Pretty good day. Humid and 68-70 degrees. Side stitch in the last ~1.5 miles. Cost me about 30 seconds there. A little quick to start (5:48) but purely effort based. Report to follow. For now it's epic brunch with Megan.
A really good weekend for elites here. Smoking fast times. And how about Deena Kastor?
REPORT
The last 7-10 days it's been in the lower to mid-fifties at night, but on Saturday the low was going to be 66-68. I knew my chances for a cool race like last year (~45-52 degrees) weren't going to happen so I just had to go with what I could do. It wasn't super warm but it was humid and it did affect me a bit.
Warmed up for 18 minutes and used the bushes in the Rodin Museum before doing a few strides and getting to the line. I felt quite good during the warmup, so I thought maybe I could run strong. Got out a bit fast but I felt pretty good, but then I got nervous and slowed a bit. Early on I recognized a runner from Maine who is faster than me, so I figured I would keep him in sight and see what the day brought. I passed him around mile 4 or 5 I think and he went through the first mile in ~5:44. Not sure what his training has been like or if it was a bit warm for him.
Effort felt pretty good early, but it wasn't easy (not red lining like I was the whole way when I set my PR). Ran with some folks here and there but ran pretty much by myself after Falls Bridge and coming down Martin Luther King by Fairmount Park East. Caught up with some guys around mile 11, but I started to get a side stitch (always happens during a marathon around 22-24 but never in training or shorter races), so I lost some seconds in those miles. Kicked past a guy at the end and I don't think got passed after the 5-6 mile mark.
I felt pretty good that I didn't bleed too bad in the last two miles (it felt more ugly than it shows in the splits). I was not happy because I tend to run my fastest splits in the final 5k on flat courses (as you should). I took sips of water and a little Gatorade, but I guess I wasn't hydrated enough or the fluids messed me up.
This is the third time I have broken 1:20, so that was good but I am hoping to continue to run much faster. Satisfied with the time today even though I wanted and tried for faster. Time to focus on the marathon though. Unless I find another half my half in late October will be a long MP tempo/long run most likely.
32 minute cool down. No shakeout run. I felt the time on my feet was sufficient this morning. I'll recover until at least Friday and see where I am at for a possible aerobic tempo.
Rich, chocolatey goodness: 5:48, 6:03, 5:58, 5:52, 5:58, 5:53, 5:59, 5:59, 6:05, 5:59, 5:57, 6:15, 6:18, 36.7
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