Wanted a PR (sub 1:58:30) but with off season focus being on the bike I wasn't sure what to expect. Plan was to try and lock into a pace of 8:45-8:50 and stay with it as long as possible. I have tried this plan before, but things always seem to fall apart the last 3 miles.

Started out with some encouraging words from Firstnet911 on the bullhorn (I love that thing) This course starts out very flat and with the excitement of the start there is a temptation to go out too fast. I really resisted and tried to stay in with in my goal pace. First mile was about a 8:35. From mile 2 to 7ish (turn around) kept a very steady pace, right were I wanted to be and felt pretty comfortable. I had decided to wear mittens because it was in the '30s when we started. However those got warm pretty quick and I took them off. Craig (Firstnet911)was kind enough to take my sweaty mittens from me. Saw my friend Kyle and all my Donkey friends (Morey1, Cweinger, Talltridad, and Amyjotris) out there and didn't miss any high-fives ;). What I did miss was the turn around. It was not really marked. There were several cones on each side of the road at the turn around. I didn't want to short it, so I crossed the street. A volunteer yelled at me to come back. So I actually ran an additional 10 feet. ;) Anyway the first few miles after the turn around are generally down hillish, so my splits were actually ahead of where I wanted to be and I was still feeling good. Then I got visions of a superdooper PR and started to prepare my 1:50 finisher speech. Then mile 10 hit. I put the speech away. I was familiar with the feeling of the wheels coming off at this point. However, I kept pushing that feeling off. I had tried to be smarter with my nutrition taking in gels at 30min, 60 min. and drinking some Perpetuem I had in the fuel belt at mile 9. This seem to pay off. I faded to 9:10 and 9:05s, but no 10s. When I got to mile 12 I knew that, absent walking the last mile, I would make a PR. I picked it up a little and crossed the finish line feeling like crap, but a good crap. Saw JoeRunner, who promptly told me to walk around before my muscles got too tight (smart advice.)


Spend all winter run training. However, I am not complaining about a 3 minute PR.

Walked around as per JoeRunner's instruction. Talked to everybody about their race. Ate the scraps of food they had left (bananas and nuts)


Not enough run training and genetics


I have some bigger goals this year and am very pleased with these results. Not where I want to be, but I think a good sign that I'm heading in the right direction.