BEST PERFORMANCE TO DATE. I AM SO HAPPY. I placed 3rd in my division (40-49) and found a 20 dollar bill in the road during mile 8 and pretty much hit my "A" goal which was 3:19:59. I wanted to be in the teens but I'll settle for 7 seconds over. I also wanted the sub 3:20 so I could register earlier for Boston. I still feel pretty certain getting in because last year took about 3 weeks to sell out, but you never know. This race was cold, it rained for most of the race, I'm not sure exactly when it stopped, probably just after mile 22, that when I took my headband off. My hands were so cold I had a very difficult time manipulating my energy gels. My hands just didn't work, difficult to get them out of my shorts, impossible to open with my hands, had to rip them open with my teeth and I could barley hold on to the packet tight enough. Very difficult to manipulate all the gel out of the pack but I got most of it. Other than that, the rain and cold did not bother me, in fact, I liked it. Perfect marathoning weather. There Van Winkle was cold once we hit 5600 south. That stretch from 5600 south to 1300 east was cold and windy. My strategy was to pace the first half at a 3:19 - sub 3:20 pace and then see what happens from there. I figured that if I hit the half pacing a 3:20 then If I ran 8:00 pace max the 2nd half I'd hit my BQ. I knew I was strong enough to at least hold 8's the 2nd half. That was worse case scenario. I hit the half at 1:39:38 which was PERFECT! Pace was 7:36. I really felt good an started to think I had a legitimate chance of 3:19 - sub 3:20. My 2nd half was 1:40:28. Wow, just figured that up, less than 1 minute, 50 seconds to be exact. 7:40 pace for the 2nd half. This is the most even split I've ever run. It took me enough times, this was my 18th marathon. I've had a goal to bring home hardware in a marathon and it happened today. I knew it was a matter of time because the marathon is becoming a little watered down in Utah. There use to be what, about 5 marathons in Utah? Now there are easily over 10 so I got it by attrition. Oh well, the 3rd place medal is around my neck as I type this, and it's real nice! It's a replica of the finishers metal but solid gold in color with none of the detail painted. I came in 7 seconds ahead Bill Cobler, Bill, I know you pop in here now and again, if you happen to read this, what happend? While I'm naming names, Rob Murphy, thanks for not running this marathon. Here's the splits 1 7:14 2 7:15 3 7:32 4 7:32 5 7:27 5 7:49 6 7:49 7 7:41 8 7:48 9 7:30 10 7:30 11 7:41 12 7:58 13 7:29 14 7:27 15 7:33 16 7:44 17 7:47 18 7:52 19 7:49 20 7:36 21 7:32 22 7:37 23 7:52 24-25-26 to finish averaged 7:44 Mile 25 was in the wrong spot because I know I did not run a 10:35 mile. This kind of screwed me up with my sub 3:20, I knew I was very very close and was running and hard as I could but If I would have known at mile 25 just how close I may have found those extra 7 seconds, then again, maybe not, I was putting out all I could. I didn't know what my splits were the last 2.2 until I got home and could throw it into the computer. I'm happy that I was still hammering 7:44's because it felt slower. Me and my 3rd place metal are VERY HAPPY! got a little pub from the Desnews at the start line. 
| 