keeping with the theme of late to the party realizations, with not registering for the event until yesterday, and not even considering what a PR pace would mean...until last night as i lay in bed, the prospects of earning a lifetime best as even a thought at this seemingly unspectacular point in my running were not put into conscious, sub or otherwise, were only given with the slightest of possibility.
The temperature and weather overall (aside from a *slight* headwind...only in places) were indeed spectacular, and my preparations- diet, sleep, health were all gracefully present....but my training seemed to - in looking back - only reveal a decent trajectory to approaching what i had done back when i was getting Half and Full PRs back in 2011-2012, still seeming a few months away - if i were to keep the discipline. Yet on a really good day, with everything working in my favor - and as i had mentioned, those things were checking off...perhaps i had a slim outside shot. And there before me, within the first two miles what laid before me was no doubt the secret ingredient that would launch me into a really good chance or keeping Charlotte perfect with it's doling out of running high-marks.
Brian Baum was found moments before as we gathered at the start of the race, and with the gun - he, naturally, went, and i settled back - but quickly realizing the pace a bit swifter than anticipated.
For me, with running, you have to be disciplined. The marathon being the most requisite. Yet with the half marathon, it's not so short that you go into great lactic buildup with too quick a start like a 5k, and not so long that you bonk hard and have a death march like the full. Even the 10k i think can be a little more delicate with having to hold the thin line on pace, and endurance. The half no doubt is critical, but as an experienced runner may tell you - you know instinctively what your pace more or less feels like (usually) and what your pace/economy needs to be to keep it even, or with enough gas to still drop and not leave too much early race time out on the course.
For me, with running, you have to be disciplined. The marathon being the most requisite. Yet with the half marathon, it's not so short that you go into great lactic buildup with too quick a start like a 5k, and not so long that you bonk hard and have a death march like the full. Even the 10k i think can be a little more delicate with having to hold the thin line on pace, and endurance. The half no doubt is critical, but as an experienced runner may tell you - you know instinctively what your pace more or less feels like (usually) and what your pace/economy needs to be to keep it even, or with enough gas to still drop and not leave too much early race time out on the course.
so there i was, with baum coming to me at mile 2...on a downhill...okay. I know i hit the downs a little faster than most given my longer legs, but i was not in a place that felt overwhelmingly too fast to sustain for 13.1 miles. something i think about, today being no different, is, if i'm ahead of the pace a little bit it at least gives me a cushion. Sometimes this backfires (see Chicago 2017), but sometimes if you are really being honest with yourself and feeling like a gambler, it can really pay off. Ideally, you might like to negative split, but sometimes you just have to go with it and hang on. That's what is inspiring me lately...i think from reading Bill Rodgers book "marathoning" where he basically just went for it and came out out of the gates into world class stardom by hitting it hard early.
Another indicator i was in a little bit of uncharted territory was being in front of the Charlotte Running legend, Paul Mainwaring. Now, he was running the Full - so I won't pretend anything here, but we shot a few encouraging messages to each other last night and he told me he would be looking for 6:15 pace. What kind of got me wondering, was seeing Dan Matena at the Expo and his spurring me on to get after it and perhaps check in with those guys who might be hitting my pace. i don't think i was even serious about wearing flats until he gave me the gas to get in race mode. thankful for that.
the first 3 miles were even. 607, and 1824 at three miles (didn't get mile 2) *note: my garmin was a bit off early from the downtime miles, perhaps pinging signals off the skyscrapers. 6:28 was my pace for my old PR, so there i was with a bit of that cushion i was talking about. At this point Baum was basically beside me (minimal) or just out in front. There wasn't much package around, with a group (paul, the winning female in the half, and another) and another guy who popped in and out for the first 8 miles....then Baum, also alone...playing carrot to my donkey :)
on the rolling course, i would gain ground on the downhills and he would retake on the ups. Only once on the ups would i surge past him...going up providence for a bit when i felt my pace slack off and i knew it was too early to start succumbing to any thoughts of "where i should be".
the course was laced with nice pockets of live music, speakers, and spectators encouraging and providing needed boosts to spur me along. to note: the live band on providence playing a song that escapes me now - a dixie tune with nice acoustic guitar, Bruce Springsteen "I'm on fire", brian's wife Sue on the bike cheering me, Megan Filnow cheering me, Hovis cheering me, a stranger on Morehead giving great encouragement (she seemed like a coach the way she knew what to say, seeing me), and a Rolling Stones tune - that is also escaping me at the moment (i'm a little tired writing this, while watching Bama and LSU) and of course the whole way of seeing Baum, being in front of the great Paul - for the first 8 miles...and being in place to get a PR with the clock ticking on my age!
as Baum would go on to start making his gap grow from mile 9 (up morehead) to the end, i was able to hold on and knew - just from being aware of how i felt, that i could hang on to the pace if i stayed focused. Getting through latta park was a chore, but once I started going down on West Blvd and had a couple miles to go I ran with confidence and increased joy. I thought of a lot of things....all the runs i've done....my training....my family....my friends out there racing, here and elsewhere (josh brewer doing Shut In in Asheville)....and fed off any fan that offered support, in to the end. I also thought of my form, which lately i've paid more attention to, and really think it is key when you get tired as you can keep the fall off at bay with being aware and intentionally keeping as an efficient (think choppy....steps per minute) stride as can be.
on the last 5k of the race I thought i was going to hold on to a sub 124, but closing I was easily in under 123....122:26 for a PR by 2 mins and 20 seconds.
*my official 10mile split was a PR (unofficial as splits don't technically count in running) - 1:02:34 (6:15 pace)...by almost 4 minutes!
*my official 10mile split was a PR (unofficial as splits don't technically count in running) - 1:02:34 (6:15 pace)...by almost 4 minutes!
what a joyous blessing it was to be able to etch a new PR on this almost 35 year old body after more than half a lifetime of running. onward we go!
https://connect.garmin.com/mod
https://runsignup.com/Race/Results/17795/IndividualResult/FNcN?#U31748639 - race results
13th overall, 6th age group 30-34, 12th male overall 6:18 pace
13th overall, 6th age group 30-34, 12th male overall 6:18 pace
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