They all can't be "easy" runs.

We got to the race @ 6:00 am. It was raining. Not a heavy downpour, but enough to make folks huddle under awnings. I lined up half way between the 7 minute pace and the 8 minute pace signs. I talked to a couple of guys that were doing the half. I was prepared for the rain with my garbage bag raincoat. Those guys were not. I may have learned some stuff over the last couple of races.

The course is a 2 lap course, with some serious hills (by floridian standards) between 4-10, and again at 17-23. The half and the full start at the same time. (Also, this race had relay racers, that ended up having a wierd impact on me. When a dude flies by you on fresh legs at mile 18, it is a bit of a kick in the gut.) When I have run races like this before, there is a proportion of @ 2/3 Half-ers, 1/3 Full runners. This race was more like 5/6 half-ers, so I knew there was a chance that I would be alone on the second loop.  So, again!, I misfired my watch at the start. This is a lesson I have not learned. Spouse says "Man, you need to get a handle on that!" I have done this enough times, that it is almost comedy. The race started at 7:03, so when I looked at my watch at mile 1, it said 7:09, which is what I thought was my pace. When 2 guys running next to me later said they were running 6:45 pace, I re-checked my watch, and realized it was set for Date / Time. So I ran the whole race blind, again. That makes 3 marathons with no watch, BTW! I felt like I was moving at a comfortable manageble pace, but as ususal, I was faster than I wanted. I rained for the first 5 miles. My socks were soaked. At @ mile 14 I knew I was in trouble, but I held on. It was almost worse knowing the hills that were coming up, but I kept on pushing, and never stopped. The worst hill is the last one at mile 9/22ish. For about 2 miles, I was trading places with this guy wearing all black. we rounded that near-hairpin corner at mile 22, he looked up the hill, and just stopped. I saw him later at the post race party (Which was great).

I have a church function to go to now, so I'm going to finish this later.

Ah, dang it! I just finished typing it and lost it!

~~Okay, if this doesn’t work, I give up.
Nutrition: usually I take a gu packet every 40 minutes, drink water on the first half, drink gatorade on the second half. Something went vurpy after the second gu, so I stopped with those altogether, and alternated Gatorade and water at the remaining stops.
This is the most spectator-friendly course I have ever run. There was an opportunity for my family to see me at several points along the race course. I saw them at the half. However, with the rain, they spent the majority of the time inside the hall where the post-race party was, watching for me on the big screen monitor. It all worked out, because they became experts in the BBQ there, and had some great advice.
This is the most Y’all yelling crowd I have ever experienced. “Y’all are looking good!” “Keep it up, Y’all!” I had to laugh after a while.
Splits: Notice the standard decline from 7’s to 8’s.
10k     00:42:46    7:01 pace
15k     01:04:54    7:23 pace
25k     01:48:27    7:20 pace
30k     02:12:09    7:39 pace
35k     02:44:48    8:04 pace
Finish 03:16:27    7:55 pace
This is what I do. Another “Well, given the circumstances..” race. It’s always something. I’m not sure I would have done much better, had I correctly started my watch, or if it were not raining. This is just where I am right now. Maybe things will line up again someday for a PR. Right now, it is all right to be looking forward to that. I got a bit spoiled early on, when the PR’s came easily.
I promised the boys we would go swimming in the hotel pool after the race, even if the heater was still broken. I made it to mid thigh. It was stupid cold, but great therapy. Don’t call family services on me, but my 2 lunatics went swimming for about a minute. It was great watching them psych themselves up to jump.
If there is a PR to be awarded here, it is to spouse. She is really nailing it with these family vacations, built around my silly hobby. It’s like I find the most generic town, and say I want to run a race there. Then she figures out all of the coolest stuff to schedule for the kids, on the days surrounding the race. Another trip where I’m left saying “Who would have thought Birmingham was so cool?” Anyhow, we went out for sushi after the race. She loves that stuff, I don’t. It was kind of her victory dinner.
Savannah is next, and I just realized how Forrest Gump-y this year is going to be for me!