Had a great time running this race and hats off to the Pocatello Marathon for a well put together race!
Last Wed. I was stretching and felt my left hamstring start to ache and not feel right. It just didn't go away all week long and was still there on race morning. I decided to run it as planed and just take it as far as it will carry me. My plan was to run the first half or so under pace and from the hill before the high school and on to the finish at 10-15 seconds over pace if needed. Is this the best way to run most races - no - but it is what worked last year and I PR'd and made it into Boston. Saturday was a PR also so I hope it makes it into Boston. We will see in two weeks.
Met the group at the start line and talked and had a great time. Lined up and the race got started and we were headinng down the hill and I was just in an easy run for the first mile and felt my hammy from the very start, after the first mile I moved the pace up to the planned race pace and just got comfortable. The miles went by quick and before I knew it I was at mile 6.5 on the up and back section of the course and saw Lynette coming down as I was heading up and saw Glen and Andrea on the down part of it. I was feeling good other then this hammy was just there and not getting any worse nor any better so I just kept going with it.
At mile 10 or so I saw Dane R. up ahead of me and I was getting closer and closer and pased him just before mile 11. Now that made me smile and feel good and even had to give myself an ataboy :-) Got to the half and saw Gray, Rex, and Rob as they were running down the road as a w/u and got some great energy from them. The course is now flatten out and could now feel the hamstring alittle more but not to bad. Made it through Inkom and was starting up a 1.25 mile uphill and just didn't want to push to hard on this and cause this thing to cramp up. Got up it and on the way down the other side and felt good going down.
Got to mile 20.5 and going up the Century High hill and my pace slowed alot, but got to the top and just kept it slow for a while and tryed to just recoup and get up to pace again. I now slowed the pace down to 10-15 sec below pace and felt the hamstring starting to get tight now around mile 23 and was just hoping it will hold off. I still feel very good and breathing was low but it was just the dang hamstring that was the problem. But still felt like I was able to hit a 3:13 time if it held out.
Ok, got to mile 24 and it didn't want to play any more and just locked up and had to stop for 30 to 40 sec to stretch it out and got going again and it happend again at mile 25 and had to stop and stretch again. The 3:13 was out of the question and now just was hoping to make it under the 3:15 mark but was just short of that by 13 sec. But this was a new PR for me and was so happy with my time considering the conditions. I love this race and the course challenges me.
Splits was 1-7:45, 2-7:07, 3-7:16, 4-7:12, 5-7:08, 6-7:11, 7-7:18, 8-7:16, 9-7:09, 10-7:04, 11-6:59, 12-6:54, 13-7:28, 14-7:00, 15-7:23, 16-7:37 (hill), 17-7:37 (hill), 18-7:27, 19-7:17, 20-7:35, 21-8:26 (more hills), 22-8:18, 23- 7:36, 24 and 25 I had cramp issues and forgot to push the lap button, but the time for the two miles was 15:57, and the last 1.23 miles was 9:03 time at 7:22 pace.
Great race and organization and will be back next year. | 