Well, this is an unofficial race report. I'll have to wait for the official results to come in, but here is what I had according to my watch.
Beatiful day with race temps approaching 50 degrees at the start. The sun had just come up a few minutes before the race started and it with the downtown buildings there was virtually no wind. By the end of the race the temps and the wind had kicked up. I think by the race finish it was into the 60s and quite windy. Well, on to the splits and time.
I had myself unofficially at 3:11:31 which is good enough for BQ and an average pace of 7:19s. Considering the terrible taper week I had with the injury last weekend I'm pleased with this time. Everything was going great until I got into mile 21. The course began to undulate considerably more than I realized with probably 4 or 5 1/4 mile uphill gut checks into the wind. My pace took a nose dive here. To be honest I knew at this piont as long as I could keep the legs moving I was good to go for BQ so I didn't feel as pressed to keep my pace steady and just ran on what I felt was necessary to maintain without a major bonk.
Splits were as follows:
1- 7:34
2- 7:02 (ever so slight downhill grade, but I may have gotten caught up in the 1/2ers pace pick up -- 10,000 1/2ers and only 3,000 full marathoners all starting together)
3- 7:20 (back to where I want to be now)
4- 7:14
5- 7:12 (Gu at 5.5)
6- 7:08
7- 7:11
8- 7:10
9&10- 14:07 (7:03s, missed a mile mark)
11- 7:25 (bit of an uphill section here and I've just entered Forest Park - Gu at 11)
12- 7:13 (passed Nancy here, I'm shocked at her pace, didn't know she had this kind of pace in her, she's running 5th)
13- 7:07
(13.1 Chiptime: 1:34:36)
14- 7:25 (leaving Forest Park now, part of this mile was the beginning of about a 2.5 mile steady uphill climb)
15- 7:16
16- 7:12 (Very pleased with the climb to the top and my splits are very consistant, at this point in the race. I've got about a mile to go before I begin the climb back down into Forest Park - Gu somewhere in this mile I think)
17- 7:12
18- 7:13 (solid 1/4 mile hill in this mile)
19- 7:14 (into the rolling downhill section, legs getting heavy and muscles sore, downhill is working my quads over)
20- 7:15 (coming off the downhill and back into Forest Park, I'm starting to have to play little games with myself like 1 mile to your last Gu)
21- 7:18 (hit a Gu and now I'm telling myself 2 miles until I see my friend/coach Tracey)
22- 7:32 (leaving Forest Park again, weight of my legs is beginning to take its toll and the first of the rolling hills of the last 10k is in front of me, I can tell I'm falling off the pace)
23- 7:41 (Crap! Did not realize how many rolling hills there were in this last section of the course - Tracey was not at the mile mark, I'm starting to say things like, just keep moving, get home and you don't ever have to do one of these things again)
24- 7:40 (The wind and the hills are really taking its toll, but I know that as long as I keep my legs moving I'm home for BQ with the time I've got banked- Tracey was here, thinking she was at 23 and worried about my pace, she asks if I need anything and I reply 'just 2 more miles, can you give me that?')
25- 7:44 (Looking at the watch now and telling myself, just keep the legs moving, do that and you've got it, stop once and its over, Matt was here cheering me on, I think I gave him a look of utter pain)
26- 7:22 (a touch of a downhill here before the last final uphill push, I know I've got it made now ... Ugh! just got passed by a chic [there's 4 of them ahead of me now])
26.2- 1:35 (I've just qualified for Boston and the only thought in my head is .... forget that, I'm never doing another one of these again)
(26.2 Chiptime 3:11:31)
Overall I would say the experience was a good one. Felt great through 18 and then the legs got heavy, the hills kicked up, and the wind picked up. I felt like I ran a relatively smart race on a fairly tough course. Not sure what the winning time was. More updates as results become official.
(Nike Vomero2 - 326.4) | 