Winter Carnival Half Marathon

Whooeee I feel good after a run, especially today. St Paul Winter Carnival Half Marathon, 1:48:24, pace 8:17. I was hoping for 1:50, just slightly better than last year, so this is a fine result. Time is approximate because results are not on the web yet.

For the very first time, I ran this race without walking at all; there are rolling hills, and in the past I have walked a little around mile 10 and the very steep hill near the finish. This was a training run for a slightly-hilly marathon three weeks from now, however, so I ran all hills. Felt strong throughout, and might have done a little better yet if I hadn’t been so leery of the wind and slippery roads. The race is a nice out-and-back along the Mississippi River, and on the way back the 19-mph wind wasn’t a factor except in the last three blocks. You can see the back of my jacket billowing out from that wind. At mile 4 or 5 the sun came out, and from then on the slipperiness turned to ordinary dampness on the road, no problem.

I wore three technical shirts under my wind jacket, which turned out to be one too many. But I ran most of the race with the wind jacket unzipped; problem solved. I wore a full ski mask on my head, which was too much, but I don’t own the headgear that I should have used today, whatever that is. A lighter ski mask? Balaclava? I wore my “Teflon” running pants with foam-rubber knee warmers underneath; knee pain if I don’t keep them warm.
Splits: 8:38, 8:00, 8:16, 7:57, 8:43 (water), 8:12, 24:34 (3 mi), 8:23 (water), 8:27, 8:04, 9:11 (1.1 mi).

Only one minor problem: Beginning at about mile 11, my lower right leg started to feel like it was going to sleep, as if the blood flow was constricted. I actually did slow to a walk three different times to try to shake that leg, and after each little walk I did feel (or imagined) some warmth coming to the heel of that foot, just like it feels when blood flow is restored. What could this be? (1) Thalidomide: the start of peripheral neuropathy (I hope NOT); (2) Thalidomide: a blood clot in an artery (unlikely but I took an aspirin); or (3) Cold weather causing the heel to go a little bit numb. I like (3) the best. Anyway it disappeared when the race ended, and it’s fine now.