Halifax Hypothermic Half

I am pleased to be writing this from the comforts and warmth of the house, not stuck on a beach on the Atlantic Ocean…

A definite chill was present in the air well preparing for this mornings Halifax hypothermic half marathon… Chris Sinclair, from The Weather Network, was reporting a temperature of -11 with wind chills in the low -20’s. The positive, no inclement weather was forecasted and the sun shone bright in the February sky.

All the hype and talk of the Ironman took away all tensions and stress on the eve of the half, I may have thought of the race only a hand full of times. That was all reversed this morning, it started with the temperature than was compounded upon exiting the car at the race… The winds howled and my choice of dress didn’t seem sufficient… I decided to put on an extra fleece layer on top of the three I already wore and cracked open some Hot-Paws for toasty hands… It was like a big hug.

I also ran a 1 mile warmup, which I don’t usually do… I think this actually helped to warm me up a little…

And since I had a Cliff Chocolate gel in the cupboard, I decided to try it out on race morning… I report; I enjoyed it and feel it worked although I don’t really know… I wish I had another if that’s any indication…

I was glad to see the race start,  even happier to see the finish. Halifax is known for its hills, this race had its fair share. The course was an out and back with approximately 350 participants..

I finished in 1.38… I was happy as most of my training took place indoors, on treadmills, and I didn’t think I would crack 1.40… Optimism paid off…

Now it is time for some beer, chips and quality couch time…

Cheers