In this event, my legs told me it’s time to end the racing season. I knew very early on it would be a tough one and I’d have to slog it out to the finish. I in no way felt fresh, and began to struggle by the half. Things really turned ugly from mile 17 on. My energy levels remained intact while the feeling of running on bloody stumps increased.
My daily runs leading up to this race were a good indicator of how things would play out. I’ve had some really lousy running lately. I kept telling myself to take things easy, not worry about pacing, and just to get some maintenance mileage in. Being on the verge of injury has been frustrating as my desire to run has been unfaltering, while my legs have continued to feel trashed. Taking extra days off, doing easy runs and even just walks on the treadmill had appeared to be helping, but I suppose a season of multiple road marathons and a couple ultras has taken its toll.
I have really enjoyed racing this year. I may not be in my prime now, but I had tons of fun, set some new pr’s, met many great people, and experienced a ton of beautiful race settings. With all of this in mind, I have no regrets on how I spent my year running.
The race wasn’t all doom and gloom, as there were moments I enjoyed being in the moment. The weather was perfect, (other than a few minor winds here and there) and I was running in a marathon for free. Surprisingly enough, I placed in my age group for the third year, so it looks like I’ll be back next year for another free entry. It will be an opportunity to redeem myself for this year’s lackluster performance.
I’m looking forward to recovering, getting my legs back and running for the next few months without the pressure of racing performances. Sometimes training runs are the most enjoyable ones of all.
My Garmin recorded a final time of 3:18:16, yet the timing company came up with a time of 3:16:23. I don’t know how this discrepancy occurred. Here are my splits. I’m not particularly proud of them, but here they are:
- 6:51
- 6:44
- 6:55
- 7:19
- 7:21
- 8:30
- 7:24
- 6:51
- 7:02
- 7:00
- 7:06
- 7:14
- 7:08
- 7:16
- 7:29
- 7:14
- 7:57
- 7:43
- 7:36
- 7:55
- 7:57
- 7:49
- 8:23
- 8:05
- 8:56
- 8:36
- (.20, read .24, 1:57, 8:16/mi.)
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