10/21/18 Hershey Half Marathon 0730 starting gun
Starting temperature: 42 Wind Chill: 34 Winds: 18
Ending temperature: 44 Wind Chill: 35 Winds: 22 w/gusts to 36
Packet Pickup:
Organized by bib number. I got mine Saturday, about an hour after they opened. Walked in, walked up, and walked out. Far easier than 2017, when we arrived prior to pickup opening. The expo, which has always been small, seemed smaller this year. It also seemed like the merchants had less merchandise for sale. The Hershey Half Marathon commemorative booth was disappointing.
Race Day Arrival:
We arrived around 0625, and made sure not to repeat our 2015 mistake, when we parked near the tram spike in the parking lot. This pointed us in the wrong direction for attempting to exit. We also got blocked in by folks parking anywhere they wanted. Not this year: row before the last one on the other end of the same lot, pointed towards a feeder exit artery.
Stadium restrooms were heated, and many were taking shelter from the wind and cold in there. After I entered the runners only area around 0715, I noticed that the porta-potties all had huge lines that stretched the width of the area. My work complete, I tracked along the far western edge, and was able to get a lot closer to the starting line than I did in 2015.
The Start:
I’d been advised by DopeyBadger to find anybody I could to use as a wind block. I saw several wearing loose bags and jackets. Those same items became like parachutes behind them during the race. I was in tights, a quarter-zip, a vest, and winter running cap. The cap was chosen instead of a baseball style running hat, so I wouldn’t have to worry about a gust pulling it off my head.
I was reminded immediately after the start that it had rained hard in the hours right before the race, as I had to quickly dodge a puddle (missed it). Down the side of Hersheypark Stadium, and already into the wind, which was blowing mostly from the north, I’d say. I’d planned on more of a westerly wind, and this meant I’d be fighting headwinds even more than planned. I also had throwaway gloves and a throwaway scarf. Nutrition was a bottle of Tailwind Lemon 300mL.
Race:
The first 2 miles consist of running to the Giant Center, where the AHL’s Hershey Bears play and then on to Hersheypark Drive. The wind really picked up as we ran through the tunnel under the road that feeds into Hersheypark.
I was surprised at how quickly the field spread out. I tried to keep in the middle of the group, so others could block the wind. DW saw me during mile 1, but I missed here on the left side of the course. I skipped the first water stop around mile 2 and decided to save my bottle for later in the race, when the stops were 2.5-3 miles apart.
The beginning of mile 4 put us in Hersheypark. The topography of the park does not do well with the knees of DW, but I seemed fine yesterday. The surfaces seemed extra wet in spots and slippery. Buildings and elevation changes brought a welcome wind shield. Mile marker 4 brought us out of the park, and into a series of turns and hills. I got lucky here, as the hat choice bit me: with no bill and now headed into the sun, I couldn’t see right ahead of me very well. I JUST missed as pothole that would not have been good for anybody’s ankle.
I knew this section from the 2015 race, which DW and I did as a relay team. At the relay exchange point I checked my Garmin, which showed about 0.2 miles shorter distance than 2015. I gave myself a pep talk for (clearly) doing a better job hitting tangents when my primary goal was to always have someone shielding me from the wind. “It’s all new now” I mumbled as I passed the relay point, which brought fresh energetic legs to the pack. DW was right: 422 went uphill not too long after the relay point. I remember a bakery handing out surprise snacks at this point. (there was also a surprise Gatorade stop in someone’s driveway shortly before the relay point) When we turned left off 422 into the grass of a golf course, I slowed down. Though flat, there did seem to be some holes and either lost balls underfoot or something uneven. Next up was a golf cart path, which led to some congestion, but manageable.
At this point, the course heads through the various residence homes for the Milton Hershey School. DW was ebullient in her description of the support and joy she felt in this section in 2015. Despite the wind and cold, I’d agree. At each home, students and home parents were out cheering us on. I’d removed my scarf around mile 2 and was still carrying it. I’d decided to give it to someone along the course. On the left side of the course, at the end of a line, I found a young woman with a sign. As she reached out to high-five me (a popular source of energy during the race), I handed the scarf and told her to enjoy it. I could hear her and her friends yelling happily about it as I ran down the next hill with a little more spring in my step.
This section of the course brought (more) wind, elevation changes, and curves. I wondered when we’d ever get back into Hershey. I’d noticed a lot of police along the course, more than 2015. Next thing I knew, I saw an office and SUV from our hometown, an hour away. The Hershey smokestacks were getting bigger and we navigated the left-hand turn onto 422 and what I immediately dubbed “the hill of woe”. The percentage of runners who slowed to a walk at this point felt like 50%. Laying just over the top of the hill: the famed chocolate stop. Yes- they hand out miniature Hershey bars around mile marker 11.5. This sounds like a good idea, but with the cold and gloved hands, I saw a ton of unopened bars on the ground all the way to the finish. And trying to bite down on a cold chocolate bar isn’t always easy; plus, how it all crumbled in the mouth. Next time, I think I’ll hold onto the bar until after the race.
During mile 13, we got to turn head-on into the (now) stronger wind and run across the park’s parking lots. I tried once again to tuck in behind others. Once we made the right turn into the tram spike path, I hugged the inside of the turn and tried to keep up a good pace. I’d been running blind with my Garmin covered for the last 2/3 of the race, only knowing the gun time at the 2-3 clocks on the course in that time. I knew from the last clock that I was close to PR time, once I deducted the delay in me getting to the starting line. But I also knew I couldn’t know for sure until the end. It seemed like the finish was further around the corner inside the stadium than I could remember, but I saw my old PR time tick by as I came to the line. With the differential in mind, I stopped my Garmin, which promptly started to congratulate me on my new half marathon PR.
Epilogue:
My post-race backpack was defective, with the zipper stitched to the fabric. I was able to easily swap it out for a different one. DW found me then and gave me a fleece blanket from the car. The mylar blankets, in that wind, were ineffective. Once at the car, I tried to get out of my sweaty clothes as fast as I could. Cirque du Soleil would’ve been proud of my contortions.
A few times in the last 2-3 miles, I thought about taking a walk break, but I was able to keep my legs chugging along, even if it was much slower. It didn’t feel any worse on my legs than my DopeyBadger training. My knees were sore Sunday afternoon. A little less-so this afternoon.
What I learned:
I learned I can get myself out of bed and get in 3-4 miles before work, and that I can do 4-5 after work and not mess up the family’s evening schedule. I also found I could get in back-to-back weekend runs that totaled > half distance, and that my weekly and monthly mileage could go up without injury.
And- even if I didn’t remember to hit the “like” button on our behalf, I learned a ton from everyone on the DIS running boards. And I thank you all for that.