Race Report: Seattle half marathon

This weekend I finally got my Newtons back laced up for a half - the Seattle half to be precise.  It's been a couple months since I enjoyed a good 13.1 jaunt and this was a great but extremely cold one (34 degrees!)  First, the finish line... I ran the half in just under 1:35 and placed 3rd in my age group:

















As this was the 4th time I've run the Seattle half, it's fun to look back and compare.  Here's the y/y comparison:

• 2010 - 1:36
• 2011 - 1:39:57
• 2012 - 1:36:52
• 2013 - 1:40
• 2014 - didn't run, boo

While I still want to get down to a 1:30 (goal for 2016), I feel great about this one.  It was the weekend back after a week long trip in Cabo (trip report to come), I'm battling a cold, and it's my fastest on this course.  All in ... rad!

Matt and the boys brought me to the starting line.  Cole has started coaching me before races.  He has two bits of advice: 1) try to win, and 2) push your arms back and it'll make you go faster.  He swears he can beat me and I'm pretty sure in a sprint he can (but don't tell him that!).

At the starting line, I met up with a friend, Karen, to high five and muse what we were doing in the freezing cold.  We huddled at the starting line for a bit and then when the anthem started Karen went to a pace group.  I stayed towards the front because I hate trying to dodge and weave getting off the starting line, and I always tend to go out much too fast.

I wound up keeping a good pace the first couple miles logging close to 7min per.  Once I hit Leschi it was all over with the rough hills.  There's a leg in the race around mile 9 that looks just like a street I used to run in th