Rock and Roll Washington Half Marathon

 

A Labor Day weekend down south, visiting family and running the Rock and Roll Washington Half Marathon.

I've ran many Rock and Roll races at this point, and for me the biggest difficulty is getting down the day or two before the race to pick up my number for the race. I get roped in usually by an email solicitation or perhaps a great registration rate from the year before, but then realize it will take two trips to the Seattle area to complete the mission. 

This year, the Huskies were playing the night before the race, 7:30 start time, so I went with family to the game. So nice to go to the game in shorts. The band and all the good vibes of a season opener were there. The Huskies took care of business, which is not something anyone takes for granted these days, but they were 21 point favorites against Kent State. New coach, new era, hoping good things.

I think I got 4 hours sleep, maybe, on a couch, before leaving at 5 AM or so for the 6:30 race start in Bellevue. I was interested in running this race in large part because I liked the course, which would show me roads I haven't been on in decades. I lived and worked in Bellevue at different times in the later 1980s, and so have memories of many streets, restaurants, grocery stores, etc. Of course, much will have changed, and it has, but many of the streets and buildings are still the same.

The course started down by Bellevue Square, and did a big square, heading north, east, south, west, and back north again. Basically, out towards 520, up Bel-Red towards 156th- Crossroads, south towards Lake Hills, and then back downtown, if any of that makes sense. The course was pretty hilly for a half marathon, especially heading east. I liked it, but if I was seeking a personal record, I'd pick a different course.

Weather was good--pretty sunny, but it was early, and so not truly a factor. 8000 runners, so crowded at times. The finishing stretch was a bit too crowded when they got it down to one lane with intermittent traffic coming towards runners. Not enough gels on the course, for the entry fee. Great water stations, great volunteers, and the music is always fun.

This was a training run for me, pretty much, with aid station support. I finished in 2:22 at an easy pace. Feel fine today, which was the goal, especially with the short night of sleep. I only saw one person I knew, which shows how things have changed. Afterwards, celebrated a birthday at a breakfast brunch, and then we made our way back north.