The goal was to finish under 2:10. The plan was to run 10 min/miles for the first 10 miles, pick up the pace a bit for the next two miles, and gut it out the last mile.

Started off slow, 10:27 for the first mile and 10:10 for the second mile. Picked up the pace to about 9:30 min/mile until I found the 4:15 pace group and hung with them almost to the split between the half and full courses. Through 10 miles I was :35 ahead of my goal pace and feeling good.

The hills caught up with me as I left Piedmont Park. 10th Street and Juniper were not fun. My legs were tired and heavy and my pace slowed to about 10:30. I lost all the time I had picked up over the past few miles. The 12th mile was just as much a mental battle as it was physical. I was trying to pick up the pace but couldn't sustain it for more than a minute or two. The last water station I took some water just to have an excuse to walk a few steps. Mentally I was starting to give up, my goal time was out of reach and my legs were tired.

Saw the 1 mile to go sign and felt better. Looked at my watch and thought that I had a slight chance of reaching my goal. Picked up the pace and felt good enough. I finished steady but had nothing left to really sprint to the finish. Missed my goal by 2:30.



This was a good run for me, not much I could have done better on race day. The problem is that I had forgotten how hilly this course is and did not train appropriately for the hills.

Walking, stretching, and refueling.


Training has been less than consistent and most of my runs have been on relatively flat terrain.