I'm not even sure how to start this entry. I'm inclined to say it was a "bummer" race but this was so crazy that you almost have to laugh at it. Last year I would have been disappointed if I would have run anything less that a sub 2:30- so this year after all the work and miles I've put in and I ran a 2:31- well it just leaves me speechless. The wind was horrible and the rain just got annoying. No it wasn't worse than Boston in 2007, but what was worse was the fact that I didn't have anyone to draft behind with the exception of the very first mile... so in the end it made for a worse overall race performance. Things were slow from the start. We hit the first mile and someone said 6 min's and I looked at the watch and it was 6 flat. Around 30 seconds slower than the plan. Then it just kept getting worse. I hit the half in 1:16:10- the plan was for 1:11 high or 1:12 mid. I almost pulled out at the half thinking "why" why even push to the end and trash the body up. What could I possibly gain? The only reason I kept pushing was because I knew I was ready for a great, hard, fast race and I thought I'd just really hammer the second half and see what happened. Well nothing really happened. I did catch a few guys at around mile 19 (Sasha, Jeff, Dave D, and Nick M- who kept having to stop and retie his shoe and eventually left me again. I pushed into wind all race at the front of the pack until the base of Veyo hill and then when I slowed down going up Veyo and the pack dropped me and a new one formed with me and the 3rd place guy and a couple Japan runners. Then they all sat back and I broke trail until 23 or so and the 3rd place guy who had been sitting on me all race went ahead and at that point I was starting to feel the effects of my efforts. You have no control over the weather and everyone had to deal with it so I really can't be too upset about that. The thing that really bugs me is that I can always finish on this course. On the good downhill coming into town I can roll and bring it home. So today that was the only think I was counting on and then I got there and couldn't get things to move. I finished so bad today and it cost me 2 or three spots place wise. My splits were horrible so I'm not putting them up. In fact I've been to worked up to even look back through them. At this point it really doesn't matter. They wont be helpful to me in the future for anything. I feel bad for everyone that had to pound through the weather today, and if you were the one in the front of your little pack I feel worse for you because you were working harder than the guy 3 feet behind you. In a race you can't physically force someone to take the lead and break the wind for you. With the exception of a few blessed runners everyone was 10 or so min's slower than goal pace. Some up to 15 and others maybe only like 8. Me personally 12. Like I said this was so crazy and weird that you really just have to laugh about it. The ironic part is the conditions didn't seem to slow the winner down too much at all. He must have eaten his Wheaties this morning. I may come back to this and add more later but for now this works. (SS#2- 84.6)
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