OWL-DRAGON

Half Wit Half Marathon


309 2:44:11 BROOKS CHARLES HAVERTOWN PA M 59 (About 490 runners)

So I am on my way to Reading for my fourth Half-Wit. Off the Schuylkill Expressway and on to 422, Ron Cade is celebrating the life of Elvis who died 29 years ago the 16th of August. Beautiful morning, light traffic, I am pushing hard forward. Out of the corner of my eye I see a trooper on the median. But no movement – whew must not have been set up. A minute later flashing lights. I’m still hoping he’s after the guy in front of me but no luck – I’m the target. Well, as my wife later said, all that pedal pushing finally caught up with me. I just hoped all my adrenaline wasn’t drained away.

I have done 4 Half Wits now. Two of them were real disasters. But last year I conquered the course and this year I did even better. Of course, the weather helped. Dry, cooler temps came in this week and for mid August the weather couldn’t have been better.

I saw Jim Adams just before the race.

The race takes place in a hardscrabble park (Eglemans Park) next to hardscrabble Reading. It is not exactly pristine wilderness but parts are quite nice.

The race began about 9:30 after the usual Ron Horn delay. The first mile is a curious loop with a number of chokepoints that make if very slow especially for the mid pack runners. Just past the first mile you run through the pavilion that is used for registration and the finish activities. I had left a water bottle filled with Gatorade’s endurance. I also planned on taking Succeed and decided to use the first one at the water stop just outside the pavilion. A lot of runners skip this water having just started but it is a mistake since the water stops fairly far apart. Lot of the trail is one runner narrow so you may find yourself going slower than you want but eventful you get to a pass point. I felt the first few miles were a little two slow but mostly I was running a good pace. When we got to the mid point and the infamous 128 steps from hell (this is that strange arrangement of granite curbing going from a ball field to the trail) I knew I was in very good shape. When it has been hot I have found getting up those steps very difficult, every step an effort. But Sunday I almost bounded up and was impatience with the runners ahead of me carefully picking their way up.

Once on the flat I raced ahead - almost no one passed me in the next six miles and I passed runner after runner. Although my time was slow if felt great to be so strong in the later stages of the race. Also in my favor was my familiarity with the course – a few runners asked me how much further and I knew they were probably hurting. I encouraged and moved on.

Around mile 9/10 you begin a loop where the faster runners are finishing their last mile while you are just beginning your final loop. It can be discouraging but Sunday I felt so good I just teased them that they must have taken a short cut and warned them the fast runners would be blood tested for banned substances.

Ron had posted his usual corny jokes at various points in the race but one of his jokes this year was to post Worst Hill at the base of every hill. Well for me that last hill in mile 11/12 has always been the Worst. It is a rocky, winding climb that never seems to end. But Sunday I wondered why I had every let it bother me. It seemed that easy. I was running so well I almost stopped for two beers at the last water stop but I settled for one – toasted the runners still coming and ran hard to the finish.

I haven’t seen the official results but I think I was about 2:44. I know that sounds slow for a half marathon but for this course and for me that was a great time and the best part was how good I felt and how much energy I still had at the finish.

I was able to clean off, change, enjoy a couple of hot dogs before heading home and explaining a hundred dollar traffic fine. Oh Well – no day is perfect.