Denouement

Race start was 6:40 so I had my alarm set for 4:40 but woke up at 2:38am and tossed and turned until race time.  I thought I had plenty of time to get ready starting at 4:25, leaving at 5:20am, but didn’t get a chance to stretch at home.  Stretched on the MTR (subway) and then at the start.  16-17C for the start temperature, about as good as we could have hoped for.  A bit windy though.  At the start I saw Curtis and Coach talking, and I told Curtis that it was too bad he wanted to run faster than me, because I would love to have him to pace me, and they had been talking about just that before I arrived, and Curtis had agreed to run with me for 10k at 4:00 pace.  The plan was 4:00 pace, trying to break 2:50, but up to 2:52 would be ok, since this race is just an intense workout in preparation for Boston.  I went into the elite starting area, and there were over 100 people in the small area, so I couldn’t find Curtis for about 8 minutes, but we found each other with a couple minutes until start time.  We saw Chris, another Italia Running Club member and convince him to run with us. 

We start a bit fast, and after a k I have a cramp in my high rib cage.  I tell the men I have it, and they give me some advice.  I am glad I got the cramp early, because I think I was able to keep calm and get rid of it (blowing out strongly a couple of times a minute) after about 6 minutes.  At 3k, I saw my kids, who had traveled to an unfamiliar MTR stop to cheer me on. I yell at them back, “Go team Lowry!”.  From 3k to 9k it was gradual uphill, up an overpass then a big bridge.  Curtis is going a bit faster than I want to, but I just hang back, and figure it is better to go 5 sec/k too fast with help, than to go 4:00/k pace on my own.  First 5k was 19:59, perfect.  The 10^th k is downhill off the bridge into a tunnel, and Curtis says the time is 39:47 I think, the 2^nd 5k was about 19:48.  I have the 5k-15k stretch as being 39:30, so 3:57/k.  I am still running with Curtis, and he indicates that he will probably speed up at By this time we are close to one 180 turn and see a huge lady pack way ahead of me, about 8-9 ladies, a couple of straggling ladies, and a secondary pack with a couple of ladies and some men.  My 4^th 5k was 19:42 (3:57 pace) then the ½ marathon split was 1:23:21.  I was panicking a bit about going out too fast. The first half felt a bit too fast, not as comfortable as I planned, but I was comparing the experience to Yokohama, where I went out too fast and crashed and burned bad.  At Yokohama I think I came in the half at 1:22:30, felt worse (already lactic build up), this time I knew I was in better shape, and came through the half slower, and felt better, so I hoped I would be able to continue the race strongly.  By the ½ way point, I knew (from a second 180 turn) that I was 3 minutes behind the nearest lady, and was far enough ahead of the ladies behind that I would not get passed unless I slowed significantly.  We went into a second tunnel at about 23k, and at 24k we were still in the tunnel and Curtis took off.  This 5k was net downhill and I got 19:19.  25k down, and I thought:  I have 17k to go.  Not a good thought.  I was feeling the need to go to the bathroom and took the 29k portapotty, got 20:07 for that 5k including the potty stop.  I think about 3-4 guys passed me.  I reeled in two guys in red singlets and black bandanas (how cute—racing twins) and we traded leads for the next several k.  This section is downhill, and then more downhill into a tunnel that goes below the Hong Kong Harbor, a 2k tunnel that takes us from Kowloon side to the Island.  So the downhill into the tunnel is steep and I am thinking, man I have to come up this on the other side!  No garmin in the tunnel so I try to keep in contact with the two red singlet twins, who are running stronger than me now.  I try to run efficiently, even though I am tired.   I reach 35k in the middle of the tunnel: 19:36 for the 5k, good, so 3:55/k.  36 k is 4:09 coming out of the tunnel, not bad. As we go uphill out of the tunnel, I try to just keep in touch with the red guys and other guys that are with them. One red guy breaks away and passes two other men.  The other one fades.  After the 36k marker, I continue uphill and turn, and hit some bad headwind with no one to block me.  The hill levels, then I have another uphill.  There are guys ahead of me but I am having a hard time getting back sub 4:00.  I try to throw down a “hammer” or surge, but only cut the distance in half between me and the guy ahead, so I continue to battle the wind alone.  I am headed for a 4:20 for about half a k but settle down into a bit faster pace. The 8^th 5k (including the 4:09 36^th k) is 21:00, so 4:12/k. I am trying to just slow the bleeding because I know I am headed for sub 2:50. Last 2.2k is 9:00, which was more like 4:12, then sub 4:00 for the last k. It was very inspiring to see the 1k to go sign.  I picked it up, but knew I had more in the tank, but thought, “this is good enough for this race”.

My watch said 2:48:16, but official time listed was 2:48:17.  My second best marathon to date, on a challenging course (perhaps two minutes slower than a pancake flat marathon).  I don’t feel sore all over my body this evening, though I am tired, so I think I did a good job balancing the desire to race well, but not race-race this.  I didn’t want to kill this race then be too depleted and beat up to continue my training for Boston.  I will be taking it easy this next week but then will continue on with my training.

Paul ran his first marathon and had a hard time, foot hurt from 12 miles on, almost quit twice, but he finished, I think because he was afraid of my scorn if he didn’t.  He could have gone sub 4:00 if he had had a good day, but he got about 4:35. 

Official results are not in, will fill in my place when they are released tomorrow.