HELVETIA HALF PREVIEW & FIRST THURSDAY

The board with locations for raffle ticket pickup.

Today I went to First Thursday at Fit Right NW. It was the first time I have gone to this event and it was quite the experience. They said there were over 800 people there today. Holy crap!

The run is an "urban adventure" run, meaning they reveal a large board at 6pm with various locations you can run to in order to collect raffle tickets. You have one hour to collect as many tickets as you can, then you loop back to the store and they have a giant raffle.

With the event so large, you didn't really need to look at the map, you could just follow the masses of people running about. I took a picture of the board and struck off on my own though because I wanted the "adventure" part. I ended up hitting all the ticket spots and totaled about 4 miles on my run. It wasn't quite as hard as a normal run as I went at about 9:00/mi and there was also a lot of stops for traffic or to wait in line for a ticket.

Once you got back there was a big bucket you put your tickets in and then also a bunch of vendor booths you could visit. There was also a beer line, but by the time I got back at 7pm the line was too long and I figured they'd ID me anyways (forgot to bring it). That was alright though, I scored some Muscle Milk and a VISO so I got my freebies worth.

Overall, I might go back, but I don't know. Honestly, it is just out of control big. There is a similar adventure type run at Road Runner Sports in my hometown of Tualatin that I think I'll like more. They have beer and prizes and it's in Tualatin, which I know like the back of my hand. I'll give it a try the next time they do it!

Helvetia Half course. Click to enbiggen.

On Saturday I have the Helvetia Half Marathon. It's a race I've been wanting to do for a while and I got a free entry for volunteering at the Hippie Chick Half a few weeks back. Since the course is hilly and I am running a nice, flat half marathon in a couple more weeks, I have decided to take this race easy and "enjoy myself."

And by "take it easy" I plan to line up and follow the 8:00/mile pacer for the first eight miles. Since booking it up at 250 foot hill at 8 minutes a mile is enjoyable and whatnot.

I hope to feel pretty good eight miles in running at an 8 min/mile clip. If I'm feeling spunky I plan to crank it up at that point and leave the pace group behind down the downhill and for those final five miles. Maybe I can bring those home in 7:40 or so? If am able to do that, I'd finish in about 1:43 or so, not far off my old record before shattering it in Corvallis in April. I can then try and get a PR at the Foot Traffic Flat on July 4th since this is just not a PR course.

That being said, I have to scoff a little bit at reputation about how hilly and difficult this half marathon is. Sure, there is a hill, and that hill will suck, but it isn't bad as a whole. There is that one hill, yes, but other than that, not much. Maybe the course will look different not on a computer screen, but I'm looking at those first flat 3 miles and the final flat 5 miles and thinking this course won't completely kick my ass.

Since this is a "fun run" I don't have A, B, and C goals. Although, I do have a goal. Sub 1:45. Other than getting that I plan to enjoy myself, something I have never done on a race before!