Race Report: The Marine Corps Historic Half, aka holy HILLS.

On Sunday, May 20th, 2012, coinciding with my one-year anniversary of graduating college, I ran the Marine Corps Historic Half Marathon in Fredericksburg, VA. My official chip time: 2:06:21.

Now the race report. 

Training
I started my training plan officially on March 10th, 2012. After only recently discovering that I actually liked running, my goals for time seemed lofty at that point. When I registered, I was only running casually with coworkers, putting in an average of 8-10 miles per week. To amp up the intensity, I used Hal Higdon's Intermediate (found here: http://www.halhigdon.com/training/51132/Half-Marathon-Intermediate-Training-Program), and dove into it a few weeks in. I have no training regrets, having accomplished both distance and time goals without any injuries (thank goodness). It's incredible that 6 months ago, I couldn't even run for 10 minutes straight.

Race Day The plan was to hold off the sauce for a week prior, get a good nights sleep the night before, and wake up early for a warmup the day of. Sadly, none of those goals were accomplished. After battling the most gruesome hangover all day Saturday, Sunday I groggily awake with just enough time to stuff down a bagel w/ olive oil and half a banana. I also consume several cups of coffee to get the digestive system started, and thankfully, the poop gods were kind.

After an hour's drive, we arrive in Fredericksburg and are psyched to begin. 

THE RACE
My initial goal, set in March, was to break 2:10:00. As my training went on in April, I felt unsure of making this goal. At the starting line, I settled in about halfway between the 2:00:00 and 2:30:00 corral.
At the starting gunshot, I immediately feel like I'm moving too slow. Screw it, I said, I'm going to enjoy the first mile or two and run like the wind. Here were my splits according to Endomondo, not factoring in a bit of walking before the start line:

         Time   Split
Mile 1 0:09:53 0:09:53
Mile 2 0:09:05 0:18:58
Mile 3 0:09:12 0:28:10
Mile 4 0:09:11 0:37:21
Mile 5 0:09:00 0:46:21
Mile 6 0:09:05 0:55:26
Mile 7 0:09:43 1:05:09
Mile 8 0:09:14 1:14:23
Mile 9 0:09:29 1:23:52
Mile 10 0:09:56 1:33:48
Mile 11 0:10:08 1:43:56
Mile 12 0:09:53 1:53:49
Mile 13 0:09:51 2:03:40


And a lovely chart of the course (because I love charts):

Miles 1-4.5 were HILLY AS HELL, with several consecutive rolling hills. Supporters were dense, with even a tequila and jello shots stand around mile 4 (the leftover hangover deterred me - probably for the best). Despite the inclines, I flew by the first few miles off of pure energy, passing most mid-corral runners in the first mile.

Mile 5-6 were my quickest, and the best in terms of terrain/energy/water stops. At this point we were downtown Fredericksburg, running through the town with people cheering on. I must have had plenty of adrenaline, because I was not tired AT ALL. Ended up PRing the first 10k (ill-advised, I know), so I tried to slow slightly. 

Around mile 7, a significant number of runners of my corral dropped back and started walking. This gives me energy, since I felt like a beast for passing noobs, and I zipped through the next 2.

Mile 10 comes around and I'm starting to feel it. At this point, jelly beans have been acquired and I've munched on a few. Holy crap this hill is massive. Hospital Hill at mile 10.5 is a long, winding incline that I can only describe as running consistently uphill for over a mile. I was able to push through on a very form-focused job, but my time and energy suffered. I noticed several faster runners walking the hill and falling back.

Mile 11 - I'm basically high on endorphins, charging this hill. I confuse myself and miscount miles. Damnit, I'm not actually at mile 12 yet.

Mile 12 - FINALLY I'M AT MILE 12 AND THIS ROUTE IS STILL UPHILL?!?!

Mile 13 - I hear it announced on Endomondo at least a half mile before I actually reach it (must have started it off on the GPS or something), but IDGAF. The hill finally recedes and allows for a flat stretch for the last bit. It was phenomenal! Pace had me tagged around 8:10 as I sprinted my way through the last quarter mile. 

Overall it went wonderfully. For my first half marathon, I am completely satisfied with both a distance and time PR. After seeing the results of some pretty dedicated training, I'm looking forward to my next (Woodrow Wilson Half in October), and hopefully getting closer to breaking 2:00:00.

Congratulations to everybody who participated, and thank you to the Marines for your service. 

Davis, myself, and Nolan after crossing the finish! Achievements unlocked and feeling great.

Photo-Blog

 This is the view on top of Temple IV in Tikal. The central square can be seen, with temples I and II. This scene was also used in Episode 4 of Star Wars. 

The Mayan temples were a magnificent sight to see and climb. The site had only been discovered in the 90s, and many temples remain buried. Many of the steps, as the ones below, are in an unrestored condition and unsafe to climb.

And this, of course, is the scene from the movie (which I will be watching as soon as I get home).

Here in Lanquin will be our last stop before we head home. This small mountain town is full of local energy and beautiful mountains. The main attractions are caves and brightly colored pools. Tomorrow we will be doing some caving and some diving in the pools. Then, we´re off to Guate and finally back home.

Travel Fever

In the fifth week of my travels, i have begun feeling the inexplicable
emotion of an unfounded connection between myself and the countries
that I am in, and the people who I have met. An article I recently
read puts it succinctly: traveling is a drug, a fever, and an
addiction that consumes ones real life. Read the article at
http://www.travelettes.net/lonely-planet-destroyed-my-life/ .

As the prospect of returning to the states and beginning my new career
draws nearer, the anxiety and the fear of settling grows stronger. At
a young age of 21, who am I to commit myself to a lifetime of work and
goal-oriented aspirations? As a person who is goal oriented and
ambitions, it's weird to hear myself say that I'm dreading it. That at
this moment in time I would much rather move to Nicaragua or join the
peace corps or work for the foreign service. As the German traveler
writes, lonely planet destroyed his life. By creating an addiction, a
compulsion to see and experience everything. A compulsion to learn,
but learn uniquely, of things so foreign in the homeland. Concepts of
language, culture, religion, and poverty that are so far buried in the
daily life of an average american. Despite the 5 weeks I will be
spending here, I feel I could have spent a year and still feel
unsatisfied, like I haven't learned enough, like I haven't seen
everything.

The biggest realization that I have come to, and I'm sure most other
independent or frequent travelers would agree, is that it takes very
little to make a vacation truly count. In terms of planning, plane
tickets, money and hotel bookings, I could arm mysel with a lonely
planet book and a debit card and see myself around the entire earth
without any trouble. Once this conclusion had hit me, I immediately
started wondering, why should I ever stay home then? Why not take
every moment I have, every penny of my worth and spend it experiencing
more in one day abroad than I could in a month at home?

Shake me before I go crazy. I surely hope i don't become that dirty
hippy that quits their job and spends their life washing dishes for a
few pesos or yen or kronas to make it to the next place. But I won't
be the last to admit how appealing it sounds, and how dangerously easy
it is to start.

Now I must write about our most recent sightseeing, and no doubt one
of the most incredible places I have ever been to. Yesterday we
visited the ruins of Tikal, a partially uncovered limestone city
belonging to the ancient Mayan kingdom. The earliest construction of
Tikal is known as 750BC, nearly three thousand years ago. Today many
temples remain uncovered, overgrown with jungle plants and canopy, but
the temples can be seen bulging out from the earth in the traditional
4-sided pyramid shape.

By now we have made it to the small mountain town of Lanquin, and will
be staying here until returning to Guatemala City to fly home. Photos
of Tikal to come!

Enter: Guatemala

As of a few days ago, we have traveled persistently through two
countries to arrive here, in Guatemala.

The trip started and ended with a bus, like always; first a chicken
bus to the dodgy city of Managua, then an 18-hour coach ride and a
night in Guatemala City before finally another chicken bus to Antigua.
We spent two days in Antigua before another long bus trip to where we
are now. The Isla de Flores, in the Peten region of Guatemala.

To put the country in perspective, it ranks third in the line of
places we have visited in terms of poverty, with the fourth most
impoverished being Nicaragua, the second poorest nation in the
Americas. Yet from our passing through Guatemala City and the
well-maintained colonial town of Antigua, the difference in poverty is
both apparent and striking compared to the tumultuous conditions in
Nicaragua. The tourism industry booms here, with a slight immersion
into indigenous Mayan culture. The markets here, of which there are
several in every town, seem to flourish with tourism money. Unlike in
Nicaragua, the goods here seem to focus only on our foreign pockets.

Either way, it is impossible to ignore the obvious beauty in this
country's history and culture. Indigenous tribes remain true to their
customs, language, and dress. Weaving clothing, hammocks, and other
textiles, tribal women attract attention with their uniquely bright
garments. They often sell their handiwork in artisan markets, and try
to charge the tourists a fortune. Thank goodness for successful
haggling.

Tomorrow supposedly the culmination of all sights in Central America
leads to this one: the Mayan ruins of Tikal. Nestled deep in the
jungle, this well-preserved limestone city has buildings that date
back to 3000BC. In order to get there, we are taking a 90 minute
shuttle leaving at 4:30 in the morning.

With just a few days of sightseeing left before heading home to the
states, I've gain appreciation for so many crucial things. One is a
good book. Another is a mosquito-free environment. Lastly, there's hot
water. I already know what I'm going to do the moments following my
arrival back home: drink a hefeweizen, take a 20 minute hot water
shower, and cuddle with my cat.

Volcano-boarding in Leon

Spending way more time in Nicaragua than we had planned, we decided to
make an impromptu trip to Leon, in the North-pacific coast. The
colonial city of Leon had much to offer but we focused on the unique
attraction: the active volcano, Cerro Negro. This unique type of
volcano is only one of a few in the world. It remains extremely
active, with two active craters, and is made up of fine volcanic rock,
or black sand. It is also one of the few places in the world where one
can board down on a waxed board at over 50mph. The hike was a bit over
an hours climb over volcanic rock and ash, and arrival at the top
revealed two billowing craters spewing sulfur and minerals. The
descent was very steep, and we slid down sitting on waxed wooden
boards.

The included photo shows part of our hike. The landscape is incredible
as it shows the history of the volcanic eruptions in the past, as lava
has hardened over and blackened on the bottom of the volcano.

The Masaya Region

After departing from San Juan del Sur, we made for a few small towns
out of the way. The Masaya region is rich with Nica culture,
practicing artisans, and natural beauty. We spent two days
experiencing the areas around Laguna de Apoyo, which is an extinct
volcano crater filled with fresh water. The lake is a few hundred
meters above sea level and filled with crystal clear, blue water.
Having the chance to swim and kayak through the lagoon was a
refreshing experience, and I got to practice my Spanish with some
like-minded Nicas at the lake lodge.

San Juan del Sur - Surfer's Paradise

If youre ever in the mood for cheap surf lessons and killer waves,
this is the place to be. This gringo-run beach town on the
South-Pacific coast of Nicaragua is full of sandy beaches and coastal
bars, not unlike the previously-visited Bocas del Toro. We only spent
one night in this paradise, however. While the beach is nice, I didn't
intend on doing much more in this town than dunk myself in the Pacific
for the first time. I was quite eager to visit the less touristy
places in Nicaragua, where we've spent our last nearly two weeks.