Philippians 4:13

A really good race for me today and I want to thank God for my strength and focus today!  Finished in 2:40:18 for first overall and I believe I broke the Masters' course record! 

A really well supported smaller race with great swag (a tech shirt and a great gear bag).  The race starts and ends at the same place (a local high school) with lots of parking and a warm place to wait until right before the start.  I sucked down a PowerBar Gel, did a 2 mile or so warmup (about 14 minutes) then got to the starting line.  A beautiful day for a race, high 30's to low 40's and lots of sunshine.  A good breeze out of the northwest made from mile 8 to 19 a bit harder but easily manageable.

My strategy for this race was different than most of my others as I wanted to run even splits so I went out a bit easier and it paid off as I had gas left at the end of the race to maintain a decent pace (not slow a lot like other marathons).  Fueling was good through the race using th PowerBar Gels so that added to the strategy.  I ended up running the first half in 1:19:45ish at the official HM mark and the second half in 1:20:40ish so not too bad, I think I could have done a bit better in those last 5 miles if I knew I was being pushed more. 

I went out at about 6:10-6:12 pace for the first 5-6 miles and ran with a HM guy (Sergio Flores from Logan!!  He lives in Baltimore after playing professional soccer.  Thanks for the company and taking the wind dude you were a big help!) which helped a lot.  Up to 6.5M I was in second place then I hit the downhill 0.5M section hard and kept pushing back up the hill after the turnaround and dropped second place for good (ended up just under 4 minutes ahead at the end).  Sergio was great taking the wind until the HM split and he took my sleeves for me so I could pick them back up from him at the finish (he ended up in 4th place!). 

After that, it was really lonely and windy and it felt like uphill the whole way until the turnaround at 19M.   At the turn around I saw that I was up on second place by about 0.75M and I was still pulling away based on how he was running, so I might have mentally relaxed and lost a few seconds per mile.  On the way back I realized it wasn't quite uphill but good rollers.  At mile 24 my left calf started twinging so I had to back off to about 6:12 pace to the finish but that is much better than I have ever done (except SGM!).  I came through the finish and for the first time in my 3 wins broke the tape!  I am very happy with the result, would have liked sub 2:40 but will take this time and the win (a old guy from Idaho wins a marathon in Maryland...go figure!). 

Overall very happy with the result and I believe I ran dang close to even splits (I will check the GPS soon to verify).  I even had a chance to shower after the race before the awards then stuck around to chat with the other runners (including the women's winner and Sergio and a 68 year old who ran a 3:24!).  Nice plaque and $$$!! 

Now off to enjoy the afternoon and the nice day (looking for souvenirs for my kids). 

Splits:

1-6:04

2-6:12

3-6:15

4-6:10

5-6:06

6-6:00

7-5:42

8-6:05

9-6:02

10-5:57

11-5:54

12-5:57

13-6:02

14-5:58

15-6:06

16-6:05

17-6:04

18-6:04

19-6:07

20-6:04

21-6:05

22-6:12

23-6:12

24-6:13

25-6:11

26-6:16

0.2 (0.35M on GPS)-2:10

Recovery day!  Slept like crap last night...legs hurt, stomach hurt, finally got to sleep and slept until about 7am (very late for me). 

Time to kill today until I pick up a colleague and head to our meeting location.  Beautiful day here in Baltimore, too bad I am too sore to go for a run!   I ended up going to downtown Annapolis and walking around for a few hours and spending some time just chilling on the docks by the bay.  Afterwards, went to a HUGE outlet mall to look some more for stuff for the family.  I will count all the walking as 2M easy recovery. 

After a good night of drinking with the boys last night, got up early to get in a recovery run nice and easy.  The first 3M sucked as my legs were a bit stiff and I had a side stitch I just couldn't get rid of.  After that, the stitch went away and I finished 7 laps on the high school track and ran back to the hotel for 6M in 51:08.

Off to a day of meetings that went ok.  The weather is fabulous so after work I had to go out in the 60 degree temps and ran 4M in 28 flat with no shirt on...another first for the year!  A highlight of the trip.  Then off to dinner and drinks with the fellas...

Oh, yeah, did I mention that I got to DRIVE a M1 Abrams tank today...now that was fun, what a rush.  Damn, that is what makes me like this job again!

7M early before breakfast and work.  1.25M to the high school, 18 laps of  the track and back in 52:18.  Nice and easy on a cool but pleasant morning.  1 more day of work then heading home early tomorrow.  

Finished up with work meetings then headed to the hotel by the airport.  It is a beautiful day outside (55, no wind, partly cloudy) so I decided to get a run in as I don't know if I will get one tomorrow.  5M in 39:40 on the BWI trail.  Nice, now I am excited to get back home.

Got up early to get the airport to check in bags then did 2M of walking up and down the terminal before boarding the flight (first class again!).  In SLC, walked 2M miles waiting for the flight, so I will count this as 2M easy. 

After getting home, I went for a mile run with my son who did it in 9:40, then I finished off 5M in 40 minutes on a sunny, cool and windy afternoon.  It is good to be home!

I slept in and went out around 7:15am after Kami got back from spinning.  Cool temps, sunny skies and no wind!  Nice and easy 7:43 average pace for the run in 1:17:22 for 10.05 miles.  Now for a day with the family.  

11.12M this morning in 1:30:37.  Most of the run was with Rob (robpod) and Andrea in cool, cloudy and mostly calm weather.  Nice to get out and run with good friends.  My left leg is a bit tight, especially the calf and achilles so I will watch it, stretch and massage and maybe take tomorrow off (busy day at church and with family anyway).