2 mile easy warmup w/ 0.5 miles @ tempo pace (~ 6:20/mi). 13.1 miles in 1:25:53, 6:33/mi, HR 171. Weather was decent: overcast and 45F at the start. Race began 30 minutes late when three times the expected crowd showed up for race day registration. Good for me, since it gave me more time to do a decent warmup. Highlight of the race was getting directed off course...race director briefing at the start said to "follow the person in front of you" and the "white arrows" marking the course. Well, unfortunately, there were some white arrows that looked identical to the course markings that sent virtually everyone off course at one of two spots. In fact, the lead bicyclist, who'd marked the course, nearly got confused enough to go off course. Anyway, it wasn't a big detour (my post-race map recon shows a 0.35 mi add in my case....some people cut nearly a half-mile off). In any event, the course felt fast anyway, and garmin showed a 13.0 course *with* the detour. The first miles felt fast....according to the course markers, I was through 1 mile in 6:02 (6:06 garmin) and 2 miles in 12:26 (12:41 garmin), so I'm seriously doubting those were accurate, but I probably went out too fast. I felt good through 4 miles, okay through 9 and survived the last 4.1....legs felt tired more than I felt the aerobic strain. Took a gel at 9 but was wishing they had more water stops (only 1 that I found, but I passed it twice). My goal going in was to try to hit 6:30 miles as long as possible and run between 1:24 - 1:26, so I made that goal. I managed to beat my previous time from 2 years ago (1:26:15). If I take my average speed over the section where I added the extra mileage, I lost 2 minutes and 12 seconds, so that would've been good for a 1:23:41, which would've been a PR, but again, I think the course was short so my time was probably a bit more accurate. All in all, happy to run the race that I did. Now to recover while watching the Super Bowl.
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