Odd run. I decided to run a 1/2 marathon on much of the same course I normally run on, hills and all, just to see what time I could do. I thought an 11:00 pace would be good. When I got to the park, I got caught up in the Nike Women's Marathon. I tried to stay separate from the runners, but it was too awkward with all the barricades and water stations. I ended up passing the finish line just as Samuelson crossed the line (she was running the half) and she and the other women were so fast! I've never seen the end of a long race before and I was impressed by their kicks! And I continued to be impressed by all the women passing me by as I plodded along in the middle of their race for a few miles before our paths diverged. A couple of my miles were fast, going up hill on JFK, and I attribute that to getting caught up in the enthusiasm of the race, but in the end I don't think it was a good thing because I really flagged towards the end of my run going up the steep hills. In the end I did it in 2:22:19, a 10:51 pace. My legs were tight the whole way, I never really loosened up.
The McMillan Calculator says I could do it at 9:52, using my best 3M pace. Perhaps on a flatter course, but I'm not sure. Using my 1/2 marathon pace, it says a marathon in 5:00:09. I don't like that at all!
I am going to start tracking my PRs like I see the other more accomplished runners do on this site. Maybe it seems a little goofy since I am not even running any races yet, but I want to see the improvement that I am feeling and track those milestones over time.
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