An OK Half

 Just did the Bayshore 1/2 Marathon in Owen Sound this morning.    With the 100 miler two weeks ago,   moving 700 bails of Hay in the 31C heat yesterday,  3.5 hours on the Bruce Trail Thursday,  a great diet of Chinese Takeout , Ice Cream, Beer and Pizza yesterday as well as the 22C at 07:00 am this morning it quite amazing that I made it to the start line.  No I did do a bit of speed work last weekend and even did a tempo run on Tuesday but "Speed" hasn't been in my running diet lately.  As is usual I was thinking big  1:39:XX seemed doable but as I laid on the grass waiting for the race start I came to the conclusion that I really was prepared to run a fast 1/2 ....  it wasn't the distance it was all about the "Speed".  

 So plan B,  go out at around a 5min pace and see hoe I feel and adjust accordingly.    First 6K were solid but conservative 4:59, 4:56, 4:50, 4:59, 4:58, 4:59.  I was feeling OK ,  a bit warm with the breeze at my back but Sun exposure was at a minimum as we were mostly shaded by trees running on the east side of the road.   The course was a little different this year and  out and back that still included a climb up the escarpment at Annan.    I wanted to bank a little time before the hill at 10K to I picked up the paces and did Ks 7, 8 and 9 in 4:53, 4:49, 4:48.   My goal was to get to the turnaround at the top with an avg pace of 5:00 or better.   Kilometer 10 and 11 were mostly up a long reasonably gentle grade with a small steep section as you near the top.  Kept my head down,  concentrated on my breathing and pumped my arms logging my slowest 2Ks of the day 5:02 and 5:21.  Now I had made it to the top with just a little over 10K remaining and an avg pace of 4:58.   Now I was thinking BIG,   I flew back down the Hill picking up the pace logging 4:48, 4:24 and 4:40 for Ks 12,13 and 14.    Now with 7Ks remaining ,  mostly flat to a little rolling and into a strong cooling breeze I really tried to pick up the pace aiming for a 4:30 goal /K until the finish but it just didn't happen logging the next 7Ks in 4:43, 4:46, 4:48, 4:50, 4:57, 4:49 and 4:41.    In the last 7Ks I gained 4 positions  and didn't give up any ground which is always a good sign of a well run race.    The last 100m I was challenged by 2 guys I passed about a 500 meters back ,  one I beat the other guy I lost to be a fraction of a second,... we shook hands after we crossed the Mat!  Final 100meters I hit my fastest speed of the day with the Gamin reporting 18.8 kmh ... it was a good challenge at the end!

 My Chip time was 1hrs42min23sec,  I placed 33rd out of 115 finishers,  6 out of 14 in the 50-59 AG and 27th out of 57 males.  Considering the my pre-race activities I am quite satisfied with my results.