Manchester City Half Marathon Report

Wow! What a beautiful day to run up in Manchester. When I woke up, it was raining and I almost turned around and went back to bed, but it cleared up and was a perfect day to run. Here are some pictures from last year, on a cool blustery, but also clear day.
That was a huge race yesterday! Lot's of spectators on the course - I was really impressed with the large numbers of people cheering on. Kudos to Sarah Normand for turning MCM into a big race and lots of fast runners up there this year trying to grab money, especially in the marathon. The Kenyans must have come up from the Bronx in a bus or two and there were just as many watching as running. Also, runners from all over the country had come up to race. I think they were all deceived by the slow times last year. Winning time this year was 2:23!
Okay, so moving on to the race report:
First of all, I give myself credit for going at an all out pace only two weeks after running a marathon! I missed the first mile, but my second mile split was 12:19. I ran with the Kenyan women because I am not fast enough to run in that first pack - those guys just took off and I just don't have that kind of speed. The women were talking to each other - I don't know what they were saying, because they were speaking swahili. That course goes right to the hills and boy is that course hard! My legs began to tighten-up and at about half way they were tight and I was done. The second half of that race did not come easy. I was working VERY hard just to run at the pace I was going at, which was decreasing with every mile.
Anyway, I ended up 16th overall and just missed the master's money, but ended up 1st AG with the no double-dipping rule. It's a little embarassing, but I would have beat myself going through the first half last year - a testament to how well I ran last year at the marathon. My legs are surprisingly beat today - that is proof of how hard that course is.
Anyway, kudos to BAA team-mates Jacquelyn Cilley 1:34 who ran well after being under the weather this week and Pat Moulton who stayed with the lead pack up until 18 after just winning Hartford marathon (for the 2nd time in a row) in 2:25 a few weeks earlier - also brother Casey 6th 2:36.

I am already thinking and talking about running the Manchester Marathon in 2010! - now that is called addiction.

I leave for 70.3 World Championships one week from tomorrow! My last week of training in 2009.

Cheers!

-Kyle