7:30 start. Joe Bell ran this race with me as a pacer. Target was 3:09:59 or BQ35-39. One of Joes college friends also joined us from lexington ky. His target was 3:05. Weather was good. 59 degrees and 94% humidity. course climbed a bit more than I expected. Overall a good race, but I missed my goal by 2 minutes.
1 through 4: 6:59, 7:01, 6:53, 7:04. Up hill about 100ft. feeling good and just settling in.
5 through 8: 6:57, :48, :56, :45, We climb another 85 feet and then a nice decent into town. Climb was gradual.decent was nice and the view was beautiful. A group joined in with us and we stuck together through about mile 18.
9 through 12: 6:51, :51, :51, 7:04. Feeling good and just enjoying the race. this part is flat and along shoreline drive. Nice running in a pack. I had the best cheering section of any along the route composed of my wife and kids. We pass them which is a big boost.
13 through 16: 6:54, :54, :54, 7:03 Back onto Presque Isle. A very steep climb and downhill, but they pass quickly. This race is two 13.1 loops. 1:31:10 at the half.
17 through 20: 7:12, :21, :54, :36. The climb is taxing me a little this time around. However, I know that once we peak, we are aided almost the rest of the way. Then just as we start the decent, my right hamstring cramps. I had to come to a complete stop and stretch it out. However, my ability to move efficiently was now gone.
21 through 24: 8:20, 7:58, 8:15, 8:39 I have a great running partner in Joe. He shuttled water to me and kept me focused finishing and working through the cramps. I decided to take a Gu gel about half way through 23. I had been holding off on doing so because I didn't know how my cramping would react to one. Hindsight, I should have taken one at mile 20 and then again around 22 because with the gatorade, water and gel things started to turn around.
25 through End: From 24.4 to 25.2 we climb roughly 100 ft then downhill to the end. Between the crowd, gel, Joe yelling at me, water and gatorade I'm able to muster up an 8:03 uphill mile for mile 25. Right now it is a last ditch effort to BQ. 7:10 for mile 26 and 2:32 for the last (0.29).
3:11:54
Overall a great weekend and so much fun running with Tim and Joe We hung out on the beach afterward and let the kids swim in Lake Superior. I would do it again.
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