Of Mice and Marathons

Much I could say about this race, and yet it seems to occasion little comment. (Also, my browser quit and my report was getting long even though the original had a similar opening).

I underestimated my fitness for this race, but I ran perhaps the best race I've run so far. Before I begin, I would also like to thank/apologize to the Rodin Museum for my use of its bushes.

The rich chocolatey goodness from my Timex (beautiful, simple device it is): 5:55, 5:52 +8 (I think I bumped the split button or double fired, so 6 flat), 6:01, 11:49 (miles 4 and 5, had to wave to Megan, missed mile 4, so 5:55ish average), 5:59, 5:56, 6:02.5 (just so I have nothing above 6:02), 6:02. 5:57, 5:51, 5:59, 5:51, 37 seconds. Not sure what happened at end because I definitely kicked faster than 6:10 if I was running 5:51.

The first mile was fast according to pre-race plan, but perfect effort. I knew I was in for a good day at mile 1-2. The first 4 miles felt easy on the approproate effort scale and I really felt comfortable until 10-11 and didn't really start dying until mile 12-12.75, which probably means my effort was close to ideal because I started to really feel it at that point.

Around miles 6-8 I was running with a woman and a few dudes. She politely asked that someone else take the pace, so I said "Thank you. I got you." I went in front our pack for a little bit, but she apparently didn't like my pacing because she pulled out in front of me again. (Fine. I tried. I can tell you are struggling. Have a nice race). She was getting advice from a dude on a bike who I thought was race support, but I think he was a friend and he started to annoy me. He said we were on 1:18 pace, and I was sure we were at least on 1:18, but I couldn't tell high/llow. I dropped her around mile 11 or 12.

Tangents were't great I am guessing though mile 8-10 and mile 12 (winding, but not difficult if you know how to navigate), but I did my best (I'm working on a theory about tangents and race perception, incidentally).  Got some encouragement from a guy who came up behind me and who ran just in front of me into the finish. I'll post a photo of me patting him on the back when I figure out how. I was very happy to see that I was near the 13 mile mark, but not to hear guy who encouraged us "you're almost home, just uphill to the finish." (It's a slight grade as it turns out). I could see the clock ticking 1:17:42 and knew I had 5 seconds for the chip but still ran with what I had left. I think I crossed at 1:17:55 or :56, with a chip time of 1:17:50. A PR of 3 minutes and 35 seconds (not to be too exact).

3 mile cool down, followed by some walking and a ridiculous brunch w/ mimosas w/ Megan.

I have one more key race this fall, at which I will mount an assault on the 75-76 minute mark.

Thanks to the blog community and Sasha. This space makes me a better runner and better person.

(I have no idea how to embed pics)

https://plus.google.com/photos/114497105256921785165/albums/5924437984633666753

AM: North side - 7 miles, averaged 8:20. Legs are tired, but not sore. Not bad for being on a plane last night and sleeping for 3 hours at a rest stop in my car.

PM: North side - 5 miles, averaged 8:09. Some non-localized, symmetrical soreness creeped in, but to be expected. More of the same all week I think. Easy doubles with paced determined by feel. Saturday's race will be a long AT tempo as I had already planned. Maybe closer to McMillian "steady state," but that's to be determined.

Report for Philadelphia Rock and Roll is up. I need to re-figure out the buttons for linking. My HTML experience is from the days of AngelFire and spinning GIFs.

AM: Off. Tried to get caught up on some sleep (the most overlooked aspect of recovery). Walked about a mile after dropping off my rental car.

PM: Spring Vale Cemetery - 10 miles easy, averaged 8:29

AM: Jesco Hills x 3 and some neighborhood meandering - 5.5 miles, averaged 8:25. When I started running 3 years ago (this week I think it was), I began running these hills. I'm not sure why I don't do them throughout the year. It's weird how loops and routes get retired, or semi-retired, and how some routes we plan never get onto the list after an inititial test run.

PM: Spring Vale Cemetery - 6.15 miles, averaged 8:15. Something I've been eating has been punching me in the stomach the last few days. I think a change in snack bars may be to blame. Happens so rarely that it's pretty easy to find the source (usually a substitute when I can't find my regulars).

AM: Off again, mostly for sleep. Work to be done, but also my weight dropped significantly from two days ago no doubt due to the war of Jason versus GI. Busy day, but I'll go home from campus and come back to fit something in for the afternoon. Trying to remember that last week wasn't really a recovery week (71 miles) because I had a big race to start this week and the 4 weeks before that I ran something like 86, 91, 94, 93, which were unprecedented peak mileage numbers in marathon training last spring.

Looking forward to getting some recovery the next two days and another race (well, workout/race) this weekend.

PM: Vinton Woods - 10 miles, averaged 7:53. Did some strides. Well, post-race legs kind of strides. Warm and humid (for September). Looking forward to the return of the fall weather so I can start getting up even earlier and doing what I like to refer to as "big boy" doubles.

AM: Got some decent sleep. Good for recovery and good for teaching apparently. I showed up with a cup and coffee and performed better than if I had a stack of books and 20 pages of notes.

PM: North side - 5.5 miles, no watch. First rainy run in months. Got one downpour toward the end of a run this summer, but no days you would call "rainy."

AM: Tippy Connect 15k. 3.15 up, 9.2 race, 2.1 down, 3 home. I was going to run this as a workout ~MP, but I decided to put on my singlet and flats and see what happened. There was $100 on the line for best 10/15k time and I thought if Brandon and Patrick didn't show (or at least Patrick) it would be doable. They were both there so I decided to run hard but sensibly. I would have been fine running under hour (6:25 pace) putting that down as a aerobic builder, but again it's hard not to race a bit :) I ran with Brandon for a bit. First mile was slow to take the temperature. Picked it up from there. At mile 8 Brandon turned and saw me and said: "[insert blasphemy], Dodge." That lit a fire in the old glutes. I had some mustard left for mile 9, but then I that was about it.

The rich chocolately goodness: 6:16, 6:09, 6:03, 5:53 (decent downhill in the last part), 5:40 (uphill. No, I'm kidding. Very downhill), 6:06 (some uphill, after a corner, then flat), 5:58, 6:25 (good bit of uphill, into the wind, after rounding a corner. I have a big head, and so on), 5:57, 60 seconds for .20 (5:00 pace, of course).

The course uses parts of the Boiler Maker half, so the first 4-5 markers were good (I am pretty sure that course is certified). I split long in the final miles (by just a touch). I think the partial is where the error is.

A good morning for me. I think I will skip out on the 15 miler with the boys tomorrow and run my usually 12-14 AM/PM. No sense being foolish. Today will be about 22-23 total for me and 12-13 for them and I am still recovering a bit (I would just guess).

PM: 4.25 miles, no watch.