Tobacco Road Half Marathon Preview

 Well, I'm sneaking another race onto the schedule this weekend. It's not that I hadn't thought about it but it really didn't fit into my other plans for this year. Last year the full marathon was the target race for me and Amy as we had trained really hard to get a Boston qualifier but things didn't turn out quite like we had planned. So this time around it was decided to go for it a month earlier in Myrtle Beach. Well that didn't turn out so well either due to an  injury  that caused me  to be a  bit behind on the training and then race day turned out to have really nasty windy weather. Now it's looking like an extra month of training and some better weather would have been better but it is what it is.

  So anyway,  training for Boston is on the back burner for awhile as I am now focused on three big ultra's in the next 3 months. But then I was thinking that I would really like to take advantage of the great training I have been doing to put some speed to the test. There is no way I could give a quality effort at another BQ right now but a half is another story. I think I can put in a solid effort and still be able to recover and train for the Umstead 100 coming up in 3 weeks.

 So, I remembered  that last year at the expo, Steve Hite, owner of the title sponsor for the half, BAYSIX had offered me a complementary entry if I wanted it so I contacted him last week and I was happy to find that he was still willing to get me into the race! Thanks Steve !

 The course is a fast one, the weather is looking pretty good temperature wise for good running and my training is going well. Despite running hard at MB last month and then again at the Umstead Trail Marathon I'm feeling pretty good and feel confident I can run well. Last September at the Half at Seymour Johnson AFB I was on pace to crack 1:40 for the first time since 2006 but my hamstring injury that I had been battling since early August flared up during the race and caused me to slow down to a 1:42 finish. I actually feel I am in better shape now so I am going ahead and saying it up front that  I am going for the sub 1:40. wish me luck !

 here is a link to the race website