I wore 2 pair of gloves with those hand warmer packs in between, because my hands get so cold, so I had trouble hitting the lap button on my Timex at the right times. Any, I will use splits per the St Jude Marathon website.
Started out near the 3:00 pace group with the intention of letting them go on by as I wanted 6:55-7:00 miles to start. However, much to my surprise, mile 1 was 7:24 and the pacer was right beside me, so I knew I needed to make up some time without going too hard. Pacer picked it up, but I let him and his group go ahead.
First 10k seemed fairly easy-42:32. I decided to try and run relaxed until the halfway point then pick up the pace.
I tucked in several seconds behind a group of half marathoners led by the local invitation only "elite" triathlon team about mile 5 or so.
We turned right into a park near the zoo. I'm clicking along behind these guys at a sub 7:00 pace looking at the ground and at some point between mile 8 and 9....WHAM!! I feel like a run into a telephone pole. As it turns out, one of these guys has stopped dead in the middle of the road to pick up something that he dropped, and I made square contact into his shoulder with my front tooth. It almost knocks me out, I see stars, make sure my tooth is still there, stretch my neck, CUSS REAL LOUD, and try to come to my senses. It took me about a mile or more to finally calm down as I knew I had bigger goals than to worry about this moron. Anyway, I passed them and looked back several times, showing my displeasure.
Mile 10-13.1 I tried to stay relaxed and calculate what it will take from there to sub 3.
1:30:55 at the halfway point. I knew, I have about 2 minutes to make up at about 10 seconds per mile. I felt pretty good though and picked up the pace. I saw a friend, Marty at mile 14 stretching his back and feeling pretty bad. I encouraged him and plodded on. He tells me that the 3 hour pacers are right up ahead and that they are on pace. I see them and a group of about 5 a minute or 2 ahead. Miles 14-20 are all 6:41-6:59 with most in the 6:40's.
It is at some point here that I think of Daremo telling me that Sub 3 "Aint" gonna happen-THANKS FOR THE MOTIVATION, RICK! I remember this form this point until the finish.
2:17:48 at the 20 mile mark. I still felt pretty good and decided to give it a go. During the second half of the race I probably passed 25 people and never got passed. I knew I needed a 42 minute 10k to get to sub 3.
I dug in and felt pretty good until about mile 25. I still felt OK at mile 25, but the fatigue was setting in. By mile 26 the 3:00 pace group now consisted of the pacer only. I never caught him, but he finished about :20 seconds ahead of me. The finish is in Autozone park. The racers enter the outfield fence and run around the warning track, down the baseline to the finish. When I entered the park, I saw my buddy TBone cheering for me and sprinted for the finish as I knew I had met the sub 3 goal!
Final 10k 41:55
Final time 2:59:43.

Nothing.

Meet up with wife and friends. Hurry back to hotel to warm up. My hands were freezing despite the 2 pr gloves as they had gotten wet from spilling water!