Really good run. I felt like I'd gone out a bit fast because of adrenaline, but I was able to keep up the pace. The course markers were not noticeable so I only knew where I was once I'd gone four miles. I tried to pick up the pace a bit after that. When I got to the turn-around (4.75 or so), things got much better. I passed the 5 mile timing pad at 46:41 (on my watch - it registered me when I passed on the other side of the street). At that point, I knew I was on track to beat my PR from last year, so I really started to push it. I saw the bridge in the distance (the course turned in under it) and put all my focus into I almost skipped the last water station because it was so close to the end. Good thing I didn't, because I had the wrong bridge. I was focused on the Ben Franklin bridge, but really the course turned in under an overpass - the entrance to Penn's Landing. Mentally, it was a blow to realize I had that much more to go (really not too much, but it looked like it). I had a hard time keeping myself in it, but I tried to keep up my tough pace to the end. My surge to the finish line was not a sprint, and almost didn't come at all, because my breathing got way out of control in the last tenth of a mile down to the finish chute. As soon as I got into the chute, though, I was able to power through and accelerate across the line (and shock Jeff, who clearly wasn't expecting to see me yet and didn't notice me until I was right in front of him).

I did not walk the entire time (apart from three or four steps at water stops - I still fail at drinking while actively running).

I feel like I could have had a better race if I knew where in the course I was. If I'd had some motivational splits early on (like fast mile and 5K splits), I might have been able to dig down even deeper. Still, I did really well on the first half despite having no idea where I was, so maybe I don't need the pacing advice as much as I think.

Give me another gorgeous day like this and I can throw down a 5K PR for sure. My 24-year-old self has got nothing on my 34-year-old self.

Walked around. Stretched out my exhausted hamstrings. Had my complimentary grilled cheese (a bad choice, but I missed the healthy food in the finish chute because I ducked out to see Jeff more quickly, so I didn't realize there were other options). When we got home, I took an epsom salt bath.


Training. I hadn't run this distance since Steelman in mid-August. I cut down my run distances after that because I was focusing on the Hightstown sprint. I didn't realize that was only two weeks before this race. Even if I had, though, I'm not sure I would have run longer. I've been in a huge time crunch since September started.


The course was a good, flat one, but the race itself was weird. They were trying to set some kind of world record by running races simultaneously in dozens of cities. Even with that pressure, we started late. The pre-race announcer was impossible to hear because the sound system was way over to the side away from the start chute. On the course itself, there was no crowd support and very little supportive spirit from other racers. Usually, I see lots of people cheering each other on during the race, but this time I only encountered one or two others doing it. I did a great time, but didn't end feeling like I was a part of the race.