or is it??).  Seeing as I often start to feel my hip and low back tighten up around miles 6-7, my plan is to start out with my now-standard 3:1 run/walk intervals and if I feel REALLY good after 7 miles, then I’ll consider increasing the run intervals a bit at a time.  If not, I’ll continue run/walking until mile 11, at which point, unless I’m hobbling, I’ll aim to run continuously to the finish line.

Expo:
I went to the race expo yesterday, which moved from the Concourse in SOMA to Fort Mason.  There are pros and cons to the change, but overall my experience was about equal.  Going on Friday afternoon/evening meant very short lines and a less hectic atmosphere, but it also meant missing out on the various blogger meet-ups and seeing a couple of friends who were working at the expo today (Saturday).

At the expo with IP and her adorable baby N. Ready to conquer our fears!

So, I think that’s it!  This is probably the most relaxed I’ve been pre-half marathon in a long, long time.  If you want to follow me (and because there are 7 Jen Lee’s racing), my bib number is 42133.  Here’s hoping for a fun, enjoyable, and pain-free race tomorrow!  If you’re also racing tomorrow – good luck!

About Jen

Howdy! My name is Jen and I live in the San Francisco Bay Area. I like to eat, run, and blog, but not usually at the same time.

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Race Recap: San Francisco 1st Half Marathon ›

Tagged with: race goals, race preview, SF1HM
Posted in Goals, Race Preview