Columbus Ohio Marathon:
The long awaited Team QuaffON! trip to Ohio for the Nationwide Children's Hospital Columbus Marathon was a success. From the start we all had very specific goals and plans to accomplish those goals. One guy at 2:45 or less, and 2 of us with sub-2:50 goals. We also had several other members running the half. One of our faster friends had graciously agreed to pace us.
For those who may have never run this race, I highly recommend. We jogged overfrom the hotel in about 40 degree temps and stood aorund shivering for about 30 minutes in the corral. The start is done about as well as any marathon I have experienced. A well planned and timed montage of very loud AC/DC accompanied by fireworks leading up to the starting gun is nothing less than exhilirating!
Away we went in a crowded "A" corral right at 7:30a. We found ourselves easing right into our planned pace range - 6:25-6:35 (mostly on the lower end), and settled in to a nice large pack (about 20) by the first mile mark. We planned to stay in this range until 20 miles, and then, "go"
6:33, 28, 22, 25, 23, 23, 31, 25, 20, 25, 18, 26, 30, - through the half in 1:24:47 - very close to goal pace
6:20, 18, 23, 18, 19, 6:36 (quickly determined to be a recovery mile after some decent climbing preceding and heavy breathing from us this mile)
6:21 for mile 20, and then it was go time - we put the hammer down a little too quickly (for me)
Last 6.44 miles GPSed: 5:59, 6:09, 6:06, 6:29, 6:40, 6:42, and 2:45. I think this may have been the only small mistake today. Maybe ease it down to 6:15 first and then on down...
26.44 mi. - 2:48:53. New PR!
Several take aways: 1. Gels do not work for me any more. I ate half of a gel today and stuck to only gatorade and water the whole way. I can run the dsitance without if I am running the correct planned pace.
2. I can still manage 6:40's when the wheels are falling off, but shouldn't hop down too quickly in to a quicker pace in that last 10k. Treat that last 7-8 miles as a gradual cutdown.
3. Sticking to the plan and having a negative split marathon is the best way to go (duh!)
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