Race Recap: Daytona Beach Half Marathon 2/9/20

Sunday 2/9/20 was the Daytona Beach Half Marathon. Last year I ran the half which was so much fun I decided to run it again. I love how you actually get to run on the Daytona Speedway. Last year I ran the challenge with the 5k the night before, but I also got injured after so I decided against that. 

Race Morning
Race morning was pretty busy. I didn't expect all the traffic in the morning but it was so backed up. I also had to get my packet then walk over to the Speedway. I wasn't the only one with that problem because they delayed the race 10 minutes or so. My plan for this race was to run around 8:00-8:15 to try and test my endurance which should be a great test for my marathon next month. 

Miles 1-3  8:15, 8:15, 8:05
I started off slow for the first few miles on purpose to make sure I felt decent towards the end of the race. Last year I kind of died at the end lol. The first two and a half miles or so are on the Daytona International Speedway which is probably the coolest venue ever. There were so many people at this race but it really opened up once we crossed the starting line. 

Miles 4-8  7:59, 7:51, 756, 8:11, 8:02
After the Speedway, I started to break away from groups and fell into my own little space which I like to do when running. I picked up the pace a little bit and it just felt natural. Around mile 7-8 I think we crossed the bridge which was so challenging but fun at the same time. I made sure not to sprint downhill and risk injury. 

Miles 9- 13.1  7:48, 7:46, 7:52, 8:03, 7:44
We were originally scheduled to run on the beach again but the high tide had other plans. That was fine with us for sure lol. The beach can be so challenging and windy especially in times of high tides. I felt better after the bridge was over and ran a little faster towards the end. The last couple miles on International Speedway Boulevard were tough. Looking at my paces I am actually surprised how well I did. I felt great at the end but I still feel I need some more work before my marathon. Thinking that I still would be another 13.1 miles to run after this race to equal a marathon is a daunting thought to say the least. 

After
We finished into One Daytona and had a nice after party with some food and beer for those who wanted. I stayed for the awards because I won my age group which was awesome. This race was so much fun again and I will be back next year. They  do have some logistics to work out but I am sure they will. 

Results
Time: 1:44:44
Pace: 7:58
1st in age group 30/34 females out of 29
Overall: 106/761