OWL-DRAGON

Caesar Rodney Half Marathon

Sunday morning was gray, cold and windy: this despite forecast that a high pressure system would move in with calm winds, clear skies and warmer temps. The blur at the top of lin-mark’s result page says it all: “Start time 9:00 a.m., weather was "brisk" with winds reported at 17 miles an hour which made the start temperatures feel like 35 degrees instead of closer to 40 degrees. Weather could have been a bit better, but hey in the past few weeks we have had much worse! So thank goodness no rain or snow. This was not a day for a personal record.” (Although I know one runner who pr’d his half-marathon best – go figure!)

There was also a race director’s nightmare – potta johns ordered but a no show. 1200 runners and no facilities. Everyone running the three blocks back to the Y.

All that aside, a good day for racing. Cool overcast is really good race weather and the wind didn’t seem a factor. I did wear gloves – green gloves for St. Patrick’s Day – these were in the Philly Marathon race packet, an advertising gimmick from Citizen’s Bank. Good gimmick as I noticed dozens of runners similarly donned green gloves for the day.

I went with my Baltimore Marathon long sleeve shirt which is made by Under Armour and I must say it is a very good product. I was quite comfortable thru the race but I saw runners in cotton soaking wet. In very hot weather when you are going to be soaking wet no matter what it may not matter but in conditions like yesterday I think coolmax like products show their superiority. I am sure I will never race in cotton.

The race begins in downtown Wilmington’s Rodney Square. The race was chipped but the start mats couldn’t be used because underground wires at the intersection created interference (next year the plan is to move the start).

The first half mile is a good downhill so naturally I went out too fast. But generally I felt my pacing was good and given the hilly nature of this race pretty even. That downhill is deceiving as this elevation graphic shows. The opening four miles are urban with a tour of the underside of I95, but also passing the minor league ballpark, the outlet shopping center, and the refurbished waterfront. But the heart of the race is the steep climb thru Brandywine Park and Rockford Park along the Brandywine.

The race course goes along Kentmere Parkway past the Delaware Art Museum which is undergoing a major overhaul. Several years ago I was at the Museum in March when I saw this strange spectacle – hundreds of people running by being handed cups of water. I was as fascinated with that as anything in the Museum. I asked about it and was told I was some kind of race they did every year. The runners streamed by for a long time and I was quite taken with it – perhaps the roots of my running were sub-consciously planted right there.

This year some poor volunteer was being harangued by a woman quite put out by the road closures. I wonder what she thought he could do about it. It seemed ironic in a week where the news has so ferociously reported the “obesity crisis”. I almost wanted to stop and encourage her to walk part of the route and enjoy the closure rather then see it as a problem.

This is a race with lots of bends and twists and I worked hard to use the tangents.
Using the tangents means that rather then running with the curve you seek to run the straight line that creates the shortest possible distance.

When I was successful it did seem to enable me to past those not doing the tangent. The problem I encountered was you have to be very careful or you will cut other people off since you are going against the grain. But, it did seem to work and I will continue to practice tangents.

Out of the park and up Rt 52 and around the MBNA building and the glorious feeling that soon you will have that glorious drop back through the park. As we ran toward the park a large flock of geese flew low over head honking noisily almost as if they were cheering us on. You get the benefit of downhills well thru mile twelve. Then in that last quarter mile up that wall of a hill.

Good finish - didn't give in to the hill but ran it strong. Pushed a little hard to make sure I got in under 1:50 and did just.

Finished right in the middle of the age group and the pack:
– 1:49:58 (8:24 mile spilts) 20/44 ( M55-59) 470/831 Males.

Felt good with my finished, even tempered with the fact that the first five 60yr olds finished faster (much faster) and ever the first three 65yr olds. Well, it just means there’s no reason I can’t continue to run well for years more.

Afterwards I wanted a couple more miles so I ran backwards on the course and then down to the path along the river. They have done a very nice job here and the path is quite inviting. The river so dry a couple of years ago is in full throat and roars over the shallows. Interesting thing I saw. There was an explanation of why so many trees were cut down. It seems that Norwegian Maples are considered an alien species and an intruder that crowds out native trees. By thinning over two hundred of the maples the park hopes to encourage native species. Another urban jewel – congratulations Wilmington.