Comeback races hit different. There's a particular kind of joy in toeing a start line after months of rebuilding — not knowing exactly what your body will give you, but showing up anyway. Today I ran the Brooks Lake Sammamish Half Marathon, and this one meant a lot.
Late last year I was sidelined with a running injury and had to rebuild from almost zero. Working with my PT Kerry in Bellevue and my coach Allison, we focused on healing first, then slowly layering in smart, sustainable training.
The plan for this cycle was simple: two runs a week (Thursday intervals and a Sunday long run) and three bike sessions to keep building endurance without overloading my legs. I did many of my long runs on the actual Lake Sammamish trail, so by race day the course felt familiar and friendly rather than intimidating. Divya picked up my bib earlier in the week, I laid everything out the afternoon before, and I arrived at the start around 6:40 am feeling unusually calm and present.
At the start line, I made a game‑time decision to line up with the 1:50 pacer—not because it was my planned goal, but to use that early energy to get moving, avoid congestion, and then settle into a more reasonable pace. I knew 1:50 was ambitious, but I was curious to see how long I could stay relaxed at that effort and whether I could still bring it home close to 2 hours. For the first three miles I stayed with the 1:50 group at about 8:20–8:30 pace, then eased into something I felt I could sustain.
I hit the halfway mark in 1:00:04 (9:14 pace) and felt encouraged, but by around mile 8 I could feel the early pace catching up with me. Instead of panicking, I made a very intentional choice: let go of the clock, run my own race, and focus on putting one foot in front of the other. I tried to hold things together through miles 9–11, and seeing coach Allison on the course gave me a huge boost and helped me lift my pace into the final stretch.
| Segment | Time | Avg Pace |
|---|---|---|
| First Half (0–6.5 mi) | 1:00:04 | 9:14 /mi |
| Second Half (6.5–13.1 mi) | 1:07:15 | 10:18 /mi |
| Overall | 2:07:19 | 9:43 /mi |
I crossed the finish line in 2:07:19 (9:43 pace), 1481 out of 2839 overall and 92 out of 151 in the M45–49 age group. This timing was also my personal best for a half marathon event. My friends Jyothi and Savit were there at the finish; Savit had a fantastic race himself, finishing around 2:06. My wife Divya and daughter were there, and my friend Kalesh and his family also came out to cheer. We celebrated at the finish with snacks, photos, and a lot of smiles.
This race reminded me that it really is about the journey, not just the outcome. Showing up for workouts when life is busy, trusting my coach, listening to my body, and being present on the start line—all of that mattered more than any single split. I'm happy with the time, proud of the comeback, and excited to keep building toward becoming a stronger, more durable endurance athlete.
Comments