Chaire Herodikos Selymbriaios!

I wasn't expecting a particularly impressive time - but undercut my low expectations. Have only been running seriously again since mid-April and the idea here was simply to use this as a training run, completing a 47-mile week, but had been aiming for about 1:37. Many basic things went haywire. Had to get up at 4:30am to drive out to Tanglewood in time to pick up the race packet and had been intending to go to bed early but couldn't fall asleep until 12:30 or so. Ate dinner (spaghetti and tomato sauce) very late. It was a beautiful course but there turned out to be no prize money so the field was small with not very skilled runners -- the competition push was more or less absent. Finally, a very hilly course, which is all to the good.

 Started out according to plan at 7:15 or so and intended to stay in the 7:20-7:30 range the whole race. By mile 6 though I was in real gastrointestinal distress. Spaghetti's revenge. Took a two minute pit stop, which helped a bit, but then tried to make the time up too fast and not only got into a bad heart rate/breathing pattern but brought on a recurrence of  the stomach problem.  The upshot was an 8:05 mile and then an 8:30 mile, which was all she wrote. Started feeling good again around mile 8, but by that time was three or four minutes back of the lead pack and didn't get the usual boost from being around stronger runners. Tootled along at 7:25 and didn't really make up any more time. The last two miles were largely uphill.

Anyway, as a training run it was good, but as a race -- not sore at all, meaning presumably that I left a lot out there. Will try to get over 50 this week including the mileage from today.  

Picked up some samples of Generation UCAN, which Meb seems to be endorsing. Interested in it more as a way of regulating my blood sugar at night but we'll see if it has any performance benefit. If anyone else is using it I'd be interested to hear about their experience.

Will dig up the Garmin and post splits for archival purposes at some point. Not sure if there's a course elevation map. It was the inaugural run of this race. Well organized I thought.

Postscript -- Splits:

1 - 7:10 (went out too fast)

2- 7:43 (paid for it)

3- 7:22

4- 7:17

5- 7:44 (kind of gassed)

6- 7:37

7- 7:31

8- 8:06 (gassed)

9- 8:28 (really gassed)

10- 7:34 (catching my breath, but it's all old guys back here)

11- 7:24

12- 7:36

13- 7:35

13.1 - :53 (wheeeee... half-full tank)

Out on the Cape! Did a quick one before moving in, along Seaview Drive in Wellfleet. Beautiful morning.

Back in Boston for meetings. Very humid morning, came back totally soaked.

visiting Miriam in Philly, was hoping for a full run but it was hard to get it in after the train arrived, very hot out. Just jogged around Narberth after dark. Still aiming for 50+ this week.

Went out in the morning around 7:30, still was hot and humid. Totally soaked and dripping all over the road by mile 5. Probably a bit dehydrated too, not many fountains working. Route was Miriam's house in Narberth to Fairmount Park, along the river up to Montgomery, then planning to do the Belmont loop but found myself in urgent need of a toilet. Problem! All the permanent toilets turned out to be closed -- it was kind of comic, I would feel this sense of relief as one appeared in the distance only to   discover it was locked. Finally located a portapot but cut back to Parkside Drive early. Then ran a bit too far on Merion Road and got lost for a while in Mainline Philly, just as well since it made up the miles lost to the Portapot Detour.

The sociological contrast between gritty area on Parkside past Overbrook and Lower Merion was striking.

Parched by the time I got home, but an enjoyable run overall. Will do it again tomorrow, a bit earlier.

Same route, Fairmount to the river then back through the park, but I did it right this time and even hit the portapot at just the right moment. About 1:30 for the run.  Went out earlier and today is somewhat more pleasant anyway.