Dexter-Ann Arbor Run 1/2 Marathon Race Report

6/1/08 Dexter-Ann Arbor Run 1/2 Marathon (13.1 miles)

This was a really fun race. I'd never done a half-marathon before so I was a little nervous but I had trained plenty for it so I wasn't really concerned about not being able to finish, it was just a matter of how long it would take me. With the Steelhead 70.3 race coming up in August I figured that it would be a good idea to have race 13.1 miles before doing it at the end of a Half-Ironman. The morning was perfect, just a touch on the cool side at the start and just a little warm at the finish, the course was beautiful, safe, and very well accomodated. A couple of my friends, Brian Dorsey and Heather Huggins (they are married), ran this race with me which really made it a ton of fun. As usual Heather was off like a bat out of hell as soon as the gun went off at the start and she was not to be seen again until the turn-around 11 miles later. This was a pretty big race with about 2500 competitors so the course was pretty packed, but the road was closed to traffic so we had plenty of space. The best part about this race for me was the fact that Brian and I ran stride for stride the exact same pace for the entire thing, including the sprint to the finish. Brian and I have raced before and train together regularly with the Ann Arbor Track Club and historically neither of us has had any qualms about leaving the other behind in a race if possible, so had either one of us been able to run away from the other I'm sure that it would have happened. But on this day we ran exactly together. Brian had a printed pace chart bracelet to keep us at our goal pace of 7:45/M and we kept to it almost exactly. At the finish I initiated the sprint, hearing a muttered "damn you Dave!" from Brian as I did. We both hit the timing mats at exactly 1:41:25, though the pictures at the finish line show my toe slightly ahead of Brian's. :) I took 29/89 in my age group and Brian took 48/188 in his, we both finished in the top 400 racers overall. It was a great race and I felt great afterward which was a real confidence booster as I prepare for Steelhead.