Pre Game We drove up to SLC on Thursday evening so I didn't have to do it the day before the race and to try and get a little acclimated. So Friday morning after a short run Mik'L, Myler and I went and drove the course. I found this very helpful come race time. First, so I had a feel for the course and second because we picked out a couple spots where Mik'L would meet me and give me a drink and GU. Ended up picking around mile 9.3 by Olympus High and around mile 16 coming down Van Winkle. These turned out to be pretty good choices for me during the race and for Mik'L to navigate to. The game Road up to the start with my siter-in-law who was running the half. We ended up getting up there at about 6:15 or about 45 min's before the race started. It was nice for the first round of potty stops because there was no line but later on the masses showed and I wasn't so lucky. Talked to Walter for a while and then we did around a mile warm up and eventually picked up Steve A and jogged a little more... went potty behind a tree and then made it to the start. The weather was almost perfect. Just a little warm but with the overcast it made it so the sun never came out and then it didn't really get hot later on anyways. Plus NO WIND so that was a win too. Before the gun went off we spotted the Kenyans and decided "oh well for the win" and that we'd just run to have a good race and have fun. So the race started and I really just tried to run EZ and not get sucked in with the halfers who also started with us.That plan worked until Sugarhouse park where we split from the halfers and I found out that I was in 3rd behind the two kenyans... and I was only like 40 seconds back. So from here to mile 10 I talked myself into going to get them. I was totally convinced I could and so I just kept it smooth to the half. Hit the half around 1:15:10 and felt fantastic. Had never left my comfort zone and really thought negative splitting was doable. But this only lasted one mile. Just after mile 14 as we hit Van Winkle street or expressway I started to struggle. I was expecting to run 5:35ish pace through here all the way down and about died when I saw a 6:10 17th mile appear. I was working through a side ache at 14ish and had to slow down and from then on I just never could get the legs to turn over. I was kind of bummed to drop such a horrible second half and almost a 5 min positive split when I had planned while driving the course to run it equal or a little negative. I kept my head above water until Liberty park but from there on in I really felt like I was sinking fast- well I actually was. But looking back though the splits it wasn't as bad as it felt. I was fully expecting to see a couple 8 min miles especially the 25 up State St to South Temple. That about did me in. But I was pumped to hear some of the crowed on State St say I was 2nd??? Didn't know or care where the other guy had gone. (later found out he was just a pacer and dropped at 18) Happy about the race overall. Time suffered a second half blow but I didn't come to run a PR effort race. Just a good spring race/ workout to get a little confidence up for the upcoming race season. Hopefully in 8 weeks at UV I'll be able to pull out all the stops and run for blood.
Splits by the mile
1. 5:39 5:35 5:18- Never felt like I was running that fast... but it was some good downhill.
5:23 5:41 6. 5:52- Around Sugarhouse park kind of a fun mile!
5:53 5:51 9. 6:00- See my wifey here and get some Gatorade and GU (I actually had them mixed)
10. 5:41- I think I hit the 10 mile mark in around 55 mins
5:41 5:55 13. 6:06- Not sure officially but I think I hit the half in 1:15:10
5:36 15. 5:47- All three of these were downhill on Van Winkle. I expected more:)
16. 5:53 17. 6:10 5:56 5:52 6:03 6:06 6:03 23. 6:18- Around Liberty Park and now dodging all the half marathoners...
6:14 25. 6:38- Up State St and entirely uphill to South Temple. I really thought this was a 8 min mile so when I got home a 6:38 didn't look too bad.
26. 6:14 Final .2 in 1:10 or 6:04 pace.
Happy to have spent my 32nd Birthday running a marathon. I got the positive race I needed so that was a good B-day gift. Not sure if I got any prizes as we jumped back on I-15 and came home... and being home is a nice gift too.
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