Sport Today

I'm planning on running my first Half-Marathon soon, but need some
advice/help.  What is the easiest Half-Marathon in the San Diego
area?  I need a run with few hills, good crowds, and (if possible)
long-sleeve T-Shirt give-aways :-).  Any advice would be appreciated.
Thanks!

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  *** The above ideas and opinions do  not reflect those of my employer ***
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  What's the ugliest part of your body?  Some say your nose.  Some say your
  toes.  But I think it's YOUR MIND.  I think it's your mind, woo woo. - FZ
  -+*%$%*+-+*%$%*+-+*%$%*+-+*%$%*+-+*%$%*+-+*%$%*+-+*%$%*+-+*%$%*+-+*%$%*+-
               No system can wipe these thoughts from my mind.

P.S.  I've run many 10Ks, but never anything past this in race conditions.
I am training for a half-marathon, then after that maybe a full-blown
marathon.  I just need to know how a longer race will feel compared to
a 10 K.  I'm not rushing myself, but I would like to plan ahead.  Thanks!

Just a few thoughts on some SD area halfs that I have run:

America's Finest City half - August,
  Beautiful course, starts at Cabrillo monument and runs along the
  harbor, finishing in Balboa Park.  The race is downhill or flat
  until the final climb up 6th Ave. into the park.  This hill didn't
  bother me.  The race has about 5000 entrants and it has been know
  to be hot some years.  Last year the cloud cover didn't burn off
  until I was nearly finished (1:45) so it was nice.  You do have
  to get up real early to catch the buses to the start though.  Short
  sleeve T.  Good crowd support.

San Dieguito half - February
  Beautiful, through Rancho Santa Fe, rolling hills, fruit trees and
  horse stables in the early morning mist.  Hilly though, definitely
  not an easy course.  Long sleeve T's.  Great race support provided
  by my running club, the hash house harriers.  No crowd support like
  AFC, but lots of runners and supporters, didn't feel like an empty
  course by any means.

La Jolla half - April
  I haven't run this one, the Torrey Pines hill always scared me off.
  Short sleeved T-shirts I think.  Don't think it's a PR course either.

I believe there's also the Hall of Champions half in October and a
half associated with the SD Marathon in January.  The SD Marathon is
not a real big draw.  I don't believe the Hall of Champions is either,
but perhaps someone else can provide more info.

Nancy Wilkins-Diehr

I've run America's Finest City every year except one since 1982.  As Nancy
Wilkins-Diehr said, it is a beautiful course.  It is also the best managed
race I have ever run.  Don't let the hill at the end scare you off.  It
looks worse than it is, and if you are in half-way decent shape you'll be
fine.  Although the T-shirt you get for your entry fee is short-sleeve,
you can buy a long-sleeve T, a tank top, or a sweatshirt.

I've run the half associated with the SD Marathon once.  It is actually in
Carlsbad, usually late January, I think.  The course is flat and you are
running very near the beach most of the time.

The SD Marathon half is a rolling course in Carlsbad.  It is on some of
the same course as the Marathon and starts earlier.  I haven't done the
half but have done the Marathon the last 4 years.  Crowd support is good,
especially when in down town Carlsbad.  Scenery is superb.

Any half in SD is a good first one, but the La Jolla half has two tough
climbs,  AFC can be very hot,  Good Luck

A half is invaluable preparation for the marathon. But if you are
calculating to do your best at the marathon, plan to have more than six
weeks between the half and the full marathon. I'd suggest a combination of
longer runs peaking with the Jeff Galloway-suggested strong 1-mile repeats
up to 10 or 13 times about three weeks before the marathon -- and a 26- or
28-miler FIVE weeks before the race is ideal. I did my 23-miler two weeks
before the marathon and that was cutting it too close and I suffered for
it at mile 17. .

The key to doing well is training your legs to process and flush out the
lactic acid over such long times -- the 3 and a half to 4 and a half hours
it will take you to complete the marathon. That is, you don't need to run
long every day and run up big mileage per week. Just peak for an
every-other-week long weekend run and run to maintain fitness in between.
I predict your most fun experience will be the half and if you have done
enough work you can race the whole way. But keep in mind the perceived
energy to do a marathon is almost four times the effort required to run a
half. Remember, all you will need is some light drinking and no food
during the half -- but drinking and eating is CRUCIAL during the marathon.

Timothy Carlson

  -+*%$%*+-+*%$%*+-+*%$%*+-+*%$%*+-+*%$%*+-+*%$%*+-+*%$%*+-+*%$%*+-+*%$%*+-

  *** The above ideas and opinions do  not reflect those of my employer ***
  -=+=-=+=-=+=-=+=-=+=-=+=-=+=-=+=-=+=-=+=-=+=-=+=-=+=-=+=-=+=-=+=-=+=-=+=-
  What's the ugliest part of your body?  Some say your nose.  Some say your
  toes.  But I think it's YOUR MIND.  I think it's your mind, woo woo. - FZ
  -+*%$%*+-+*%$%*+-+*%$%*+-+*%$%*+-+*%$%*+-+*%$%*+-+*%$%*+-+*%$%*+-+*%$%*+-
               No system can wipe these thoughts from my mind.