2019 Aramco Houston Half Marathon - an accomplished race

This past Sunday was my goal race, the Aramco Houston Half Marathon.  I need to give some context in order for the race report to make more sense.

Over the Summer, I was training for the full marathon.  On Tuesday, August 20, I had a mild heart attack as a result of blockage of the Left Circumflex artery (LCX in medical abbreviation).  A stent was inserted the next day (I was fully conscious, which was fine) and I was released on the 22nd.  The cardiologist released me to run on September 11.  I created a schedule that would give me the chance to run the marathon on January 19, if everything went well and my pace was fast enough to allow me to finish with an official finish (less than 6 hours and 1 minute).

Things were going right along over the next few weeks.  I passed a stress test in October, however during the cool down, I was throwing some PVC's (pre-ventricular contractions or extra heartbeats in the ventricle parts of the heart).  The doctor put me back on BP medicine (3.125 mg, 2x/day of carvedilol).  BP meds have a notorious reputation of affecting performance because it slows the heart rate, but it evidently does favorable correcton to PVC's.  3.125 is a very low dose, from what I understand.

In November, my long runs were starting to get tougher.  15 miles was the farthest I could run, as the times were getting slower, even after skipping a long run week.  My desire wanted something my legs could not deliver.

So, I spent $20 and transferred my entry to the Half Marathon on November 29.

On December 15, I ran ~10 miles and walked 4 of a 30K.  At 162 bpm, I experienced a small discomfort about the diameter of your pinky finger to the right of the sternum.  I slowed down to walk a minute, run a minute.  My August 20 discomfort was the size of the palm of your hand under the sternum.  After the 30K, I decided to do HR training and try to keep my heart rate below 140 early, then let it creep up to 150 in the middle, then 160.

Now, you're caught up as concise as I can make it. The following is from my blog.
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I had no heart pain.  The 178 bpm is the new post-stent HR Max.  Previous was 202 in 2009. 

13.1 miles, 3:03:24, 14:00 avg pace, 147 avg HR, 178 Max HR, 156 avg cadence
1.  14:29, 118 bpm, 146 spm (pee break)
2.  14:02, 112 bpm, 146 spm
3.  13:38, 141 bpm, 156 spm
4.  14:08, 142 bpm, 150 spm (pee break)
5.  13:52, 144 bpm, 156 spm
6.  13:34, 148 bpm, 152 spm
7.  13:33, 151 bpm, 156 spm
8.  14:11, 150 bpm, 150 spm (pee break)
9.  13:53, 153 bpm, 152 spm
10.  13:51, 156 bpm, 156 spm
11.  13:51, 158 bpm, 156 spm
12.  13:48, 159 bpm, 156 spm
13.  12:23 pace, 168 bpm, 160 spm  (based on 0.36 miles recorded)

By doing the math, I figure my avg pace was 14 flat/mi.  I wasn't interested in the average pace, rather keeping the HR reasonable.  Well, that's not quite right.  I'm always interested in average pace, but since the time limit was 4 hours, it's not #1.  HR management was #1, today.  And aside from the strap malfunctioning twice that I know of, it went well.

One thing I found out that I can tell Nancy that doesn't work, if you stop to walk through an aid station or stop to take care of a nature's call, HR doesn't drop more than 1 or 2 beats.  That relates to stops of less than a minute.  I stopped to pee 3 times in the race, all in the first 7 miles.  I need to figure out how to change that.

The watch and strap didn't get with the program in the first couple of miles.  That's due to me forgetting to wet the strap.  Why it burped during mile during mile 12, I don't know.  There was one time during the race where I caught myself going faster, when the HR shot up.  I slowed.  80% of the race was spent at a HR of less than 160.  Mile 11.16 was the first 161 bpm.  The highest HR was 178 during the last two-tenths.  Also during the last two-tenths was the fastest pace and amounted to 1% of the total pace time or 1 minute, 8 seconds.  The other 182 minutes were 13 or 14 minute paces.

Other than the 3 pit stops, I ran the whole thing.  The weather was great in the mid-40s, except the sun.  But the breeze negated most of the sun for the whole race.  I carried a split in half Milky Way bar for mental clarity.  During mile 12, there was one person that had a Tupperware container full of Girl Scouts Thin Mints.  I grabbed one.

I grabbed water only 2 times in the whole race.  I never really got thirsty, but moreso, I didn't want to stop to pee again.  After the race, I chugged 2 pints of water.

All in all, I was pleased with the race and the outcome.  Starting at mile 7, I noticed that SO  MANY  PEOPLE walked.  I think only 3 people past me in the last 2 miles and I wasn't pushing until the last 3/4ths. Others were just walking.

I found the 5K splits on the app
5K   14:15 min/mile
10K  14:06 min/mile
15K  14:25 min/mle
20K  13:55 min/mile
finish 12:07 min/mile (7 tenths of a mile)

The battery on my metronome failed at the start, so the 156 average cadence was all muscle memory.  162 was the target cadence with a working metronome.

No niggles.  Thanks for getting this far!

Good report, Ounce, and VERY SMART of you to step down to the half. You just had a heart attack, for Pete's sake.

PVCs are no fun. But you know that.

Keeping the HR steady throughout the race was also a smart strategy. I hope you came out of it feeling satisfied with how it went. Because I think it's a terrific outcome, all things considered.

Could you identify yourself, sir? Do I know you?

As far as the PVCs, I've had those for 10 years or so. I just didn't know it wasn't a good thing.

Thanks, uh, Mark. Mark. Yeah, thanks, Mark.

ounce wrote:Could you identify yourself, sir?  Do I know you?

As far as the PVCs, I've had those for 10 years or so.  I just didn't know it wasn't a good thing.

Thanks, uh, Mark.  Mark.  Yeah, thanks, Mark.

Don't worry, I am ready to provide a DNA sample to verify my identity.

:startshawkingupbigloogey:

Mark B wrote:

ounce wrote:Could you identify yourself, sir?  Do I know you?

As far as the PVCs, I've had those for 10 years or so.  I just didn't know it wasn't a good thing.

Thanks, uh, Mark.  Mark.  Yeah, thanks, Mark.

Don't worry, I am ready to provide a DNA sample to verify my identity.

:startshawkingupbigloogey:

Nope.  The admin of this Board requires Q-tip rectal sample. 
Take it up with him.

Well written report on a very well executed race.  

Congrats!

Thanks, Nancy.

Kevin, I don't reckon that would be true, in my estimation, but thank you just the same.

"You'll be his---, you'll be his---, you'll be history!"