Time: 1:59:54
Pace: 9:09/mile
Place: 1578/6697
Men: 1067/2994
30-39: 395/1091
This marks my slowest half marathon ever. I figured I would have a hard time trying to run a personal best considering the lack of quality training, so I decided to take it easy and enjoy the run. I paced myself at around 9 minutes per mile. I brought my camera along to document the run, so I stopped often to snap a picture of the view, mostly the Golden Gate Bridge. I got some great shots but it made for a slow run.
The first half of the marathon traces a similar route as the Nike Women's Marathon. We started at the Embarcadero on Mission and ran along it up to the Presidio. It's a demanding course, lots of hills, and when on the bridge, strong wind gusts. Overall it was a fun run. The worst part was when I finished. I did not pack properly and neglected to pack a sweater. All I had was a thin windbreaker which was not enough to keep off the cold while I waited for Audrey to finish. Audrey finished in three hours, but with the staggered start, I was actually waiting for almost two hours. It gets cold, and I was hungry.
San Francisco is definitely a great place to run. I'm not enthused by the 5:30AM start time, but I suppose it's good that you finish early and can nap the rest of the day. I would consider doing the race again, maybe even the full.
In any event, here are samples of the pictures I snapped during the run. For the rest, check out my Flickr.
4 in the morning. Getting ready for the race.
Embarcadero before the start.
Approaching the Bridge.
View of runners on the Bridge from the vista point on the Marin County side.
Running on the Bridge.
Enjoying the view after the run.
