seeing my family at mile 11 along Hwy 101.
The Carlsbad Half Marathon has become my favorite 13.1 race. You just can't beat the scenery, the size (10,000 runners today, but it doesn't feel like it due to the wave start), course support is unmatched and the weather is always perfect for running. This morning I ran it for the second time -- last year was the first. I'll be running this one every year for as long as we live here!.
This morning's race was my 10th half marathon since I started running them 8 years ago. My first half was finished in 2:32. Today's finish? A new personal best (by a full 2 minutes!) of 1:52:29. The 8:35 pace felt very comfortable and my overall pacing was pretty consistent. The first 7 miles I ran with the 1:50 group. My strategy was to stick with them through the entire race and then kick it up at the end to finish just under that mark. However, I slowed to take some GU with water and never caught sight of them again. I'm very pleased that I was able to continue at that pace for the remainder of the race.
.
Next up: Carlsbad 5000 in April and the world-famous Camp Pendleton Mud Run (10K) in early June.
