Race Information
- Name: Orange County (“OC”) Half Marathon
- Date: May 7, 2023
- Distance: 13.1 miles
- Location: Costa Mesa, CA
- Strava Link
- Time: 1:23:45 (6:23/mile | 3:58/km)
Goals
| Goal | Description | Completed? |
|---|---|---|
| A | Sub 1:25 | Yes |
| B | Even or Negative Split | Yes |
| C | Just Finish | Yes |
Summarized “TL;DR” Recap
I completed 10 miles before running the half marathon to prepare for the Fargo Marathon in 2 weeks. It was a tricky course with rolling hills but it was a net downhill. The views were incredible but it was a bit warm. I was very happy with the result and felt ready to race a sub-2:50 goal time in Fargo.
Training
This is a continuous build since the Paris marathon. There were 5 weeks between Paris and the OC half marathon. I took a couple of “down” weeks but kept the volume at 40 miles minimum (a road trip for the 2nd week forced another down week, but mostly my fault for poor planning – I will always take accountability for this). Other than that, the training progressed as I focus on the Fargo Marathon as my “A” or goal race. I will continue the week numbering system from the last blog and start with week 6. Below are the weekly total mileage and key workouts:
- Week 6 (40 Miles)
- Saturday: 14 Mile long run w/2 miles @ HMP (6:11, 6:13), 1 Mile @ MP (6:40), 2 Miles @ Lactate Threshold (5:57, 5:55)
- Week 7 (41 Miles)
- Wednesday: 5 x 1 Mile (6:23, 6:15, 5:56, 5:48, 5:39) w/2 min rest between reps
- Week 8 (60 Miles)
- Tuesday: 4×400 (1:26, 1:22, 1:26, 1:23), 4×800 (3:02, 2:58, 3:00, 2:59), 4×400 (1:19, 1:15, 1:18, 1:18) & 2 Miles HMP (6:19, 6:08)
- Thursday: 5K TT (18:25, 5:55/mile avg)
- Week 9 (68 Miles)
- Tuesday: 5 x 1K: (3:36, 3:31, 3:29, 3:28, 3:23), 2 Miles @ Threshold (6:03, 5:54)
- Sunday: 20 Mile Long Run with 4 x 1 mile (6:03, 5:54, 5:55, 5:44) and Last 3 miles @ MP (6:39, 6:41, 6:24)
- Week 10 (75 Miles)
- Tuesday: 2 Miles @ MP (6:24, 6:17), 4×800 (2:56, 2:54, 2:52, 2:46), 2 Miles @ Threshold (5:55, 5:52)
- Sunday: Race Day
The mileage was a quick build-up, but everything felt like it was coming together. I needed to see where my fitness was at the OC half marathon. It was either 1) race the OC half marathon all out and calculate the full marathon equivalent time or 2) run early miles before the race and run the half-marathon at marathon pace. I chose option 2 because I wanted to see if my legs could hold marathon pace with some fatigue (similar to how it would feel in a marathon).
Pre-race
The half marathon started at 6:15 am, which meant a 3:00 am-3:15 am wake-up call to finish 10 miles before the start time. I pinned everything up the night before so I was ready to go. All I needed to do was get up…which probably happened closer to 3:30 am. I started my pre-race run at 4:06 am. I mapped the course out the night before and chose a route different from the half marathon. This worked out well except for Miles 7-8 near Bonita Creek Park. This section was on a running trail, which I’m sure is nice during the day but not so much when it’s completely dark…and some random dude listening to music and smoking (it is California after all).
I finished the run around 5:30 am which was plenty of time to get my bag to gear check, use the toilets, and warm up for the race. Here is my 10-mile pre-race route if you’re interested: Strava Link.
Race
Miles 1-2: 6:31, 6:07
The start of the race was very uphill. The goal was not to get too worried about the pace but to hold the first mile at my goal marathon pace (2:50 finish time or 6:30/mile). I hit my split and mile 2 was the big downhill. I was below 6:00/mile for about the first half of the mile and I was getting passed left and right. I let gravity do the work so I can dial it back in as we approach mile 3.
Miles 3-6: 6:22, 6:23, 6:17, 6:28
Most of the race was quiet, especially this part. We run along the water on Bayside Dr. but the early start and residential neighborhoods meant crowd support would sparse. This section was mostly flat with a couple of bumps, but nothing unmanageable. The pace felt controlled and I was trucking along. The biggest issue was catching up with the back-of-the-pack marathoners who started the race at 5:45 am. Volunteers did their best to tell marathoners to stay right but it was not marked on the street. It didn’t slow me down but it was annoying on a few of the sharp turns.
Miles 7-9: 6:20, 6:25, 6:20
We hit one of the switchbacks in this section and we enter a trail path. This was the 2nd elevation point in the race but I kept pushing the effort to maintain the pace. We were rewarded with some amazing views from Castaways Park. No pics to share from me (I was too focused on racing), but next time I will run this for fun and share some pics and videos of the scenery.
Miles 10-13.1: 6:29, 6:17, 6:25, 5:53, 1:26 (5:49)
Mile 10 was the only notable slip-up in the race. I fumbled my gel and couldn’t take the salt pill I taped. I think next time I will rethink how I take salt pills (either using the paper pouches or wrapping them in foil). The aid station was also uphill and I slowed down to grab water. I picked up the pace but not too much b/c mile 11 had the last winding hill. Once I saw mile 12 split on my watch, I pushed the pace below 6:00/mile and didn’t slow down. The final result was a 1:23:45, my second fastest half marathon. A pretty solid result with 10 miles in the books!
Post-race
My confidence level was through the roof after this race. I knew anything could happen on race day, but I wanted to give it my all in 2 weeks at Fargo. 2:50 is a time I have been chasing for over 2 years since my breakthrough race at the Woodlands marathon in 2021 (current PR of 2:47:58). It was time to put fear aside and go for the big race time, even if it meant a big let down. The OC half marathon was a beautiful race and one I want to do again next year.
I am writing this race report after I have finished Fargo, but as I look back to how I felt after the race – I wouldn’t have changed a thing about my strategy.
