Leg 1: I was really happy with my ability to hold back on this first leg. I usually start out too fast and like to be competitive. I just kept calm. Got rained on with a terrible head wind.
6.05 miles/7:08 pace Time: 43:08
Leg 3: In all my years of doing LtoL I have never run this leg. They changed it from previous years. Once again calm and relaxed, no need to force anything.
4.22 miles/7:15 pace Time: 30:36
Leg 5: Enjoyed this leg because I got to run by Ava's grave and blow some kisses. I tracked down a big buff guy in the last mile. I didn't force anything.
3.94 miles/7:22 pace Time: 29:03
Leg 7: During the 6th leg my Dad told me how he was struggling and told me that I might need to bail him out on Leg 10. This made me a little nervous because I knew I would eventually hit a wall, probably on Leg 9. This news changed my strategy for Leg 7 and Leg 9. So I intentionally backed to an 8 minute pace thinking it would be more sustainable down the road. Saw Janz, Logan, and my brother Justin (3 track coaches). He came out to run with me for a little bit. It was nice, I haven't run with him for years.
4.74 miles/7:57 pace Time: 37:43
Leg 9: Well well well.....I wussed out. The wind was really bad and it was a very difficult leg. Plus I was thinking about having to run half of Leg 10. After 20 miles my legs start to fall apart, this isn't anything new. I walked a couple of times. When I finally got to the turn with about a mile to go the head wind was the worst I experienced all day. I was in the same wet clothes and I was miserable. I wish I could've been more mentally tough.
5.89 miles/10:09 pace Time: 59:50
Leg 10: My Dad knew I struggled on Leg 9 so he wanted to tackle as much of Leg 10 as he could. It kind of came down to who could run faster at this point in the race? I told him to see if he could get through 5 of the 7 miles and then I would run the last 2 miles. I changed out of my wet clothes, put on the Carbon Rockets, and got ready to pound out 2 miles. My Dad was running like a 10 minute mile pace. I was able to run a little faster for the last 2.
1.96 miles/8:30 pace Time: 16:37
It was cold, windy, and a little rainy. All in all it was a good day for me. I really feel like I am in good shape and shaping up for a good race at Charleston. This is huge for me because February was a rough month on my training. I am content and loving running again.
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