The Long Run

Looped around the nbhd, out to Trinity Blvd and back to Tamarind, then up and down Robert Trent Jones with stop at golf course water then back to Trinity Blvd heading south before coming back home. This run was better than expected. Was planning on going slower but the pace I ended up with felt easy. Slowed a little on purpose the second to last mile, then pushed the last mile a little faster down to 7:12
Knee was incrementally better, concentrated on good form which helped.

Easy feeling run, woke up in time for 6 miles. No sluggishness to start with which was nice.

Easy run around the nbhd and out and back past the golf course.

Ran at Longleaf with the Striders. Warmed up 1 mile, then 3 miles under 8:00, followed by 4 mile tempo run, goal was sub 6:40, splits: 6:27, 6:23, 6:21, 6:18. It was hard but I didn't feel like I was struggling the whole time. I haven't seen these splits for quite some time.

Shorter run in the neighborhood this morning, tapering and low on time.

Started from Diane's house at 6:00 with Jamie and Cynthia, ran towards the park, inside for a few miles then turned back. Easy conversational pace most of the way, picked up the last two miles to 7:40 and 7:17

Ran at the Y with the Striders. Caught up to Joe at the water stop and ran the rest of the way with him. I slowed down a bit the last mile, but it was ok.

Easy pace at first, then picked it up the last mile (slightly more than planned). Went from my house out to the last nbhd before Robert Trent Jones hits Trinity. 4th mile was a 6:42 but I was aiming for 7:10-7:15. Accidental speed, I hope it's a good sign.

I did a one mile warm-up at 8:46, and then thought I'd do one or two miles around a 7:30 pace, I did 7:19, 7:11, 7:19, and 6:46, followed by a short cool down. The faster miles felt pretty good.

Can't believe Boston has come and gone already. Was looking like it might have been very rainy and miserable, but instead the rain wasn't so bad and not at all miserable. First half was 1:37:16 which should have been ok, but the second 5k was a bit too fast.

Just before mile 9 I started thinking I should slow down a little bit. I didn't slow down much and going through Wellesly college I felt good of course from all the cheering but not super.

Next two miles were just a little slower, followed by one faster for mile 16. Then, for the rest of the race I'd only have one more mile under 8:00 pace (but fortunately didn't get into the 9:00's). As always, getting to the Citgo sign was a great feeling, almost got under 8:00 for mile 26, and then kicked it in the rest of the way. I had a similar pattern to Clearwater, but was a minute faster the first half and about a minute and a half in the second half. When I got to the point of slowing down I just kept on trying to make sure I'd beat my last Boston time (2011, 3:27:00). And this time, at 3:24:42 it was technically a BQ time. Maybe I'll take another shot at it before September.

Before the race, I had plans to try and meet up with a group from home racing at a 3:15 goal. They hit the half at 1:36, not sure if I would have fallen apart more if I would have hung on better. The Striders "herd" group started in wave 3 and stuck together, helping each other to run a solid 3:25:25, they had much more even splits. Here are my splits (I tried to sync up the garmin and mile markers a few times but gave up eventually):

1. 7:49
2. 7:24 (+:09)
3. 7:12
4. 6:59 - a little too fast, too early
5. 7:18 (+:06)
6. 7:06
7. 7:16 (+:09)
8. 7:23
9. 7:19
10. 7:31
11. 7:29
12. 7:22 (+:14)
13. 7:28
14. 7:41 - these two miles I slowed down a little on purpose
15. 7:42
16. 7:16 (+:14) - after this I gave up trying to sync up garmin and mile markers
17. 8:12
18. 8:19 - at the start of this mile I dropped a gel on the ground and fumbled around a bit to pick it up
19. 7:47
20. 8:01
21. 8:31 - heartbreak hill
22. 8:35 - a bit of a sidestitch
23. 8:13 - then felt a little bit better
24. 8:45 - but slowed down again
25. 8:05 - until the last two miles
26. 8:02  and 26.2 - 6:50@0.43

Blessing in disguise that I stopped trying to stay sync'd up with mile markers since it made my final kick a little longer, wish it was even longer than that!

Of all the things that could have been much worse I'm grateful for all that did go well. Enjoyed the time before and after the race, seeing friends, wandering the city and just taking it all in. Really hope I can come back next year!