Jon and I. Photo by FinisherPix The Bull City Race Fest Half Marathon on October 21, 2018 was my chance of a redo of the Salem Lake 30K workout in which I failed to execute the plan for the race/workout. I was supposed to run the first half at marathon pace and do a progression the second half. I got caught up in racing and bad GPS signal on the lake trail and went out too fast only to slow down the second half in the heat and humidity. This time I was determined to stick to the race plan.
I haven't done the Bull Race Fest before but I heard good things about the race and course in Durham. They offer a 5 miles and half marathon as loop courses which highlights the American Tobacco campus, downtown Durham, the Trinity Park neighborhood, the famous 9th street shopping and dining district, Duke University's East and West campuses, the Duke Forest neighborhood, and Forest Hills before finishing back at the Tobacco Campus.
Kristin and I arrived at the race around 6:30am and got parked in the deck right near the start/finish. After my dynamic warmup I headed off for an easy 3 miles warm-up at an average 8:28 min/mile pace. The race started at 7:30am. At the starting line with many friends and Bull City Track Club teammates I found Jon Ziefle. Jon said his goal was to run 6:30 min/mile pace which is exactly what I need to run the first 10K in before starting the progression. I knew having Jon to run with would keep me from going out too fast. The race started and Jon I settled nicely into running 6:30 while chatting. The weather was great at 43 degrees and I felt nice and comfortable on the rolling hills course. Jon and I hit the first 10K right at a 6:30 average pace.
I haven't done the Bull Race Fest before but I heard good things about the race and course in Durham. They offer a 5 miles and half marathon as loop courses which highlights the American Tobacco campus, downtown Durham, the Trinity Park neighborhood, the famous 9th street shopping and dining district, Duke University's East and West campuses, the Duke Forest neighborhood, and Forest Hills before finishing back at the Tobacco Campus.
Kristin and I arrived at the race around 6:30am and got parked in the deck right near the start/finish. After my dynamic warmup I headed off for an easy 3 miles warm-up at an average 8:28 min/mile pace. The race started at 7:30am. At the starting line with many friends and Bull City Track Club teammates I found Jon Ziefle. Jon said his goal was to run 6:30 min/mile pace which is exactly what I need to run the first 10K in before starting the progression. I knew having Jon to run with would keep me from going out too fast. The race started and Jon I settled nicely into running 6:30 while chatting. The weather was great at 43 degrees and I felt nice and comfortable on the rolling hills course. Jon and I hit the first 10K right at a 6:30 average pace.
Photo by FinisherPix With the first goal of the workout accomplished I now set off on the progression. The goal was a perfect progression with each mile faster than the previous. I knew it would be a challenge with the second half of the course being hillier than the first. I ran miles seven and eight in 6:24 and 6:25. I was catching people which was feeding me momentum but that also made it hard to hold back and not just let it rip. Miles nine and ten clicked by in 6:16 and 6:10. Those were a little too fast but I was still having a great progression. I backed off on mile eleven but it was also one of the hillier miles and the wind was getting strong in sections too. I slowed too much and ran a 6:23 for my eleventh mile. The perfect progression was blown but I could still have an overall progression on the second half. Back to work I went on the final 2.1 miles.
I finished those last two miles and change at 6:06 min/mile pace. My time for the half marathon was 1:23:39. I placed 13th place overall out of 1372 and won my age group. Jon was able to pick the pace up too on the second half and finished the next spot behind me in 1:24:25. It was a great tuneup for him before he did the Philadelphia Marathon. It wasn't a perfect progression but it was a faster second half on a tough rolling hills course with wind. I'll take it as a win for workout; much better performance than the Salem Lake 30K. It's tough doing a workout in a race environment. On one hand it takes the pressure off of racing and going for a PR but on the other it’s hard to hold back and not show your fitness. It’s great to practice the race environment though and execute the workout plan with the focus on the bigger picture of the Richmond Marathon. Bull City Race Fest is a great event. It is well organized and I enjoyed the half marathon course.
I finished those last two miles and change at 6:06 min/mile pace. My time for the half marathon was 1:23:39. I placed 13th place overall out of 1372 and won my age group. Jon was able to pick the pace up too on the second half and finished the next spot behind me in 1:24:25. It was a great tuneup for him before he did the Philadelphia Marathon. It wasn't a perfect progression but it was a faster second half on a tough rolling hills course with wind. I'll take it as a win for workout; much better performance than the Salem Lake 30K. It's tough doing a workout in a race environment. On one hand it takes the pressure off of racing and going for a PR but on the other it’s hard to hold back and not show your fitness. It’s great to practice the race environment though and execute the workout plan with the focus on the bigger picture of the Richmond Marathon. Bull City Race Fest is a great event. It is well organized and I enjoyed the half marathon course.
Photo by FinisherPix Race Gear
Socks: Smartwool Run Light Elite low cut
Shoes: Reebok Floatride Run Fast
Shorts: 2XU MCS Run Compression Shorts
Singlet: Bull City Track Club
Arm Sleeves: Asics royal blue
Gloves: Smartwool liner gloves
Road ID Wrist ID Stretch
Watch: Garmin 920XT
Sunglasses: Rudy Project Tralyx
Hat: Zap Fitness tech hat
Socks: Smartwool Run Light Elite low cut
Shoes: Reebok Floatride Run Fast
Shorts: 2XU MCS Run Compression Shorts
Singlet: Bull City Track Club
Arm Sleeves: Asics royal blue
Gloves: Smartwool liner gloves
Road ID Wrist ID Stretch
Watch: Garmin 920XT
Sunglasses: Rudy Project Tralyx
Hat: Zap Fitness tech hat
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