Race Recap: Daytona Beach Half Marathon and Beachin' it 5k Speedway Challenge 2/10/19

February 9th-10th 2019 was the Daytona Beach Half Marathon weekend. Things were a bit different this year. They added a night race on Saturday called the Beachin' it 5k on the beach near the Landshark bar with two opportunities for a challenge with the Dual 5k Challenge (Beachin' it 5k then the Lap the track 5k on Sunday) and the Speedway Challenge (5k Saturday night then the half marathon on Sunday). Last year I ran the lap the track 5k, but this year I wanted to do the challenge and a half marathon so I signed up for the Speedway Challenge. ​

Beachin' It 5k Recap

I went into the 5k race not wanting to go all out and save some energy for the half. I wanted this to be more of a fun run (plus my speed is not 100%). The night started out cold and windy with a chance of rain (luckily that held off). The first half of the race was pretty nice I made sure not to go fast at all (I didn't even bring my watch). The second half at the turnaround changed. We ran into the wind and it was the toughest I had ever felt in a race (and probably the hardest beach run of my life haha). I wasn't going fast but it was still an effort. I looked at the clock at the finish and I'm pretty sure it was one of my worst 5k times ever lol.

It really was super fun though and the party after was a great addition. It was the first time they put together this race and it ran so smoothly. I really enjoyed it. 

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Daytona Beach Half Marathon Recap

The Start
My initial plan was to run each mile around a 7:00 pace which is at the faster end of my long run training range. Parking was at One Daytona and the start was on the Speedway. We had to walk over the pedestrian bridge to the start so if you run this race make sure you allow time to walk to the start. During this walk there were plenty of restroom opportunities with no wait! That was a great bonus. 

Before we lined up on the start I looked around and got so excited for the race to begin. The views were amazing I wish I took my phone out to take some pictures but I was worried about it not fitting back in my armband. 

Miles 1-3  7:03, 7:14, 7:10
After the pre-race announcements we were off! Miles 1-3 ish were on the Daytona Speedway. It always amazes me when I get to run on it it's just a special feeling. The first mile was out of the wind and felt easy like I could have kept going at that pace forever then it changed after the first mile into the wind. 

Miles 4-6  7:21, 7:14, 7:32
After the Speedway we made a right out into Daytona. This half of the race was all into the wind which made it pretty challenging but that's just a risk you take with a winter race. I kept glancing at my watch and knew my times were slower than I wanted but I also didn't want to push myself too hard for a training run. 

Miles 7-9  7:55, 7:43 , 7:32
This is when things got real. Mile 7 I believe had the International Speedway Bridge. I really thought I would have to walk up it it was so difficult haha. I've driven over this bridge but never realized how steep it is. I looked at my watch and my current pace was well over 8:00 but I sprinted the downhill to get it in the 6:00 range to even it out. After the bridge we made our way to the beach. I like running on the beach. It only lasted less than half a mile probably (I'm not sure exactly) and the sand was soft. I didn't mind this part because it's the beach what can you expect. 

Miles 10-13  7:36, 7:25, 7:28, 7:25
I was hopeful that I would see some relief from the wind on the back part of the race. I was right too. I felt like I wasn't going really fast and was pleasantly surprised to see my splits. I'm glad I held on to my pace during this pace even if it wasn't my planned pace. 

Mile .30  7:12
This ran a little long at 13.30 miles but I'm fine with that. We finished at Victory Lane in One Daytona then proceeded to the after party which was filled with local vendors and very fun! 
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Results
Time: 1:38:41  13.30 miles
Pace 7:26
Overall 31 out 736
Female 6 out of 382
Female 30-34 2nd out of 31

Final Thoughts
This race was great. It seemed even better organized than last year. Would I do this race again? Absolutely. Would I do the challenge again? I sure would.

The Bling 
A+ for the bling. Pictured below is the medal for the night 5k, half marathon medal, huge challenge medal, beach towel for half, and a challenge hat. The soft t shirts were also a hit. 

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