Going into this thing I was asked what my goal was. I replied I didn't have one. Forced to predict in my head what I could do, I was only allowing myself to think sub 1:30, potentially in the 127-28 range from thinking that I could go faster than my split from Thunder Road. After that, I was untrustworthy to predict lower. Perhaps a moment I thought about the fact that I could run a personal best, with somehow just having a great day since I was going to be pretty fresh not having run since Tuesday - but I didn't allow that thought to feed.
The 7:15am start was pretty unpopular as I went to bed the night before; nonetheless, I awoke without more problems than usual, and felt close to normal once Mike Mitchell and I set off for a warm up jog. My belly had been filled by a wonderful cheese ravioli the night before, and a cliff bar and two cliff gel chews prior to towing the line. Wasn't a huge field, and was able to get out without any stress at all.
Noticed I was sub 6 min pace the first half of mile 1, then I settled myself, and the first hill of the course right on mile on Blossom St. slowed it down too. The course was very hilly. Steep climbs from the first mile all the way though the whole race course, as well as steep descents. The hills seemed more rolling and steeper than Charlotte, while maybe not as long. The second mile I slowed up a bit as I climbed a larger hill on the course before the mile marker. Miles 3 and 4 I started to find my rhythm and the participants started to settle in. Where I found myself was locked in about 20 yards off a small pack of full marathoners who were going just under or right at 6:30 pace. They had found their groove ahead of me, and I kept them within reach until the course did a weird little detour for the half marathon guys, which funneled me out in front of them around mile 5 or 6. My 6th mile was a good bit faster, but I think I was just cruising off a nice stretch of flat/downhill. Now being in front of the pack, I only had a few strewn out bodies in front of me to keep an eye on.
After the first half of the race, I started to feel in control and was grooved into a pace. As I started the second half of my race. I kept the reins on and continued to focus on staying in the pace while I managed the ups and downs of the streets. The couple guys I could see where still out of striking distance, but I managed to keep them in my sights. Body one was maybe 70 yards in front of me and person number 2 in my view was maybe 150 yards in front.
Physically, I was not feeling too taxed in the legs, and my aerobic capacity felt very comfortable. Mentally, I had Gotye's "Somebody that I used to Know" playing in my head, and I used that phrase to keep me moving forward to people ahead so I could pass them and pretend the song applied to them "somebody that I used to know" as they moved behind me. In my mind, I told myself to get more aggressive with 5 miles left, and see if I can pick it up.
that 9th mile (1st of the last 5 of the race - where I was supposed to notch it up) I did pick up the pace, but my split remained in the 630 range thanks to a very large hill which momentarily put me over 7 min pace while I climbed. Still, I pressed on, and the 10th mile I had a nice split riding some downhill. With three miles to go, I wanted to surge, but another huge hill was in the way. Miles 10-12 had the longest hills of the course.
Two miles to go, I was coming closer to the man in front of me. Having gotten some large hills out of the way, and sensing the end, I started pressing on harder towards him. I was able to get my strength back, and started pulling him in and picking up my pace. One mile to go, and I had him about 30 yards ahead, and the guy in front of him was maybe 50 yards ahead of me. The first quarter mile of that 13 mile I fell asleep - I know this because I looked at my watch and saw 12.26 and reacted with some better turnover and a spirit to start letting it out. I was reeling them in, and got the man in front of me just after 12.5. The guy in front of him was coming to me too and shortly there after I got him, as we made our final turn and had the +.1 downhill finish ahead. I got up on my toes and darted in toward the finish. I know some of those repeats helped me with the speed that final mile.
It felt like a big accomplishment to hang on, and get the two guys in front of me that I had had my eye on for over 6 miles.
As the finish clock came into view while I was coming in, I was surprised and happy to see that I was going to get a P.R. and get under 1:25. I knew Mitchell and Carson, my old teammates and still current good friends, had done very well in the race, and I sensed I contributed to that good day with a nice finish myself. (Mike WON and Carson was 2nd!)
The race was nice. No complaints by me. Luckily I was wearing my Garmin, otherwise I would probably have liked to have seen more mile markers on the course - but that didn't bother me.
My Race Splits: 6:20, 6:42, 6:30, 6:28, 6:41, 6:21, 6:32, 6:30, 6:29, 6:24, 6:38, 6:27, 5:53, .47 (.15) = 1:24.46, 6:28 ppm, 5th place overall
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/157052420 - GARMIN Map, Data, Etc.
http://results.active.com/pages/displayNonGru.jsp?pubID=3&rsID=124575
**Looking back, I think I need to be more agressive the entire race, starting earlier obviously. This was only my second half marathon, and I am still learning. I perhaps was too respectful towards the distance, and think I don't have to be - for I might not hit the wall in the half, like you can easily in the full. I was unsure of my training, but am able to still run pretty well. Now, I'm hoping to take this encouragement and work from the race into the next few weeks as I go into Boston. I am a little more optomistic after this, that I have a punchers chance of running a PR in the full up in Beantown next month. Still not a great chance at this point, and I'm still primarily concerned with enjoying the experience as opposed to getting hung up on a PR, but We'll see...**
after cool down (2 miles) = 17 miles for day
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