This past weekend I raced in the Patrick Henry Half Marathon.  The temperature was a moderate 71 degrees, but the humidity was 94%!  I had flashbacks of last year’s Richmond Half Marathon.  I really hope we don’t have another day like that for the marathon this year!

I finished with a respectable 2:07:33. Even though it was slower than my PR, or even my first Half Marathon, I consider this a good finish with the humidity and hills on this course.   As I ran, I could swear that we only went on flat roads or uphill.  Never downhill.  Ne-ver.  Actually, looking at the elevation profile for the course, all of the downhill was completed in the first 4 miles.  I’m not sure how much elevation change there was, but it sure seemed like a lot to me.  The steady incline through mile 5 was really a killer.  I thought it would never end.

The morning started off very early for me, at least, early for a Saturday.  5:00 AM seems earlier on a Saturday morning than it does during the week.  I was moving a little slow, I guess, and it took me longer to get to the race in Ashland than I thought it would.  No matter, really.  It seems everyone was moving a little slow and there was a huge line of cars leading into Poor Farm Park at the race starting time of 7:00 AM. Fortunately for me, and everyone else waiting to park on the football field, the race organizers decided to delay the start to give us time to park and for some to pick up their race number and timing chip.

Patrick Henry was waiting near the starting line with a cannon and a microphone, cheering us on.  A few minutes after 7:00, the cannon fired and we were off!  My late arrival meant that I was at the back of the pack this morning, behind the nearly 1300 other runners.

Being at the back of the pack can be a good thing, as this gave me lots of people to pass in the early part of the race without having to run very fast!  Passing people is a huge motivator, but running fast at the beginning of a race is a big no-no.  Don’t want to burn out in the first mile!

A quick run around the Liberty Jr. High baseball fields and we were off on a dirt road through the woods.  This was really pretty, and I’m sure my picture below doesn’t capture it.  Most of the race was spent running through farmland, seeing what looked to me like age old farm houses.

Around the half way point, we passed through what passes for downtown Ashland, VA.  Patrick Henry was waiting there, giving a fist bump to as many runners as he could.

The rest of the race was more farm land, and I lost track of the roads we were on and the direction we went.

The finish line was buried deep in Poor Farm Park.  We came back in the way we left, through the woods and around the baseball field.  From there it’s a very short distance to the park entrance.  The start of the race was very close to this entrance, and that’s where I expected the finish to be.  However, as I came into the park, the archway could not be seen anywhere.  As the road wound back into the park, around a bend there it was.  I’m sure it wasn’t very far, but it sure seemed like it!

Patrick Henry was just before the finish with his microphone and music that I’m sure wasn’t played in his time period!  There were bagels, bananas, Powerade and water waiting for runners after finishing.  I think my favorite treat was the two ice cold soaking wet paper towels handed out before the food and drink.  That was a welcome cool-down from the humidity.  Of course, no race would be complete without the finisher’s medal and shirt!