Run Run Rudolph Half Marathon 3/94 Overall 1:33:50

My wife Fiona and I signed up for this half marathon back in August for $70pps. She was coming off 3 months with a sacral stress fracture diagnosed by Sam at BodyCentral in Tucson and I wanted us to get a race in as close to Christmas, before we go away on vacation. The plan was to run together.

It’s been 9 weeks since the Ironman World Championship. I haven’t swam since and ride 3x-4x per week but have been running 6x per week building up to 50miles/80km the last 3 weeks. Friday I did a 10mile run with 5mile tempo at 7:25/mile in our new training room. Saturday I ran an easy 7miles, 1hr bike, and made Christmas cookies, Vegetarian Baked Ziti in a slow cooker and had most of a bottle of Champagne Moscato. Note: the Facebook Group 2020: Wait for the Guiness Challenege will see me go alcohol free 1/1/20 until Ironman Ireland 6/21/20. Bed around 9pm.

We woke up with tired legs, ate a blueberry muffin, medium RedBull, and we drove from Sahuarita, AZ to Marana. We picked up a great shirt, great hat and sat in the car; it was 48F. I ate a 200cal Clif Shot Bloks with caffiene 15min before.

I kept asking Fi what pace we were going out at and she wanted 8:30s. She is studying for the PT Bar Exam Jan 29th and has been focusing on that. We saw local legend Lauren Reasoner who was 25th female in Boston and started close to the front. We went off by the RD and the very well run race. Less than a min in we were in 10th and I said we are going way faster than 8:30… 7:10s. We kept it up slowimg to a 7:42 first mile and as we got passed by 8 more people falling to 16th, I was hungry to go and pass people. I asked wifey 2X and then I went.

Next mile 7:27. By this point I had run down 8 people but my brand new Altra Escalante Paris Racers laces loosened so I stopped to tie but was passed by those stretched out 8 again. By mile 3 in 6:54 I ovetook them and was sitting in 5th. Mile 4 in 6:50 on the edge of Threshold Zone with 142 HR and 4th place was 30s up the Loop Path. I just tried to maintain this effort, breathing hard, legs warming up and slowly reeled him in. He made 3 surges when I came within 2 seconds and I thought, “keep it up buddy, trash those kegs, i will find my moment and make my move and break you”. It came at the turn around at 7.5 miles. I heard his breath pickup and it go quiet. I was gone. My legs were aching a bit by mile 10 and I was thinking to maintain into the light head wind, using HR to measure intensity which was holding on 141. I grabbed gatorade at each aid station and now had hundreds around me from the 5K, Quarter Marathon including great decorated people and many Team Hoyt members which reminded me of competing alongside many races with Rick and Dick Hoyt in Boston and the metro area 10 years ago.

Soon I saw a runner that looked like 4th place who was now going quite slow at 8:00-8:11 vs my 7:18. When I passed I made a slight push but tried to maintain. I kept strong with some bridge elevation and into the finish with a 6:42 finish.

3rd overall behind lauren in 1:30 and first male in 1:25, 49yrs old.

We met a WattieInk Elite member Chelsea at the end chatting to her(who happens to be a FB Friend lol.

This was a great great race and I was very pleased. There many families iut wuyh loads of events including a kida dash and SANTA!!! Mark your calendars for next year.

Congratulations to my wife with 5th female overall!!!