
The Crystal Coast Half Marathon is my favorite race in my home county. I've ran the race every year and finished second, fourth, second, fourth, and first in the previous five years. The course makes a 3 mile loop around the Morehead City waterfront before heading over the bridge and down Fort Macon Road and back. This race has had bad luck with weather and this year was no exception. The forecast predicted heavy rain, 25 mph winds, and severe thunderstorms. The forecast still wasn't as bad as the inaugural race in 2008. A quote from the Carteret News-Times about the 2008 race, "Saturday morning in Morehead City was hardly the best of conditions to walk outside and get the morning paper, much less run a half marathon. With near hurricane-force wind gusts, a steady, and at times torrential, downpour of rain and the threat of thunder off in the distance, Saturday morning was rough weatherwise". The headwind going over the bridge in 2008 was unreal and it was so strong a your back coming back across the Atlantic Beach high rise bridge that it felt like it was going to throw you off the top of the bridge.
I felt good going into the race this year on February 23rd. I wasn't training for Boston like the previous two years so I was a little fresher for the race this year. My goal was to repeat as winner and break 1:20. I've ran seven half marathons and four of those were under 1:21 but not under 1:20. I even ran 1:20:16 at this half in 2010 and followed it up with a 1:20:17, just one second slower, in 2011.
I felt good going into the race this year on February 23rd. I wasn't training for Boston like the previous two years so I was a little fresher for the race this year. My goal was to repeat as winner and break 1:20. I've ran seven half marathons and four of those were under 1:21 but not under 1:20. I even ran 1:20:16 at this half in 2010 and followed it up with a 1:20:17, just one second slower, in 2011.

I arrived at the Morehead City waterfront around 7:00 AM. The temperature was 60 degrees with a steady rain falling. The wind wasn't bad actually. The thunderstorms were off the coast so the weather wasn't as bad as predicted. I ate a powerbar and sat in the car with my dad, in order to stay dry until it was time to start my warm-up. After doing my dynamic stretching routine I did a warm-up easy 1.5 miles on the watefront. After that I drink a G Series Prime and met up with Melanie. We made our way to the starting line and awaited the start. I lined up on the front row with the 2011 winner and course record holder, Thomas Kunish. Thomas ran 1:13:32 in 2011 but said he had been battling achillies injuries and wasn't sure how he would do today.
The race started at 8:04 AM and I was out fast. I kept my sunglasses and rainproof North Face hat on. I run in sunglasses in the rain because I wear contacts and I've had contacts almost come out on runs in the rain before. Thomas and another guy started pulling away from me after the first quarter mile. For a guy that was battling achillies injuries, Thomas started out fast. I thought my Timex Run Trainer pace was off because it had me at sub 6:00 min/mile pace and it didn't feel like I was running that fast. I ran the first mile in 6:03 and felt good.
The race started at 8:04 AM and I was out fast. I kept my sunglasses and rainproof North Face hat on. I run in sunglasses in the rain because I wear contacts and I've had contacts almost come out on runs in the rain before. Thomas and another guy started pulling away from me after the first quarter mile. For a guy that was battling achillies injuries, Thomas started out fast. I thought my Timex Run Trainer pace was off because it had me at sub 6:00 min/mile pace and it didn't feel like I was running that fast. I ran the first mile in 6:03 and felt good.

The wind wasn't bad on the waterfront because it protected by houses on both sides. The rain was staying steady and got heavier at times. As we ran through the start/finish area at three miles I tossed my hat to my dad. He told me the leaders were about one minute and thirty seconds ahead of me. I knew I had to stay focused and hope they would come back to me. My overall average pace was staying just over 6:00 min/mile as I started up the bridge at 4.6 miles. The bridge is a little over 400m straight up before it levels off and drops. It is 0.75 miles one way across the bridge or 1.5 miles over and back on the bridge. I love running the Atlantic Beach bridge. I could barely see the leaders and the lead police car with it's flashing light ahead of me because the rain was so heavy.
I came off the bridge and was now in Atlantic Beach. I still felt good and picked up my pace on the flat roads. I ran mile six in 5:53. Water was standing on Fort Macon Road and it was hard to avoid all the puddles so I just ran through them. The leaders were staying a consistent distance ahead of me. I decided to take a gel at 7.5 miles. I've never taken a gel in a half before but decided might as well try it today. The chocolate raspberry GU Roctane is delicious and I hoped the caffeine would give me a kick. I chased it with some water at the next aid station just before the turn around on Fort Macon Road.
I came off the bridge and was now in Atlantic Beach. I still felt good and picked up my pace on the flat roads. I ran mile six in 5:53. Water was standing on Fort Macon Road and it was hard to avoid all the puddles so I just ran through them. The leaders were staying a consistent distance ahead of me. I decided to take a gel at 7.5 miles. I've never taken a gel in a half before but decided might as well try it today. The chocolate raspberry GU Roctane is delicious and I hoped the caffeine would give me a kick. I chased it with some water at the next aid station just before the turn around on Fort Macon Road.

The headwind started getting strong after rounding the turn around. I knew I had no one one to worry about catching me because it was minutes before I saw fourth place. The leaders were still running side by side more than a minute ahead of me. I started looking for Melanie. I saw her and she was the second place female. I encouraged her and she encouraged me as we passed each other going opposite directions.
The headwind was getting stronger but I passed through 10 miles in 1:00:31. I made the right turn off of Fort Macon road and headed back towards the Atlantic Beach high rise bridge. This was when the wind was at its toughest. I tried picking the pace up but the wind was unrelenting. As I neared the top of the bridge I could see Thomas walking. As I passed him I said "I hope you're ok" and he said he was. I felt bad for him, he had over 2 miles to get back to the finish and his achillies had to be bothering him if he was walking. It took way too much effort to run mile 11 in under 7 minutes but I was now in second place.
I knew I wasn't going to catch the leader unless he greatly slowed down so I focused on chasing the clock and a PR. I came off the bridge and made the right turn onto Arendell Street at 11.5 miles. I ran mile 12 in 5:31, my fastest of the race. With 1.1 miles to go I had a shot at a PR but unfortunately I didn't have another gear in me. I finished in second place overall in 1:20:20, just four seconds slower than my PR. So close to a PR even in the wind and rain. I seem to run well in bad weather conditions. I just don't let the weather ruin my focus and I attack it.
The headwind was getting stronger but I passed through 10 miles in 1:00:31. I made the right turn off of Fort Macon road and headed back towards the Atlantic Beach high rise bridge. This was when the wind was at its toughest. I tried picking the pace up but the wind was unrelenting. As I neared the top of the bridge I could see Thomas walking. As I passed him I said "I hope you're ok" and he said he was. I felt bad for him, he had over 2 miles to get back to the finish and his achillies had to be bothering him if he was walking. It took way too much effort to run mile 11 in under 7 minutes but I was now in second place.
I knew I wasn't going to catch the leader unless he greatly slowed down so I focused on chasing the clock and a PR. I came off the bridge and made the right turn onto Arendell Street at 11.5 miles. I ran mile 12 in 5:31, my fastest of the race. With 1.1 miles to go I had a shot at a PR but unfortunately I didn't have another gear in me. I finished in second place overall in 1:20:20, just four seconds slower than my PR. So close to a PR even in the wind and rain. I seem to run well in bad weather conditions. I just don't let the weather ruin my focus and I attack it.

The winner was Quinn Woodruff in 1:17:51. He ran a great race. Quinn is training for the 117th Boston Marathon on April 15, 2013. I am not running Boston this year. I re-qualified in the brutal heat last year but chose to skip it this year. I'll be back to Boston though in the future. Melanie was the 2nd female to finish in 1:34:52, 20 minutes faster than she ran the race last year. I got Melanie, a UNC fan, to take a picture with me after race and she actually made body contact with a legitimate Duke shirt. Go DUKE!
I was disappointed in my time but I still ran a good race and I felt strong. I wish we didn't have to battle the strong headwind from 8-11.5 miles. I want a sub 1:20. I will keep doing this half because it is a great race. They race directors, volunteers, staff, and timing company do a wonderful job with this race. Everyone is very nice and I highly recommend doing this race. Numbers were down from last year but that was due to the weather. Mother Nature just doesn't like the last Saturday in February for some reason.
I was disappointed in my time but I still ran a good race and I felt strong. I wish we didn't have to battle the strong headwind from 8-11.5 miles. I want a sub 1:20. I will keep doing this half because it is a great race. They race directors, volunteers, staff, and timing company do a wonderful job with this race. Everyone is very nice and I highly recommend doing this race. Numbers were down from last year but that was due to the weather. Mother Nature just doesn't like the last Saturday in February for some reason.