Half Marathon

(By Scott) This year was the 10th anniversary of the Cayman Islands Marathon and it had the largest turnout of runners in its short history.  There were 93 teams each with four runners doing one of four legs, 635 Half Marathoners and 122 Full Marathoners along with 2 Wheel Chair Half Marathoners.  The race started out at 5 a.m. local time from the water front in George Town.  It went out just over 6 miles along South Sound before doubling back part of the route then heading north on Walkers road and winding through a residential area and part of downtown before coming back onto the main road on the water front to the start/finish line.  This was the third part of our "sporting trifecta" of finishing The Flowers 1 Mile Sea Swim, The Cayman Islands Sprint Triathlon and The Cayman Islands Half Marathon all in the same year.

Katie had been training with a running partner Kristy and for the first ten minutes we all ran/walked together on 3 minute run and two minute walk intervals.  After that they moved on ahead and I ran at my own pace going back to two minute run and three minute walk intervals.  4 miles in I was at 52 minutes and running at 12 and a half minute miles which was way faster than I had trained for.  I was on pace for a 2 hour and 50 minute finish which was 25 minutes faster than my goal and 10 minutes faster than even my shoot for goal.  I had trained to go at about 13 and 1/2 minute miles and to finish somewhere between three hours and three hours fifteen minutes. Somewhere between miles 4 and 5 during one of my run intervals my right leg suddenly tensed up and I literally felt a pop in my calf.  At first I thought I might have torn something and I slowed almost to a halt.  But after a few seconds the pain went down a lot and I was able to walk with a limp.  After a few minutes of walking with a limp I was able to walk with just pain and no limp and at that point decided that I was going to try and finish even if it meant walking the rest of the way.  

I tried to set in a walk pace at an 18 minute mile rhythm and just kept focusing on getting to the end.  I reached the turn around point in less than an hour and half even with the last mile and a half being at walking pace but then took over two hours to walk the second half causing my ending time to come in at 3 hours 32 minutes and 59 seconds by the chip in my shoe (which measured when I actually crossed the start line and then the finish line at the end).  I was very fortunate that at about the mile 8 marker I was able to team up with another walker and we paced each other to the finish trying to walk at that 18 minute mile pace.

Katie and Kristy kept up a very good pace and even with her second half being about 20 minutes slower than her first half (which was expected), Katie came in at 2 hours 33 minutes and 42 seconds which was well below what her goal had been and over an hour and a half faster than what we did in 2008!  Katie finished with enough time to do a full stretch and still get in position to take some photographs of me as I approached the finish.

I had to go to the Paramedic tent afterward and was told that based on the description of what happened and the swelling that I probably had a severe pulled muscle but likely not a tear as I wouldn't have been able to walk the last 8 miles if I had torn the muscle.  They iced up my leg and then released me with instructions to ice it again at home and rest my leg for a while.  I couldn't put any weight on it yesterday, but this morning my leg is a lot better though still quite tender and painful to walk on. Hoping that a few days rest will allow it to recover and then a little P.T. will get it better as Katie and I want to do a Half Marathon in March in Dallas and I want another shot at a sub three hour time.

Here are photos of us before the race, Scott finishing and then both of us after the race with our finishers medals.