a.m. RACE: Grandmas Marathon, 21st place
| time: | 2:35:56 |
| pace: | 5:57 |
| 10k: | 35:08 |
| 13.1: | 1:14:22 |
| 20 mile: | 1:54:37 |
| 25 mile: | 2:27:05 |
| last 10k: | 41:19 |
| chip time: | 2:35:55 |
Well, in absolute terms the race didn't go very well, but in relative terms I fared better than most and came away pleased that I gutted it out Saturday. Sometimes that is all you can do.
On the starting line I knew 2:25-2:26 was not a reasonable go. Warm temperature and high humidity made me feel sticky even at 7:00 a.m. Looking at the cloudless sky indicated that it would probably get worse, not better as we got closer to Duluth. I adjusted my goal to hit halfway in 1:15 and I came in just a under that.
I had some rough patches from 13M to 16.5M and if Katie had been at 16M like she planned I probably would have stepped off the course. I was getting that woozy feeling that precedes a big crash. I was worried that if I went to much further down the course I might do some real damage and have to carted off.
But I rallied going into mile 17 and had a resurgence until 19 miles. On the gradual climbs to miles 20 and 21 I slipped to 6:00 miles and Lemondrop hill put the final nail in the coffin. From there I struggled with 6:30 pace, then 7:00 pace, and so on. The death march was on by mile 23. On the bright side - no walking. Small victory.
I finished up in 21st place, which is more a testament to the effect of the heat on the elite field than anything. The sub-2:30 on Grandma's course still eludes me.
I would like to be back again next year. It will require coming back after the US 100k champs April 10 - a 10 week stretch. Not impossible, but difficult.
As for this year, I still feel fresh mentally and I think my legs will bounce back quickly. There wasn't a whole lot of high-quality work in this training cycle, so I think I have more improvement to come.
This week will be a zero for sure and then I'll ease back into it over the next 2-3 weeks. I think I'll be gunning for a marathon/ultra double this fall. The other option is to run the US 50 mile champs October 3. I have to see what I feel like when I get back into organized running.
4 comments:
nice work out there Pat, I know it was a tough day for runners. Even with your race adjustment you did very well considering the elements.
one of these days Grandma's weather will cooperate.
Pat good job man. You are tuffer than me that is for sure !!! Rest up.
I just heard through the grapevine that Katie had a girl! Congatulations!
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