I have run the San Jose Half Marathon 3 times before in 2008 (1:36:59), 2009 (1:36:53) and 2010 (1:29:53 – PR) so it was nice to be back for the 4th time. When I initially registered back in January, my goal was for this race to be the peak of my racing season but like most of the time when it comes to long distance running, plans change.

Coming into the race, I had taken close to 3 weeks off running in September as we were traveling in France and England (that is the large white empty space above) and had only been back on schedule for 2 somewhat light weeks so I had low expectations for today. In addition, I woke up this morning feeling somewhat queazy, some kind of soreness in the throat.

My plan was then to start slow and see if I started feeling better. The first few miles did not feel good for sure. I even had to stop at a port-a-potty for a break. I still managed to average a 7:30/mile pace for the first 9 miles while keeping my heart rate in the mid-170s (a bit strenuous). Things got a bit better past that mark and I started finding my legs. Not sure why, maybe the runner’s high kicked in?

Anyway, I managed to complete the 4 last miles at a 7:10/mile pace for a 1:38:44 finish time. That is my slowest time ever in San Jose. Still, not too bad considering the circumstances!