Twenty-Fifteen's 3rd Half
… is a title that makes a lot more sense when you realize that this post is (a) about running and (b) referring to my third official half-marathon race of the calendar year.
In a (possibly misguided) attempt to run a half marathon every month of 2015, I crossed March off the list yesterday as we travelled South to Red Deer and I ran the Hypothermic Half in that sleepy little city I once called home. My third of 2015. Third. A goal that is both a little goofy and a a little meh.
Yet, here I am: a mere 10 Sundays in this year and I’ve got three halfers under my belt. Nothing to scoff at, I suppose.
The race was hardly deserving of the name. Usually the Hypo is (locally) famed for the extreme cold weather that tends to appear this time of the year. But yesterday was awesome. The temperatures were hovering right around the zero-degree-freezing mark, but for me that meant shorts weather, and I’m glad I opted to avoid longer pants. My legs are not really prone to suffering in the modest cold as much as, say, my hands and head — which were adequately covered.
There were obstacles: some nicely slicked up spots in unexpected places, and one that nearly brought me down, as well as a few massive trail-blocking puddles and some minor off-roading that took us through a snowy patch which actually did bring the girl I was drafting behind just then clumping onto her face in a snowbank.
I conquered the single hill with only a slight moderation to my pace, and despite the scattered presence of water stations (there were only three!) I managed to stay fairly hydrated due to my near-perfect wardrobe selection reducing the sweat-loss factor.
In the end it wasn’t my best time, but it was my best on the year. A modest 2:09… I’d love to break that two hour mark, and I think it is definitely in the cards for this grand year of half running… but perhaps on a race with a little less ice.