26.71 on the garmin, lots of turns and I studied the course. Some people ran almost 2km more on thier garmin's. 327:14. At 26.2 I was 323:01, I was a bit dissapointed so I had no desire to sprint in to the finish.
3 @ 22:17 - crazy start, so many people to deal with, 15,000 runners but Chicago was not a problem. The first 2 miles were quite stressful.
3@ 21:26 - felt good, settled in.
3@ 21:39 - although lots of coble stone etc, I thought at this pnt that I better ease a bit and settle in for awhile. But of course as things were looking good I started to deal with my right side stitch. It was not like Dublin at all but I had to keep blowing out quick breaths to get rid of it.
3@ 21:16 - Obviously 7:05 pace was pretty good but I don't remember much. I do remember saying to myself after I left the 315 balloons (pace team) that maybe this is the day. It was weird because I really had a gut feeling that I would not run under 315 today but at the same time I was sure at this pnt I would accomplish it. I do remember the wind was picking up but it was very nice for temp.
3@ 22:16 - 7:24, 15 miles is where the pace team was catching me and instead of running my own race I let it bother me and started to panic. I need to learn that I could have set back and tried to regain my composure but I stressed and I think at the end of 15 I finally had to stop.
*** Instead of thinking I am done for running under 315, I need to be more aware that I was well under pace and maybe a quick 1 min walk and a few mins of regaining pace could have helped me but I started to panic and had many walk breaks because of the pain in my side. There is nothing more frustrating than this during a marathon because your legs are ok but the stitch is unbareable.
3@ 24:37 - can't recall how many walk breaks but at the end of this split I knew I had to run the last 8 miles in 1 hour to make it, which is a cake walk on a regular lunch day but not with a stitch. I made the best of it and then set my goals on finishing.
I am proud of the last 3-4 miles because I had to run huntched over while breathing out, I decided to not walk anylonger and just get it done, no idea of the pace but it seemed like I was running like a turtle. The good thing is I did not sprint or even try to run fast for the last mile as I knew it would only make me more sore for the rest of Rome so I jogged in to the finish. I think 327 is respectable considering the pain I was in for the last half.
I need to figure out this stitch thing because I don't know what I am capable of until I run a marthon without it.
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