Palm Desert Half Marathon Race Report

I ran the Palm Desert Half Marathon two weeks ago, my first half marathon in almost two years. Here’s my race report.

I was a little surprised when I realized how long it’s been since I’ve run a half marathon. Of course, last year I was dealing with plantar fasciitis, which not only ruled out this same race, it meant I couldn’t run the Dallas Half Marathon in December 2021 with my brother-in-law.

Fortunately, all that is done, hopefully forever. That doesn’t mean that everything went smoothly during training, though. About six weeks out from the race, shortly after I ran my first 10-mile long run of the training cycle, I came down with a cold that lasted about three weeks. By the time I felt better I’d lost much of my base so it was almost like starting over three weeks from race day. And speed work? That also got left behind with the cold.

As promised, here is my Palm Desert Half Marathon race report! It wasn't fast but it was fun and everything went as planned. #running #halfmarathon #palmdeserthalfmarathonClick To Tweet

I did choose to run the Palm Springs Health Run 5k and 10k just to help me get a little extra motivation for the long run. It worked! I felt much more confident about the Palm Desert Half Marathon. At least I knew I could finish!

I decided to stick with a very simple running plan. Start slow, stay slow. I knew I wasn’t going to pull out a fast time. So, better to take it easy, keep it slow, and try to have a good time out there.

Palm Desert Half Marathon Race Report

I arrived early on race day. I always sweat logistics, even at a relatively small race like the Palm Desert Half Marathon, so I always leave plenty of time for parking, race prep, etc. Actually, I got there so early that I was able to park about 50 feet from the start line!

The sunrise was beautiful as I made my way to registration to pick up my race packet. It was pretty chilly for this desert rat, so I hurried there and back to my car to stay warm until it was closer to race time.

Because my plan was to start slow and stay slow, I wouldn’t ordinarily do a warm-up (beyond my active stretching routine). But, since I had a couple of layers to remove, I ran about a quarter of a mile just to warm up a little bit. That worked, so I could strip down to just one layer throwaway. I kept that on for the first mile.

When I got to the start line, I finally saw a couple of people, Sarah and Scott, who I knew. No, I’d never met either of them but social media is an amazing thing. 

And then we were off!

As most runners know, it’s hard to keep it slow. The excitement, adrenaline, and the other runners really make it easy to start too fast. I resisted the urge. I even ran for a bit with Sarah, but I knew I had to let her go because I’d be in trouble if I tried to keep up.

I discarded my throwaway after about a mile, but there were moments when I wished I’d kept it on. The weather was sunny when we started but it wasn’t long before the clouds came over and blocked the sun. Plus the wind seemed to pick up as time went on so it stayed a bit chilly through most of the race.

The first three miles went by quickly. The Palm Desert Half Marathon is kind of a boring course, just a big loop really. One highlight was catching up with one of Alan’s triathlete friends. Cheri Gruenfeld who recently set the record for being the oldest woman to finish the Ironman World Championships in Kona. It just so happened that two days before this race she’d had a cataract removed. The day before, she’d ridden the Tour of Palm Springs century ride. And, the day after the race she’d be having the other cataract removed. She-ro goals!

The next three miles headed north, towards the freeway. It was windier and colder, but as long as I kept moving it wasn’t too bad. I was running alone, probably because of my slower pace. I felt like the faster runners were ahead of me and the slower runners behind. I was alone but I didn’t mind.

Miles seven to 10 went smoothly. I was feeling good, probably because I was keeping my pace nice and easy. I tried to take the time to chat with anyone (who was interested in chatting), thanking the volunteers and cops, and generally enjoying myself. 

When I hit mile 10, a time when things usually get tough, I was feeling so good that I actually picked up the pace! Yes, it was slightly downhill, and the wind was at my back, but I really did increase my pace a bit.

As someone who is challenged by Exercise-Induced Asthma, it is always on the edge of my thoughts when I race, especially long distances. I had no asthma problems at all! I didn’t need to use my inhaler and even in the last couple of miles, which tends to be the danger zone, I had no issues whatsoever. In fact, I felt great!

My only mental challenge was at about mile 11 when we had to run past the finish, add on another mile, then finally head back into the park towards the finish.

Finally, I completed that extra out and back and headed back into the park. I could hear the announcer calling in the finishers so I knew I was close. Of course, at some point, they pulled the announcer to do the awards ceremony so I never did hear my name announced (like I do when Alan is on the mic).

All things considered, I was really happy with my race. While my time was slow as planned, I followed my plan and had a lot of fun during the race. I talked with other runners and volunteers, felt good throughout, and even picked up the pace at the end. What more could I ask for?

 

And Now It’s Time for the Runners’ Roundup!

Linkup with the #RunnersRoundup with @DeborahBrooks14, @milebymilerun, @runningwithpugs, and me! Bring your best #runningrelated posts, find new blogs to follow, and share your love of #running! Click To Tweet

 

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