Race Report - Heartbreak Ridge Half Marathon

Apparently this means I'm a 27-year-old Civilian.  Military types got a "M" on their right leg.  I've never been involved in a race where they mark your legs up, so this was new to me.

The Heartbreak Ridge Half Marathon at Camp Pendleton was certainly more difficult for me than San Francisco.  It was hot, the dirt-packed trail was uneven and hilly, and my foot decided to act up on me too.  But finishing this race was certainly one of the most satisfying things I've done.

I really like being on Marine bases.  I don't know why.  It's just a nostalgic thing; I know what to expect from the experience and everyone is just there to have a good time.

There was a woman Marine who was carrying the flag that day; she was dressed in all black and on the flag were all the names of the people who died on 9/11.  I'm not particularly sentimental about 9/11, but I thought what she did was pretty cool and she's much tougher than me.  We passed each other up until just after the half-way mark, and then when we passed her up for the last time we chatted a bit.  We remarked on the super-fast man who practically finished just as we were passing the 3-mile mark, and the uneven terrain.  We were just past 9 miles when she said that they're going to send the snipers out in a couple miles.  "Let's hope they miss!"  I said.

I don't know if I'll do this race again; the shirts were pretty cool (although the fabric isn't the best technical t-shirt fabric) and it was really a nice experience to be on a base again and be around all that military spirit, but this was truly an energy-sapping race.  On the other hand, it was really cheap ($40) and it was very, very satisfying to finish.

I ran this with a friend who runs triathlons.  He is a much stronger runner than I am, even though he's been on the "cookie eating training plan".  He gave me a bunch of tips on motivation and breathing, and I was able to give him tips on running hills.  Even though he was stronger, I have a slightly better technique for charging up and down hills than he does.  So that was nice that we could share knowledge like that with each other.  Even though I kept pestering him to run on ahead of me, he insisted we stay together and cross the finish line together.  It was really nice of him and his encouragement certainly helped me finish faster than I otherwise would have.