Surf City Half Marathon, February 6, 2022
Thankful and ecstatic that I caught a 1:18:56 chip time at the Surf City Half Marathon yesterday, a new PR by 5:20 and my first time going under 1:20 at the distance, which also gave me 3rd place in my division and 21st place overall.
I swung for beating 1:20, which I knew was a bit of a long shot, but those tend to be the most fun to do in my experience.
Taking my speed workouts to the track and having David Schwartz and Riyo Furukawa pace me on a 4 x 2 mile workout really showed themselves to be essential parts of my training, as did sleeping a lot and following my coach’s plan to the letter.
I followed my usual meal plan before race day of getting in protein on top of protein and then more protein two days before race day, then keeping the calories light and avoiding meat the day before to go in as lean but strong as possible.
The morning of Sunday February 6th saw cold-ish conditions in Huntington Beach, which kept my body temperature in an ideal place, as well as a lack of wind that I dreaded and was fully present when I did this same race in 2020.
Instead, the beach brought a pleasant breeze, and wearing layers on the way in helped keep me calm at the beginning, as does trying to stay loose and smooth from the gun.
In years past I’ve laughed to myself when I see people make tactical moves or pour on extra effort to fix themselves in the position they want within the first one or two miles. This has struck me as an unwise expenditure before, and a great way to blow up when more energy is needed further down the line.
But this time, as with a lot of the other races I’ve jumped in since Dino Dash 10k back in October 2021, I took it upon myself to do just that. I power into a place that feels just above expectations, fix myself where I want to be, and do everything I can to hold on.
It worked out well at the 10k distance, kept working at every other race I’ve done since then, and definitely gave me what I wanted on Sunday.
I started strong, latched onto leads I knew would put me in an even better position, and ate people whenever I could.
The half marathon course at Surf City is fairly flat, but I wouldn’t call any profile easy when hills are in play, even more so when I’m shooting for my best. Catching a few bumps and slight incline kept the home stretch competitive, as did getting pushed and pulled through much of the race by my friend Mark Steyvers from Cal Coast Track Club, which was definitely a high point of the day of rme.
Extra huge thanks goes to Christian Cushing-Murray, another monster in the Cal Coast family, for pacing and talking me up to the last mile or so.
Towards the end of the race, when I suspect most runners need these types of words most, Cush told me that this is the point where it is very easy to convince yourself that you’re hurting.
He said that this was what everyone was doing where we were, situated among the top 25 or so runners, with the finish line a 5k away.
But, Cush said, true strength resides in convincing yourself that you’re all right in these moments, that your training and resilience have given you much more to burn through the end.
Gifting me with this mindset was its own source of energy, and when I saw I was on the way to beating 1:19, let alone 1:20, I poured everything I had into getting under my primary goal.
I exploded through the finish line, and I’m beyond grateful to have caught another result that shows my running game continue to grow on all fronts.
It’s a pure joy and privilege to keep getting better at this sport that has and continues to give me more than I can say in return.
Heaps of appreciation and high-5s to Coach Kris and everyone at Chaski, HOKA and the staff, volunteers, and my fellow runners at Surf City Marathon, as well as everyone from Cal Coast Track Club for bringing excellent vibes, competition, and pacing to the table. Many more thanks to all of my friends for showing up to cheer me on and celebrate afterwards, especially but not limited to Ray, Jason, Stacey, Sarah, Nikki, Laz, Patrick, and a welcome surprise guest appearance by Alex.
Next up: the San Luis Obispo Spartan Beast 21k. I haven’t done an obstacle-course race since a 10-mile Tough Mudder in Big Bear in 2012, and I can’t wait to stretch my abilities in a very different way soon.
I hope everyone is finding new successes, challenges, and joy in their own ways, stay safe and happy trails, everybody!
