Thrive San Diego Half Marathon Race Report
Posted on Nov 16, 2022 under Race | No CommentDisclaimer: I received an entry to the Thrive San Diego Half Marathon to review as part of being a BibRave Ambassador. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Ambassador, and check out BibRave.com to review, find and write race reviews!
The last time I ran a half marathon was over 6 years ago at the Rock ‘n’ Roll Nashville half marathon. My expected and actual finish time surprisingly matched at 1:40. With all of life’s challenges and the level of effort to run consistently, I’m quite proud of my results for this race. Official results: 1:45:03 (8:01 min/mile), Age Group: 9/66, Overall 110/923. Read on for details on training, race day, and post-race thoughts.
Training for the Thrive Half Marathon
I knew I was going to participate in this race back in June. It was not long after running the Hot Chocolate Run that I decided last minute to run the 15K instead of the 5K. I ran surprisingly well at the 15K distance and had the opportunity to run this half marathon. So I spent the next few months ramping up, trying to run more consistently, and then as we got closer to the race, going on longer runs than usual (more than 6 miles). Looking back, I see that I could not run as many miles in August or September, but did ramp up in October. The longest distance I ran was about 10 miles. I was hoping to go for 12 or 13, but that never happened. Either way, I am still glad I was able to get as many miles as I did in preparation for this race.
Race Day
In other races in the past, I would wake up at 4 or 5 am while it was still dark outside and wonder to myself, “why am I putting myself through this?!” But since there was very little pressure for this race, I was able to get up with minimal stress. I had already packed my race gear and snacks the previous day. I remember when I ran my fastest half marathon (in 2010!), I ate half a granola bar so I still try to follow that same strategy. The start of the race was at 7:15 am, but access to the nearby parking lot closed at 6:15 am, so I made sure to get there by then. That way, I had more than enough time to drive there, beat any traffic, and get a spot in the nearby parking lot. And by getting there early, I was able to stay in the warmth of the inside of my car just a little bit longer!
Once I got out of the car, there was a lot going on: people huddling together to stay warm, some people warming up near the start line and of course, the finish line festivities! There was an announcer giving instructions about the start times, and they hosted a dance party as a way for runners to get loose and have fun. There were also several vendor booths and an inflatable bouncer for the kids.
Race Strategy
Prior to the race, I wanted to choose a goal finish time, that way I would be able to run with one of the official pacers during the race. I started at 2:00 but the pace seemed so slow and I really did not want to run a 2-hour half marathon! But I had to be realistic, most of my training runs were at 9-9:30 min/mi pace and I would be running 13.1 miles, the most I’ve ever run in 6 years! I eventually decided to go with the 1:55 goal time, but to my surprise could not find that particular pacer the morning of the race. So I had to make a last-second decision, go with the 2:00 pace group and try to pick it up on my own if it’s too slow, or try to run with the 1:50 pace group and hopefully hang on at the pace the whole way. I took the chance and went with the 1:50 pacer. The cold weather kept me distracted for a few miles and since it wasn’t hot, I did not need to hydrate until later. So the pacer was pretty spot on the first few miles, but starting around mile 5, we fell a little behind running 8:30 pace instead of 8:20. So it was around mile 6 where I decided to just pick up the pace and go on my own.
Splitting away from the pace group felt risky but I knew if I wanted to see if I had more in me, I had to pick up the pace and just go for it. I used a strategy that seemed to work in the past, where I would run with the runner near me but if there was another runner up ahead, I would work to surge and catch up to that runner and run with them for a while. I got water or Gatorade at almost every available station but just had a small sip. I held off on taking my energy gel until around mile 9 just in case I hit a wall. For every mile until the end, I just kept reminding myself how many miles I had left. At mile 12, I told myself, this is the last one just give it all you have! I went from averaging 8:20 for most of the race to finishing the last mile around 7:00, I was super happy with the positive splits. Here are all the splits: I even had the energy to sprint to the finish line. It was exhausting, but I was very happy with my performance.
I wrapped up the morning by chugging a full bottle of water, had some snacks, and then took advantage of the free stretching session at the finish area. Even better, I got to take a 3-hour nap when I got home, which is very rare for me. I don’t know when I will run another half marathon but it’s great knowing I can still do it after all these years! Learn more and register for next year’s Thrive Half Marathon.
Check out this cool highlight video from the race:
