Rose Bowl Half Marathon 1:36.58

I didn’t actually know the way the Rose Bowl Half Marathon would go. I hadn’t achieved many races since October (i.e., 2), and whereas I knew I had endurance, I additionally knew I didn’t have sharp velocity. Plus, I lately went to the physician as a result of respiratory felt arduous and I sleep an irregular quantity. I’m speaking, I don’t really feel rested till I’ve 11 hours of sleep and if I “solely” get 8 or 9, I really feel drained. I used to be joyful I had a physician who didn’t dismiss me. I bought some assessments achieved (ready for a pair extra) and realized I doubtless had COVID two months in the past.

It’s beginning to really feel repetitive speaking about it, however roughly 2 months in the past, throughout my hip harm, I doubtless had COVID. I awakened in the future congested, and that congestion simply by no means went away. Then slowly, I began to really feel an increasing number of drained. I used to be by no means “tremendous sick,” simply congested, not like after I had the flu. I wasn’t operating on the time on account of my hip harm. I’m glad to have solutions, but it surely didn’t bode effectively for the Rose Bowl Half Marathon. It looks like I’ve been climbing an uphill battle with Los Angeles Marathon coaching that I can’t appear to get to any form of peak or flip a nook. However I’m constructive it would occur.

I just like the Rose Bowl Half Marathon for a number of causes:

It’s quick. The final mile is downhill
There are such a lot of cheer stations
Loads of parking and loos in the beginning
The climate normally mimics Los Angeles Marathon so it’s nice preparation

Earlier than the Rose Bowl Half Marathon:

I bought to Pasadena round 3, picked up my bib, and relaxed. I do respect that Rose Bowl Half Marathon packet pickup is tremendous straightforward and quick, they usually have a number of places to select from. We bought dinner with our mates who had been additionally operating. Race morning got here shortly. The Rose Bowl Half Marathon begins at 7 am, however there’s loads of visitors, and I wished to be there by 5:30. (I’d say get there not less than 90 minutes early). We just about had been at the moment and nonetheless waited in a very good quantity of visitors. I solely bought about 0.8 miles of warmup, after which it was time to race. (I’d have favored 2). I had a reasonably nasty blister on the again of my heel and made the last-minute determination to race in Nike Tempo Subsequent. They weren’t my first selection, however they didn’t rub my heel, and it will have been fairly ugly as a result of that blister has not been therapeutic quick.

My A objective for the Rose Bowl Half Marathon was a sub 7:30 tempo. My tremendous A objective was to run sooner per mile than the week earlier than’s 8.2-mile race.

Rose Bowl Half Marathon:

I wished to take the Rose Bowl Half Marathon easyish and at my objective marathon tempo (for me, it’s hopefully round 7:30). I wished to really feel snug and never like I used to be above my means. That was precisely how the primary couple of miles felt. We ran uphill, and I hit the primary mile in 7:28 and the second mile in 7:35. I used to be pretty happy as a result of that was across the tempo I wished, and the course was uphill. Mile 3 of the Rose Bowl Half Marathon had some hills, and I ran a 7:26.

The following few miles of the Rose Bowl Half Marathon had some downhill, and I instructed myself to push the downhills. I ran 7:14, 7:11, and seven:16. There have been some hairpin turns that I’ve discovered the Nike Tempo Subsequent to not be the most effective at, and I positively misplaced a number of seconds right here and there. I believed possibly I must use the lavatory, but it surely appeared to go away round mile 6.5. I took my first Maurten 100 gel between miles 6-7. I waited for electrolytes which I grabbed and took a part of my gel. I attempted a brand new technique the place I took my gel over the course of a mile, and I favored that higher than simply chugging a gel in 50 meters.

Mile 7 of the Rose Bowl Half Marathon has some critical climbs, and it feels prefer it by no means ends. I ran a 7:33, and I used to be joyful to have some downhill in mile 8. We went throughout the bridge again in the direction of the Rose Bowl, and mile 9, and I ran 7:32. Mile 10 drops about 80 ft again right down to the Rose Bowl, and I ran a 7:16. I most likely may have run that sooner, however I knew the previous few miles across the Rose Bowl have a gradual uphill that I didn’t count on final 12 months. I additionally took a second gel between miles 9-10.

Miles 10-11 of the Rose Bowl Half Marathon are two of the toughest. You’re operating up a gradual uphill. It’s not steep, but it surely’s mainly 2 miles lengthy, and also you don’t actually notice it apart from the race feels arduous. I stored telling myself it’s all downhill at mile 12, and I used to be going to ship it then. I ran a 7:32 and seven:25. By the point I knew it, it was mile 12 and time to ship it. Which is precisely what I did. I ran as arduous as I may and ran a 6:42 closing mile and a 6:21 tempo for the final 400. I completed the Rose Bowl Half Marathon in 1:36.58. I used to be tremendous happy.

Rose Bowl Half Marathon Ideas:

Whereas the Rose Bowl Half Marathon is unquestionably not my quickest half marathon, I’m pleased with the hassle, particularly after the previous few months. I’m trying ahead to constructing much more velocity and hopefully operating sooner on the subsequent few half marathons earlier than Los Angeles. In case you are searching for the most effective half marathon in Los Angeles, it’s actually the Rose Bowl Half Marathon. It’s hilly, however you may’t beat the crowds.