Caesar Rodney Half Marathon…Phew!!

The first race of the season is always a test to see how one has fared through the winter with training…or a lack thereof!  After my ankle injury in January, I wasn’t sure I would make it to the starting line of this one, but it being one of my favorites, as I like to say, “It is what it is!”  The result was much better than expected: no pain in the ankle and only 1 ½ minutes slower than last year.  Phew!  March’s unpredictable weather always makes this race interesting.  Past race conditions have presented in the 20’s and windy, in the 40’s and rainy and in the 70’s and sunny.  What would this year bring?  With temps topping out in the low 40’s, blue skies and sunny conditions, one had to count their blessings!

The Caesar Rodney course is notorious for its blistering fast first mile (downhill) and its slap-in-the-face last mile (uphill).  One might say at the half-way point, “Wow!  This is going to be the fastest half marathon of my life!”  Oh, contraire!  The second half of this gem is the real test: an uphill, switch-backy jaunt through Rockford Park.  Fortunately, the lack of hill repeats training all winter didn’t turn the legs to lead as quickly as I thought!  This year’s course had a few alterations, which the veterans of the race claim made it slightly more difficult (a fabulous explanation for slightly higher times!). 

On-course, note-worthy extremes included the lovely waterfront and boardwalk followed by a pile of trash near a warehouse with a lot of barking dogs (one could only guess what was going on inside!).  Also, I was very excited to be sporting the HCM singlet for the first time and was able to see/meet a few of the other Endurance Team Challenge members at the race.  It was very inspiring to hear “Go HCM!” and to think about the common goal that we are all striving for through our racing.  All-in-all, an enjoyable ride for me with a finish time of 1:33:45.  Phew!