Coronado Independence Day 15K

San Diego is America's most patriotic city. So it was no surprise to see Captain America at the starting line on July 4th at the 40th Annual Coronado Independence Day 15K.

There were stars and stripes all around the race course . . .

Now that's committing to a look! Well, he looks pink there, but at the beginning of the race, he was red and white striped!

Of course, I never thought about dressing up for the race . . . until I showed up in lavender. Fail!

I'm foreshadowing here. This is after the race, and look how red and sweaty I am. It was hot! By the time the race started at 7 a.m., the marine layer had burned off, and it was full sun - UV index 10+. I'm unlikely to get a lot of sympathy from the ROA (rest of America) but it was HOT...for SoCal! By the time I finished it was 73 degrees with 80% humidity.

My plan was to run 6:55 for the first half and 6:50 for the second half, if I could. I knew the course was perfectly flat, and there was no wind that morning. The race is on out-and-back course, starting in Coronado Tidelands Park (under the Coronado Bridge), along the bike path that goes to the Silver Strand, and through the Navy's Amphibious Base, then back.

The Naval base sounds more interesting than it actually was...the most interesting part was that there was an on-base McDonald's. And the french fries smelled delicious!

Each mile was really the same experience - flat and hot. I quickly revised my plan and just tried to maintain a 6:55-7:00 pace. The one mile that stands out was the last one...I suffered from a stomach stitch in the last half mile. Dehydration. (I was dumping water on my head at water stations instead of drinking it.) Here I am in the final stretch...hunched over, breathing as shallowly as possible, and trying as hard as I could to look good in the last 200 m. It was not a strong finish.

But at least it was over! (And I didn't get passed.)

Still, it was a good effort. I stayed focused, and passed a lot of people in the second half. I was 12th female at the turn around point, and finished 8th female and first in my age group. Even splits.

Mile 1 - 6:38
2 - 6:52
3 - 6:58
4 - 6:51
5 - 6:58
6 - 6:55
7 - 6:58
8 - 6:54
9 - 6:57
last part (0.49 by my watch) - 6:55 pace.

Official time = 1:05:28.
Official average pace = 7:02.

Oh, and its a PR!

Another race, another 7:00ish average pace, which is about the same average pace as last month's San Diego Rock N Roll Half Marathon. I'm getting frustrated with not being able to break into the 6:5X range in races. But I can attribute this race's 7:00ish average pace entirely to weather. I have the stomach stitch to prove it!

Two Little Runners ~Kristen