I have mixed feelings about this one...
Prior to the race Shelly asked what my goals were. I told her I didn't think I was ready to improve my PR even on a fast course in great conditions. This course is tough and it was pretty warm. I told her I wasn't that concerned about my time and just wanted to compete. Of course, that is runner-speak for "I really do care about my time, and I want to break 90 minutes again."
The weatherman this morning noted that the race was today and he declared it was a "perfect day to run a race". Sorry, no. Finish line temps of 70F with bright clear skies is a "perfect day to watch a race" but not run one. Give me 50 and overcast please.
I have averaged about 65 miles in each of the last 5 weeks. Last week I ran 67, and my only concession for this race was an extra cross-training day. I normally cross-train on Fridays to give my running muscles a rest prior to weekend long runs. This week I did cross-training on Thursday and Friday. That was my only rest prior to the race. Some of my online running buddies can race with virtually no rest from training and still run impressive races. They are studs though, and that is just the ladies. I did not have an impressive race, and fatigue could have contributed.
She looks awesome for 42 doesn't she!..???. LOL. That is how the official race results list her age. I'm not going to reveal her actual age but I will say it isn't anything close to 42.
I lined up about 30 people from the front of the race because that is about where I expected to finish. At the starting line I recognized several people from previous races. One guy and one girl in particular stood out because we always seem to run similar times. I decided to stay close to them in the early miles as a way of holding myself back.
As the race started though, we all apparently lost our minds. I didn't know it until mile 2 though. I somehow missed the mile 1 marker and at mile 2 I was very surprised to see 13:10. That was definitely too fast for this day, especially since the last couple of miles are brutal. I knew I had to back off the pace and save some energy. I let all the speed demons go on without me and dropped my pace back. Running those first 2 miles too fast though was a mistake.
That guy I mentioned that normally runs about my speed, I caught him at the 11 mile marker. The girl? I caught her at 12. From about mile 10 to 12 was a long, slow incline that certainly slowed us down but was manageable. I was trying to recall if that was really all there was. It had been a month or so since I last looked at the course elevation. Gee, this isn't that bad. Then, ooof, mile 12 is about 6% grade. At the end of the race, that is just mean.
I finished in 1:32:00, first out of 65 in my age group, and 26th overall out of 1166 runners. With that age group win, I got to get my picture taken with Dick Beardsley, famous for the 1982 Boston Marathon duel with Alberto Salazar.After this race I'm trying to evaluate where I am. I know I made some mistakes and I know the course and conditions weren't ideal. I am capable of running faster than this, but even still, I'm disappointed. I was hoping I was in good enough shape that I could break 90 even with some issues.
I guess I need to run more.
