The Extra 2 miles are an estimate, probably on the low side, I got up early and ran around for 15 min. to get the system going, also did a 10 minute warmup at the starting line: Anyway to the Race: I got a dose of marathon humble pie... I thought I was good for atleast a low 3:20 and if every thing went well upper 3 teens... needless to say neither happened! I started the race very conservative, I wanted to do the first half in the same time as last year 1:41 and then let it go for the 2nd half: That was the plan and it started very very well: first part breakdown: mile 1: 7:40
mile 2: 7:40
mile 3: 7:26
mile 4: 7:28
mile 5: 8:03(stopped to shed long sleeve shirt and pee break)
mile 6: 7:39
mile 7: 7:35
mile 8: 7:39
mile 9: 7:50
mile 10: 8:03
mile 11: 8:04
mile 12: 8:02
mile 13: 8:02 (these 8's were rolling around the dam, actually felt reall good and didn't try to push too much)
mile 14: 7:55(met Nick Fisher at the Eden park and he got me going a bit, this is where I expected to start feeling better and it just didn't happen)
mile 15: 8:11(up the steep hill, felt ok)
mile 16: 7:56
mile 17: 8:15
mile 18: 8:02(miles 15-20 were the miles I expected to do very well in, drop down into the 7:30 range but I just didn't have the get up today???)
(also during this section I told Fish to take off and run his speed down the canyon, he was doing this as a training run and I didn't want to hold him back... and I told him to pick me up again at the bottom, which he very kindly did)
mile 19: 8:08
mile 20: 8:00
mile 21: 8:24
mile 22: 8:51(not sure why this one was slow, must have walked as I was eating a GU)
mile 23: 8:03(last respectable mile)
mile 24: 8:44(latched on to Fish and he led me home, I just stayed right behind him and pushed through the last few miles, it was good to have him for this last part, i was suffering at this point!)
mile 25: 9:13(my only mile in the 9's which I was happy about, as I was running I felt like the last few were well into the 9's)
mile 26: 8:55(no 9 but close, trying to push but nothing left)
last .36 on my watch: 3:04(finished and darn happy to do so...)
Race assesment: Pilates, Pilates, Pilates... this is the only thing I can see that is different, I haven't done pilates consistently for about 10 months. This is good and bad to know, good cause I can't believe what having a solid core does for running and bad cause it is so expensive to do on a consistent basis! Also I failed to mention my right upper upper hamstring has been an issue for 8-9 months and I wonder if that is affecting my running efficiency, it really shot down the back of my leg today, I don't feel like it affects my running stride, but I wonder!!
The race was good to suffer through, the last few miles I felt like any different stride I would cramp up and fall down, and after the race I was very lightheaded and had to lie down for awhile, so overall who knows I put it on the Pilates but it very well could be a combo of things.
Also anyone else think the water and gatorade tasted horrible?? yuck that stuff was bad!! But I must also say I feel this race is run first class the GOAL volunteers are awesome!
Also great job to everyone else who ran!
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