St George: Never in my wildest dreams...

(warning - if you don't like swearing - you probably shouldn't read this !!!)

Struggling to run through the hottest Denver summer on record in 2012, I made myself a promise -

"No autumn marathon in 2013"

So what did I do ?  Of course.  In the spring of 2013, I entered the lottery to run St George that October.

Then at Boston in April, I finally ran the sub-3 marathon I'd dreamt about, and then another 20 days later.  I was marathoned out.  On the eve of the lottery results - I was hoping I'd get rejected.  Take the summer off.  Maybe run a December marathon, or just wait until Tokyo in 2014.  I don't want to train in the summer heat.  Hell - I really don't think St George is suited to me.  It's normally hot.  I hate running in the heat.  Please don't get selected.

With that kind of attitude - there was only one possible outcome from the lottery.

"Congratulations - you've been accepted."

A number of friends got in too, so I tried to motivate myself.  After setting a half marathon PR in June, I promptly got injured with a  high ankle sprain and was out for a couple of weeks.  In mid-July, I started up again.  Slogging through the summer heat.  I didn't have the same pep in my step as I had earlier in the year.  My legs were heavy.  My paces seemed a little slower, my enthusiasm definitely dimmed.

In September I ran a half marathon as a training run.  Despite finishing third, it felt like I was working far harder than my time of 1.28 suggested.  Then 10 days out from St George - I did an 800m repeat session on the track, and had to bail after 5 repeats.  I blew up.  Not exactly confidence inspiring.

Still - St George is in a beautiful part of the country, and a bunch of friends were going.  I was determined to make the most of it.

For the geographically challenged, St George is located in the far south western corner of Utah.  From Denver - the quickest way to get there is to fly to Las Vegas, and drive the 120 miles to St George.

So that's what I did.  Interesting fact - hardly any races in Utah are on Sunday.  It's something to do with the local people and magic underwear apparently.  Anyway - race day was a Saturday, so I flew to Las Vegas on the Friday.

A 2 hour delay at the airport, and then a horrendous line at the car rental company raised my stress level, but I was finally in the car and on the road by 2pm.

On the drive I spoke on the phone with my coach Benita and we talked strategy.  I honestly felt like my form was probably good for a time of around 3 hours.  I told B I'd rather go for it and try and run 2.55, with the rather large risk that I could detonate and run 3.30, than play it safe and run a time around 3 hours.  If I'm flying to a race, paying for a night in a hotel - I'm going to go for it.  Sod the cautious approach.  She agreed.  Fortune favours the bold.  And other cliches that typically go out the window at mile 20 when the wheels come off and you just want to find a hole, lie down and die, and have some dwarf like character cover you in dirt....

I'd gotten hold of a spreadsheet for the course that took into account the topology.  Laughably a goal time of 2.55, suggested a first half of 1.29.30, and then a second half of 1.25.30.  Ridiculous.  I've never negative split a marathon in my life.  And to think I could run the second half of a marathon in 1.25 - inconceivable.  Still - that was the plan going in.  And you wonder why I wasn't confident ?!

I rushed through the expo, checked in, and immediately went out for a thai dinner with friends.  "As spicy as you can make it please, mate".

Then back to the room to try and calm down and get some sleep.  I popped sleeping pills and finally nodded off.

St George is an early start.  The race begins at 6:45am.  The buses to the start from 4am.  My alarm went off at 3:30am.  I ate just a bagel with a honey stinger gel smeared on it (surprisingly good), chugged plenty of water, took care of 'business' and then headed to the buses.

Over 14 marathons in under 4 years, I think I've finally gotten the hang of pre-race nutrition.  No depletion run for me.  No copious amounts of ultra-fuel.  A simple bagel 3 hours out, my stomach is then empty by the time I start and I can take in a large number of gels.  The plan was to take a gel just before the gun, and then one every 4 miles.

Once again I'd scored an 'elite' bib.  I'm not sure how they categorize that - clearly based on the 'predicted' time you give when you sign up, but a big advantage none-the-less.  St George has an elites only area at the start, with a large number of porto potties, and easy access to the drop bag area and starting line.

The weather was cold (mid 30s) and windy.  I'm a cold weather runner and was relishing the conditions.  Except when we were standing around at the start.  Bloody brass monkeys....  I met up with friends from the RWOL forums and we huddled around one of the fire pits.

6:45am on the western side of Utah and the mountain time zone in October, is very much still night-time.  You start in the dark and run the first 3 or so miles by the light of the moon and stars.

We shivered as we waiting, and then finally were off.

Let's get this out the way.  St George is a big net downhill course.  For those who've not run it before - they make the assumption that it's going to be screamingly quick.  Strap on the roller skates and off you go (sorry Adam !).  I know I did when I ran it 2 years previously in 2011.  Turns out - it's not quite as easy as it looks on paper.  The first half has some considerable climbing too.  Miles 8 to 12 are all net uphill, including mile 8 where you literally run up the side of a volcano.  It's more than twice as long, and twice as high as Heart Break Hill in Boston.  193 feet of climbing that mile alone, and 375 feet in that 5 mile stretch.  Then there's something about the downhill start - tempting you to go too quickly - then those miles of climbing, that can do a number on your quads.  Very similar to Boston.  When the second half starts - if you've gone out too quickly - your legs are trashed and you can't handle the downs.

That happened to me last time, where I'd gone in convinced I could go sub 3 - and ended up with a 3.04, slowing dramatically the 'easier' second half.  Yet another positive split for my growing collection.

Fortunately I'd learned that lesson.  So this time I was determined to go out easy.  A goal of 2.55 is an average pace of 6.40 minute miles.  The gun went off.  Just a few seconds to cross the line, as runners streamed past me on both sides.  I kept pressing the light button on my garmin in the dark so I could read it and make sure I wasn't going too quickly.  Determined to stick around 7.00 min pace.  I ran with Charlie, and we commented on how fast everyone was going.  He suggested we'd probably see many of those people again later.

We did.

Mile 1.  6.58.

I had printed out a pace band, but it was too dark to read it.  Another lesson from last time.  I'd memorized the first 3 mile goal splits.  I knew the next was slightly quicker, but still slower than overall goal pace.

Mile 2.  6.51.

Nice.  So I've started slowly.  Easing into it.  The next 5 miles are downhill - need to pick things up a bit.

Around this time I lost contact with Charlie.  He told me he was nursing an injury, and didn't want to push things too soon.

The dark is fading slowly.  From being almost pitch black, you start to make out the close scenery.

Mile 3.  6.34.

I was running with a 24 oz bottle of water, but was also drinking water at every water stop.  In cooler weather - this seems to be the winning formula for me too.  I'm finally starting to figure some of this marathon stuff out.

Now you could make out the hills and mountains in the growing dawn light.

Mile 4.  6.26.

Gel.

Mile 5.  6.37.

Just taking what the course was giving me, but staying well within myself.  As it got lighter, I made out another friend Adam, just ahead.  I gradually caught him and then we ran together.

Mile 6.  6.35.

Up ahead the form of the Veyo Volcano.

(you don't actually run over the top - just half way up the side)

Official tracking had me through the first 10K in 41.21, @ 6.40 overall.

Mile 7.  6.40.

Charlie appeared next to us.

That was it for the downhill - now the uphill section was about to start.

I'd run the same hills with Charlie two years before.  He on his way to a 2.56, me on my way to that 3.04.  The guy was 53 years old then - now he was 55.  Damned impressive dude.

Up Veyo we ran.  Even effort.  Knowing the next few mile splits were going to be a lot slower.

Mile 8.  7.21.

Over the top of the big hill, but still going up.  Gel.

Mile 9.  7.05.

Adam and I had pulled away from Charlie a little.  I didn't see him again to the finish, but he ended up running 2.58 - first in the 55-59 age group.  With an injury.  Like I said - damned impressive dude.

Mile 10.  6.56

Try to take in the scenery.  Mountains in the distance.  Canyons close by.  Lava fields along the side of the road.  The sun was finally up, but fortunately it was still fairly cool.

Mile 11.  7.06.

Now the uphill was less.

St George had given us the option to set up text tracking for up to 3 people.  At Boston - knowing people were 'monitoring' me had really helped keep me honest.  Kept me accountable and giving me a bigger impetus to keep going when it started hurting.  So I'd signed up my 3 people.  My coach Benita, running friend from Boston, Lisa, and a friend from Denver.

Mile 12.  6.48.

Gel.

Adam was running it as a training run - taking things easy until the last 10K.  I checked my elapsed time and saw I was about 10 seconds behind target.  Sub-consciously I pulled ahead a little.

Mile 13.  6.34.

Through the half in 1.29.25.  Thought about the 3 people receiving texts messages.  I was bang on target from the spreadsheet.  Which was all well and good - except I was now supposed to do a big negative split.  I'm a classic fader.  Get to 20, and then try and hang on.  Usually giving back gobs of time those last 6 miles.  Just trying to minimize it.  Here I was supposed to run them that much faster.  Crazy.

Now I was on my own too.  The race was spreading out, so I slapped on my headphones and tried to run 1 mile at a time.  It was still feeling easy though.  I was reminded of the expression - "if you don't feel like you're going too slow in the first half of a marathon - then you're going too fast".  Some famous bloke - Ron someone - said that in Running Times.  This was probably the first marathon I've raced, where I felt like I was really holding back that first half.

Mile 14.  6.32

Mile 15.  6.15

Some nice downhill here - and more spectacular scenery - this a canned shot of Snow Canyon at mile 15

Mile 16.  6.16

Gel.

Mile 17.  6.26

Mile 18.  6.22

I remembered the next mile from 2011.  A cruel uphill section with a nasty little double-dip.  That had partly broken my spirit then.  This time I was ready.  Despite feeling like I was taking it easy on the hill, I found myself continually overtaking.  Over the crest, a short down, and then up for the second half of the hill.  I was ready for you.  You're not getting me this time !  Mentally much stronger than last time.

Through 30K in 2.04.27 @ 6.41 average.  Almost back on track for that 2.55 goal.  So far so good for those keeping me accountable via text.

Mile 19.  6.42

I remembered Benita's words of advice to me before Berlin the previous year.  Pretend you're on a bus those first 30K.  Use as little energy as possible.  Then at 30K - you need to get off the bus and start working.  In Berlin - I'd been forced off the bus long before the 30K mark.  This time I felt like I could probably coast on it a while longer.

Mile 20.  6.25

Gel.

Once again thinking about last time I ran.  At mile 20 I was still on for that sub 3, then fell apart.  Take nothing for granted.  Time to get off the bus now and work.  It was finally starting to hurt.  No shit.

Mile 21.  6.12

Wow.  That was a quick mile.  Steady does it.  There are still 5 miles to go.  You've felt good 5 miles to go before.  It can change very quickly.

Mile 22.  6.28

Just 4 miles left.  Check my watch and realize I'm easily going sub 3.  Keep this up and you *might* actually get close to 2.55.  That would be a 30+ minute BQ.  Gotta love getting older.  Stop.  Don't think that way.  One mile at a time.  I stop looking at my pace band and just decide to run by feel.

Recognize the water stop.  This was where I stopped to walk last time.  Not today.

Mile 23.  6.21

Crike.  I'm flying.  Now I've just got 5K to go.  Start mentally trying to figure out what time I might end up with.  I seriously could get 2.55 if I can hold this together.  Hell - I could run 9 min/miles now, and still go sub 3.  How times change.  Sub 3 was that elusive barrier for so long.  6 failed attempts.  And now I could cruise in at recovery pace and run one.

Don't tempt fate you idiot.  Worry about catching the person in front.  Stay in the moment.

Mile 24.  6.16

Wow.  6.16 ?!  Where the heck is my patented fade ?  Despite being only 2 miles out - I took another gel.  My stomach and energy levels felt great, but I didn't want to tempt fate and run out of steam.  Stick to the plan.

Gel.

Now we're off the main road and working our way through the streets of St George.  It's flat.

Just 2.2 miles to go.  That's a lap of Wash Park in Denver.  Think about the tens of laps you've done there, both solo, and with your training mates.  Often struggling to hang on to the heels of faster runners.   I know I can deal with this pain for just over 2 miles.

Mile 25.  6.28

Just 1 mile to go.  Tracking a woman up ahead - I'm gaining on her.  Trying to use the booty draft method to keep my mind off the pain.  I'm definitely having to work now, but it's not hard.

Suddenly a runner blows past me with a 'looking good Richard'.  It's Adam, doing his last 10K fast.  Dude is hoping to go sub 2.42 at Tucson, and based on this - I'm certainly not betting against.

For a few seconds think about trying to chase him, then my legs tell me to shut up.  Make the turn and onto the long finish straight.  Balloons in the distance.

Mile 26.  6.21

Gaining on a runner - pick up the pace.  I want to get him before the finish.

Strain my eyes up ahead.  There's a clock at the line.  Can I go under 2.55 ??

See it tick past 2.55.  Fuck !!!  After all that !!!  No wait.  That was 2.52.  Seriously ?  Are you fucking kidding me ??  It's now starting 2.53.  And I'm coming in fast.

Crowd cheering, announcer telling me the name of the person I've just overtaken.

And over the line.  Last 0.2 @ 5.53 pace.

Stop my watch.  Officially, 2.53.22.

And only Adam had over-taken me in the last 7 miles...

Are you fucking kidding me ??

I feel great.  I could have kept going.  I punch the air and yell.  I shout.  Whooping and hollering.  Hell yes.  Fuck yes.  I don't believe it.  Grinning like an idiot.

A photographer is there and I give him the victory sign, catching the elation.

No bloody way.  I've just run 2.53.  Me ?  Me ??!!!!  For so long I dreamt of going sub 3.  Something I wasn't sure I'd actually achieve.  Now I could probably have run another mile and still gone under 3.  No sodding way.  Pinch me.  2.55 was a stretch A-goal that I didn't actually believe I'd be able to achieve.  I've just run the second half of a marathon in 1.23.57.  That's my 3rd fastest half marathon, and only 55 seconds behind my PR.  No way.  This isn't real.  I've got to be dreaming.  I can't have done this.

Apparently I did.

Writing this a few days later - I'm still not completely sure how.  Clearly there were a lot of things in my favour.  The weather was ideal.  The course was fast.  I'd run it before and learned from that experience and knew not to make some of the same mistakes.  Maybe altitude came into play - living in Denver and dropping down in altitude to St George.  Mentally I didn't have a 'block' - there was no sub 3 barrier I had to break.  I could run freely by feel and not worry about sticking to a specific pace.  Sure - I wanted to run a PR - but I was completely okay if I tried and then blew up.  I didn't have any self-imposed pressure.  Running with others for part of the race had helped keep things relaxed.

Maybe that's the answer.  Don't care.  Go in wanting to do your best, running smart, and putting yourself in a position - and then letting the cards fall as they may.   Clearly I was in better shape than I'd thought.  I believe the cumulative effect of multiple quality marathon cycles certainly adds up.  After trying for so long to run under 3 hours, I'd done it in each of my 3 marathons this year.  Each a little quicker.  2.58, 2.57, 2.53.

I don't know if that can continue.  This race felt almost like the perfect storm.  A multitude of factors coming together for that one 'perfect run'.  Whether I ever run faster or not - I'll always remember this run.  For how easy it felt.  For how there was no fade.  For how genuinely shocked and elated I felt at the end.  That's never happened for me with a marathon.  Normally the time is slower than I expect.  I was shocked to see it this time.  After Boston, and even Colorado - I felt I could have run a little faster.  A little smarter.

No such thoughts this time.

Truly the perfect storm.

I turned on my phone and was humbled by the enthusiastic messages of support via text and facebook.  So thankful for my running friends.  You're seriously an amazing, inspiring, supportive group.  I'm extremely fortunate to be part of such a unique community.  Stumbling upon the RWOL forums 4 years ago and the subsequent friends I've made, and then my training group in CO, has literally helped change my life.  Thank-you everyone.  I very much doubt I'd have run this without you.

Speaking of which.  I had a late afternoon flight out of Vegas to catch.  But there's always time for margaritas with friends...

Some up, Some Down and a Win !

after completing Mt Evans Ascent

Running the Colorado Marathon, just 20 days after Boston, seemed like a good idea at the time.  I felt like I'd recovered before the second race, and I did manage to run another sub 3 marathon.  But that race took it's toll.

I took a week off after, then slowly started running again.  Slowly being the operative word.  My legs felt very heavy.  Very little bounce in them.  Not exactly surprising, but unfortunately not good timing.  Over the winter I'd signed up for multiple races in June.  3 weekends in a row actually.  It had seemed like a good idea at the time.  Now I was regretting it.

June 8th was the Odyssey Odyssey - a low key 4 mile trail run at a local school

June 15th was a race I'd wanted to do for several years.  One that I'd signed up for in 2010, but had had to withdraw due to the achilles tendonitis.  Mount Evans Ascent.  The big mountain that looks over Denver.  The photo below is from City Park, where I run most days.  Several of my cycling friends had cycled up it - I wanted to be able to say I'd run up !

June 22nd was the Slacker Half Marathon.  A downhill half marathon, but one that has an altitude component.  It starts at 11,000 feet and has several ups along with the down.

This blog entry is mostly about the Mt Evans Race, but I'll touch on the other two briefly first.

The Odyssey Odyssey was run around bluff lake nature reserve in Stapleton on a combination of gravel, and single track.  I'm definitely not a trail runner, but knew the route and had run on most of it when I lived close by.  I had no idea what to expect and who might turn up to race but my son had asked me to try to win.  Big pressure !!!  As it turned out - it was mostly just parents from the school, and the older kids.  Some of whom went out at sub 6 minute pace, but quickly slowed and I soon found myself leading.  It was clear early on that I'd be winning, so I backed off and turned it into a training run, wanting to save myself for the Mt Evans race.  I kept looking over my shoulder, hoping one of the older kids would make a comeback so I could let him pass, but no.  So I reluctantly took the tape for my first win.  A 4.1 mile undulating relatively easy trail course in a little over 27 minutes.

The following weekend was Mt Evans Ascent.  More on that in a moment.

The weekend after that was the Slacker Half Marathon.  It was the course I'd set my then PR - 1:23:45, 2 years previously.  But in 2012 I'd barely broken 1:30 on it, so knew a fast time wasn't a given.  And my legs felt terrible.  Heavy heavy heavy.  I didn't feel like I'd recovered from the Mt Evans race the weekend before.  Picking up my bib on the morning of the race, I very nearly asked to switch to the 4 mile race.  I really didn't see any point in suffering through a miserable half marathon.  My mind wasn't into it and I knew I could be in trouble.  The start was once again delayed due to poor organization at the bib pickup, so the temps were already warming up.  Earlier in the year I'd had a pie in the sky goal of running sub 1.23 to qualify for New York.  Not that I had any interest in running New York again for quite some time - it was more just to say I had qualified on the new harder standards.  I didn't think I was in shape to do that today, but decided I may as well try.   I was wearing my lucky 'sub 3' shirt.  As has become the norm for me, I purposely tried to go out slower and watched many of my racing friends disappear into the distance.  I knew I needed to average 6.20 pace for 1.23.  I tried to keep things close, fully expecting to detonate after a few miles like I had in 2012.

But the detonation never came.  I was able to maintain pace and from about a quarter of a mile in, gradually picked off runner after runner.  No one overtook me that whole time.  I made my way up to 10th overall, and knew I was right around the 6.20 min/mile pace target - especially after a quick 12th mile.  That was as a result of looking back on a turn and being surprised to see running friend Dave, who'd run with me briefly in Boston before pulling away to run 2.55.  I'd over taken him earlier and thought he was well back.  He was my age group and I knew he had visions of pipping me late.  That gave me an adrenaline rush and I knocked out a 6.05 mile.  The last half mile at Slacker is miserable.  Uphill on a gravel path.  My pace slowed dramatically and I felt the time slipping away, but when I saw the finish clock ahead counting down - I sprinted and made it in as it showed 1.22.57.  I'd made it !  Except I hadn't.  The clock was wrong.  As soon as I checked my garmin I realized I'd just missed it.  1.23.02.  Still - a 43 second PR, on tired legs.  If I'd run this in March, I'd probably have run another minute faster, but was very pleased with the result.

Here are the splits:

One of my teammates, Ryan, had won, and the rest had all placed top 3 in their age groups.  A great performance for the BCSM Willis / Carney team.

Back to that 'other' race that I'd run the weekend before.

Mt Evans Ascent.

This was something different.  It's a 14.5 mile race, from the ranger station at Echo Lake, up to the Summit.  The starting point is 10,800 feet in elevation and the finish at 14,100 feet or so.

The course is all paved - one of the attractions to me - and is the highest paved road in North America.

It's not as steep as Pike's Peak Ascent, but still averages about a 5% gradient and has close to 4000 feet of total climbing over the race.  Take into account the altitude, and I had no idea how to approach it.

I haven't noticed a big lift in my performance going down to sea level.  I've run 13 marathons in total, and the fastest was at altitude.  So I had a theory that cardio-vascular was not my limitation when running.

If this was true, then my theory went, that if I went to higher elevation - I wouldn't experience such a drop off as those who get the lift going to sea level.  Tenuous, and with no scientific data - but I was going with it !

I checked the results from the previous year and looked at my age group.  I saw, outside of one mountain goat master who I realized was way out of my league, that to make the top 3 - I'd need to average in the low 9 minute / miles.

The next question was how to do that.  Do you run faster at the lower elevations ?  To try and get an idea, I did 2 training runs on the course.  The first from the start, up to mile 3 and back, and then the following weekend from mile 3 to mile 10 and back.  From that I learned that the first few miles were pretty steep, and if I went too fast (which I did in training) then I quickly got into oxygen debt and slowed dramatically.  So I decided on an even pacing strategy as best I could.  Start off around 8:30 pace, but be prepared to run the bulk of the miles around 9 minute pace.

It's another early start.  7:30am gun time, but with the parking situation and hour's drive from Denver, I had to leave the house at 5:15am.  I chatted with some friends at the start, then we lined up - and were off.

I was shocked at the early pace.  I was running around 8:30 min/miles as planned, and was watching people fly up the road ahead of me.  I knew the mountain specialists could maintain that, but looking at some of the others - I wasn't convinced.  Still - I stuck with my plan and ran with the pack.

Slowly but surely though, I noticed I was moving up as others started to slow.  They were probably going to suffer unfortunately.  Already in oxygen debt 1 mile into a 14.5 mile race, with the worst most definitely to come.  I was very thankful I'd had a couple of 'test' runs over the previous weekends.

Soon we were single file, then gaps appeared.  

I maintained what I hoped was a reasonable pace and ticked through the first 3 miles.

8.37, 

8.35, 

8.41

Just after mile 3, having already climbed 1000 feet, we rose past the tree line.  From here to the top there would be no more trees.  There was something a little daunting knowing there were still 11.5 miles to run, and at an altitude that few living things could survive at.

It was getting harder, but I was still passing people.

I knew from my training run the previous weekend, that mile 7 wasn't as steep.  I kept telling myself to make it through mile 6, and then I'd get a bit of a break.

9.01, 

9.06, 

9.04

That's okay.  Pretty much what I'd hoped to be running.

Mile 7 indeed was easier.  And by easier, it was only about 200 feet of climbing, but that was considerably less than the previous miles had averaged.

I picked up the pace.  Each time I caught someone, I'd ask their age group.  During this mile the reply from a man was 40-44.  Uhoh.  That's my age group.  We chatted for a few minutes and then he clearly decided he didn't want to lose a spot and tried to accelerate.  I let him go.  Still a long way to run.

Despite that - it was still an 8.25 mile.  My fastest so far.

Mile 8 got steeper again.  9.11.  But I caught and passed my age-group competitor.  Time to stretch this out.

Mile 9 is the 'easiest' of the race.  Just 100 feet of climbing.  That felt flat at this point and I was able to pick it up.

8.17.

Fastest mile of the race and now 9 miles in.  'Just' 5.5 to go.

I was feeling pretty good.  I was averaging around 8:50 pace, so a little quicker than my goal, and wasn't suffering too badly.  Still - I knew the worst was to come, and I hadn't run those miles so didn't know what to expect.  I'd met a group of ladies when I'd done one of my test runs - they said a lot of people just walk the last 4 miles.  "It's that bad" they'd said.  Great !

At mile 9.5 you hit summit lake, then make the turn.  This was the cut off point for the slower runners.  If you're not here by the 2.5 hour point - you're not allowed to continue.  No such issue for me fortunately.

We were very strung out now.  No one for 50 yards in front and probably the same behind me.  Temperatures were in the 40s at this point, with a wind that alternated from head to tail on the switch backs.

Mile 10.  9.11 again.  9-11.  Maybe symbolic ?  I hope not.

It was definitely starting to get harder.  In the next mile I crossed the 13,000 foot elevation point.  'Only' 1100 feet of climbing to go.  The altitude was starting to slow me.

Mile 11.  9:16.

Still pretty good.  Averaging under 9:00 pace overall.  Just 3.5 miles to go.  

I'm slowing though.  

Mile 12.  10.01

Uhoh.  10 min / mile pace ?  I feel like I'm crawling, but I'm holding my position.  I'm not gaining on the guy up ahead, but I'm also not losing ground.  I glance up to the summit and see the switch backs, and cars and runners crawling upwards.

Mile 13.  I really am slowing now.  322 feet of climbing in the mile and I'm hurting.  A lady passes me and I chat to her.  She's the first place female and is looking strong.  I looked her up later and saw she's a 2.50 marathoner, which made me feel a little better.

I look back down the road and think I can spot my age group competitor a few minutes back.  Don't let him catch you !

10:34 pace for Mile 13.

A friend drives past in her car and yells.  I pretend I'm happy and she takes a photo.    Still - it gives a good idea of how spread out things were at this point.  

It feels like I'm crawling.  I have a strong urge to walk.  I'm starting to feel dizzy with the lack of oxygen, but I push on.

I'm seeing my splits push close to 11 min / miles.  I figure that if I power walk, I'll be doing at least 15 min / mile pace.  I give myself permission that if I slow down to that level, I can walk.  But I have no intention of doing that.

I want to be able to say I ran all the way up Mt Evans.

Through mile 14.  11:00 exactly.  Ugh.  But just half a mile to go.

Up ahead I hear someone yell my name.  It's a running friend Amy who ran Boston.  She's out supporting several friends and is on the next switch back up.  I catch her and we run together for a short while and then she tells me I'm almost there.  Fortunately I know she's right.

One more switch back and I can see the finish.  Push on.  Actually speeding up a little.

Over the line in 2.12.52.  Average pace 9.10.  

20th overall out of 410 runners, and 2nd in my AG.  For some reason they took the other 40-44 year old guy out and gave me first place.  I won $40 worth of sports gear, an ice cream bowl, and the Mt Evan's 'rock' award.  That's given to all men who break 2.40, and women who break 3 hours.

All in all - I was very happy with this race.  It was my first ever Mountain Ascent, and despite having very little experience running uphill at high altitude, the race went almost exactly as planned.  I'm going to run this again, and maybe can hold things together those last few miles and break 2.10.

But whatever happens - I'll now always be able to point to the big mountain looking over Denver and say - "I ran up that" !!

Another Sub 3...

I signed up for the Colorado Marathon as a back-up to Boston.

It's a popular picturesque course in Fort Collins, winding along the Poudre River.

In 2012, after a disappointing London, I had tried to sign up last minute but it was full.  With the heat in Boston that same year, I decided to enter the 2013 race just in case Boston didn't go well.

Then I ran my first sub 3 in Boston.  There was no reason to run Colorado.  But as the race got closer, I felt I'd recovered fairly well.  This was a race I'd wanted to do.  I had an entry, for what was now a full race - why not go along and jog it ?  Honestly - just jog it.  Really.  Maybe...

As a test, the weekend before, I raced the Cherry Creek Sneak 5 miler.  While my time was about 20 seconds slower than I'd run in a 5 mile race earlier in the year, that was enough - along with my leg recovery the following days - to tell me I was okay to start the race.  I talked with my coach, and decided to give it a go.  I didn't know what to expect, and was fully prepared to shut it down at any sign of injury or pain.

The afternoon before the race I drove the course.  I found a gas station at mile 17 and decided that was where I'd bail if things weren't going well.  I'd make sure I had $20 in my shorts to pay for the taxi.

Perhaps the only 'negative' about the race is it's early start.  Gun time is at 6:30am, and it's a point to point course.  Buses to the marathon start left at 4am.  Fort Collins is about 70 miles north of Denver.  Needing to eat breakfast too, I'd decided to stay the night in Fort Collins.

Race Day

Even though I was staying the night, my alarm went off just before 3am.  I am NOT an early morning runner...

I drove to the bus pick up location, and managed to meet up with running friend Phil who was running his only marathon of the year, and hoping to get his BQ for next April.

The bus drive was uneventful, but we weren't allowed to wait on the buses at the start line.  Temperatures were pretty cool, hovering in the 30s, and we waited outside as the sky gradually lightened.

I was trying to delay removing my clothes as long as possible.  Unlike Boston, where an hour before the race we were stripping down and heading to drop our checked bag, here it was less than 10 minutes until the gun and I was still sitting fully clothed wearing a trash sack.

As I started changing, the reality of the time - or lack of it - became clear, and it was a bit of a panic to get myself ready.  I rocked up to the start line with less than a minute to go.  A 'good luck' to Phil, and we were off.

It was cold.  Perfect.  I'm a cold weather runner.  I was running in my race kit from Boston with the 'sub 3' t-shirt in the hope that it still had some magic.  The only addition was gloves.

Again I started with a bottle of water and 7 gels, with another already consumed in the frantic seconds before the gun.

Surprise surprise, I decided that I didn't want to jog the race - I wanted to go out for a fast time.  I didn't know how it would turn out, and mentally wasn't 100% in the game.  I figured I'd give it the best I could, and if things went bad - it really didn't matter.  Knowing I had my 'mile 17 quit point' made me a little nervous.  I felt I shouldn't be thinking like that.  Too easy to give myself an out.

Up ahead I saw a team-mate from my training group, German.  I knew he was shooting for a 2:59:59 so I joined him and we ran together.  Both of us wanted to start out slowly.

7:00 for the first mile.

That works.  Ideally I wanted to take a crack at 2.55.  That's an average of 6.40 pace.

I told German that I'd be pulling ahead and not to feel like he should stick with me.  I also told him he'd probably be seeing me later.

May as well try and go big.  Just hope I don't go home...

Although I was kind of home already.  My 13th marathon - but the first in Colorado.  My first marathon at altitude.  The altitude itself didn't phase me - I really don't feel a lift when I go to sea level.  I think my limiting factor is something other than cardio vascular, so I fully expected to be able to run as fast at 6,000 feet, as I could at sea level.

6:40

My fingers were cold the water bottle, despite the gloves, so I kept alternating hands.

Just before the end of the 3rd mile we ran through a rock tunnel.  The scenery was spectacular.

First aid station, grabbed some water.  I wasn't dumping it over myself today.  At least not yet.

6:38

On my own now.  The field is very strung out, and not a whole lot of people around.  I see a group 100 yards or so further up the road, and one person in between.  No one watching on the side of the road.  Almost like a training run.  All alone, other than the 25 odd people in front, and 2000 behind.

6:40

Slowly tracking the guy down.

6:46

Catch him and talk for a few minutes.  He said he's hoping to run 3.15.  I laughed out loud.  I'm not the best pacer in a race - I often fade at the end - but I continue to be amazed at how some people pace their marathons.  We were clicking off miles around 6.40 - and he was hoping to run a time that required 7.25 pace.

I wished him luck, with my inner head voice saying he probably needed it, and then pushed on.

6:33

Now I'm gaining on the big pack ahead.  I see 2 women wearing matching pink outfits, and a number of guys, all in a pack.

6:33

I pass a straggler from the group ahead, but he gets right in behind me.  I'm taking tangents, and for the next 5 miles - every time I glance back, this guy is there literally 1 yard behind me.  He didn't say a word the whole time, just followed me.  Limpet.

6:34

Continue to pass the stragglers, with my shadow firmly attached

6:33

Through 9 miles in a few seconds under an hour.  I knew 9 miles / hour on the treadmill was 6.39 pace - so this was my first confirmation of my true pace.  6.39 would get me in around 2.54.30

6:33

Still tracking the group ahead, although it's been disintegrating.  I can see a core of 5 now, with the 2 lead women.

6:36

Since the first 100 yards after the start when positions settled, I haven't been over taken.  I've been gradually picking off people along the road.

Either I'm running too fast now, or these people went out too quick.

Finally I catch the pack.  One of the women has dropped back 10 yards.  I talk to her briefly - she's part of the local Roost run team, then I push on.

6:37

Through the half in 1.27.13.  30 seconds quicker than in Boston 20 days earlier.

Feeling remarkably good.

6:38

Catch the lead woman, who's now running with just one other guy.  The 3 of us pull ahead of those around us, and I finally lose my shadow.

6:34

Still picking things up.  I'm running by feel.  I see the miles check off - and the splits were 5+ seconds quicker than I'm showing here (I adjusted these later to be accurate based on the extra 0.3 miles my garmin had me running).

I know I'm probably running faster than I should be - but decide to go with it.  Now the pressure of the sub 3 has gone, I can run more freely.

6:27

6.27 ?  That's half marathon pace 16 miles into a marathon.

Out of the valley and onto the plains.  I know the 17 mile point is coming up.  My 'quit point'.  I do have that $20 in my pocket for the taxi...  Naah - just 10 miles to go - I'm going to finish this thing.

6:44

A gradual uphill and the first crowds we've seen.  The lead female is strong.  She glances over her shoulder to see where the 2nd place female is (a ways back now) and then she picks up the pace.  I try to hang on.

6:21

A 6:21 mile at 18 ?  Hope that doesn't come back to bite.

6:38

Check my watch.  Through 18 miles in 1.59.  Now that's 2.53.xx pace with 8 to go.  Realize then I could run 7.30 min miles to the end and still break 3 hours.  Push those thoughts from my mind.  I want 2.55.

The main hill of the race is coming up.  It straddles the 19th and 20th mile.  Mentally putting myself back to Boston.  Pretend I'm in Newton.

6:50

The woman has dropped us now (she ended up running 2.53).  She's maintaining the pace, whereas I'm hurting going up the hill.

6:50

Ok - 6.50.  That's okay.  That's 3 hour pace.  With the amount you have 'banked' - I'll settle for finishing like this.  6.2 miles to go.  Just 10K.  JUST 10K ??  That seems like a bloody long way...

6:49

Now we're onto a bike patch.  Ugh.  It's horrible.  Concrete with quite a bit of fine sand.  My shoes aren't getting good traction, feeling like I'm slipping with every step.  Think of that energy being wasted.

7:05

Uhoh.  22 miles in.  My first unintentional 7 min mile.  Hanging on now.  Playing mental games.  Keep trying to figure out what my time will be.  Losing contact with the other guy now, although he's slowed too.  He's 20 yards ahead.

7:07

The bike path takes right angles here and there with you having to almost come to a standstill, change the direction, and then start up.  Not what the legs need.  Then zig-zagging over a wooden bridge.  It may be picturesque but I'm not enjoying life at the moment.  Want this to be over.

7:20

Just over 5K to go.  Hang in there.  Giving back gobs of time.  Someone overtakes me.  The first person to overtake me since 100 yards into the race.  I tell him he's looking strong.  I'm envious.

7:23

Ugh.  2 miles.  Think of the lap in Wash Park.  Just run that once.  Try to pick it up.  Overtaking half marathoners now.  I'm blowing by them, but I'm slowing still.  Nasty short hill.  That's cruel.  People lying to me.  "Looking great".  Bollocks I am.

7:34

Finally, off that hideous path.  Now onto the roads again.  Up in the distance I can see the finish line.  Try to hold it together.

7:15 for last 0.2

A local friend, Phil, is standing on the finish line with his camera.  He takes a shot and high fives me.

2.57.49

That was ugly.  All that effort for a 42 second improvement over Boston !!

I seriously thought I could have gone sub 2.55.  The race had been going so smoothly for the first 20 or so miles.  The bike path portion was horrendous.  If we'd stayed on straight roads I think I'd have fared a little better, but I'm honest enough to know I'd have been slowing down there too.

Still - I'd got another sub 3 hour marathon.

It was amazing how little pressure there was this time.  I wasn't concerned about a mental barrier, so I could run a lot more freely.  I was in better shape going into Boston than I was here, but I was still able to run quicker.  Bodes well for my next race, when hopefully I'll be in better shape and still able to run more freely.

The stats - 15th overall and 2nd master.  20 days after Boston, at altitude, I definitely can't complain.

Sub 3 Baby !!!

A Bit of History

"Sub 3" has been a goal for a very long time.

I may not have run my first marathon until 2009, but I'd been telling people ever since my teen years I'd run a sub 3 hour marathon one day.

It was a magical threshold.  My '4 minute mile'.

Laughable, since I didn't have a clue what was involved.

I remember telling a work colleague in Chicago when I was 32 that I thought I could do it.  He actually had run a sub 3, and I can still remember the incredulous look on his face.  With very good reason.  I couldn't run more than a few miles at the time.

Looking back - that has been a source of embarrassment.  Something that's helped drive me.  One of many incidents.  One day I needed to back up my boast.  One day I needed to show that it wasn't idle talk.

I finally started training for my first marathon when I hit 40, and scraped the Boston qualifier in Chicago 2009.  Although I needed the extra seconds.

3 hours 20 mins 23 secs.

I now realized how tough it would be to go sub 3.   Maybe I've left this too late.  I felt I could run faster, but didn’t know how.

2 months later I ran CIM.  3 hours 17 mins

I ‘discovered’ a group of runners online at Runners World.  That provided the ‘support group’ that I didn’t know I needed.  It was the best thing that could have happened.  Turned out to be a lifestyle changer too.

Started following a real plan – Pete Pfitzinger’s Advanced Marathoning, although I ignored the pace guidelines.  Just train harder and faster.  Stupid.  I got injured before my first boston marathon.

3 hours 45 mins

Painful.  But a good lesson.  Not invincible.

Learn.  Train smarter.  Train slower.  Listen to your body.

Chicago 2010 in the heat.  3.08

Validation.  9 minute PR in sub-optimal conditions.  Maybe this could actually happen.  I might actually be able to run that sub 3.

Attempt 1.  Boston 2011.  Fail.  3.05.  I didn’t respect the course enough.  Ran too fast early for my form and the last 6 miles ate me up.  But I remembered.  I learned.

Attempt 2.  St George 2011.  Fail.  3.04.  Wilted in the heat.

Attempt 3.  Tucson 2011.  Fail.  3.09.  Running New York as a training run the previous month - 3 marathons in just over 2 months.  Paid the toll.

Something needs to change.   Try a different training plan – Brad Hudson's book.

Attempt 4.  London 2012.  Fail.   3.06

The summer of 2012 my performances have really deteriorated.  Brad Hudson is based in Boulder – show up and start to run with his group.  Some amazing athletes.

Realize that Brad only coaches the elites – but 2 of his elites offer their own training.  Start working with Benita.

Attempt 5.  Berlin.  Fail.  3.04.  This time though – something was different.  I was gaining confidence.  I cramped and lost 2 minutes late.  I’d have run 3.02.  I was getting closer.

Attempt 6.  Tucson 2012.  Fail.  3.03.   Fell apart late again.

6 times I'd gone for it.  6 times I'd come up short.

I thought I should be able to run sub 3 – but I still didn't really believe it.  When things got hard late – which they inevitably do – I gave myself the excuse that I couldn't do it, and ‘let’ it get away.

Benita and James have formed their own group with the Boulder Center of Sports Medicine.  BCSM.  Not exactly catchy, but a very supportive tightknit group.

Benita tweaked my plan, and I start doing a true mid-week speed session.  Pushed on by the other runners who’ve nearly all run sub 3.  I realized I belonged.  Realized I can hang with these people.

Run several races and set big PRs, taking down runners who’ve run well below sub 3.

Crush training runs.  Faster than I've run before.  Confidence abounds.


Boston 2013

One of my favourite quotes is from Michelangelo:

"The greater danger for most of us lies not in setting our aim too high and falling short; but in setting our aim too low, and achieving our mark. "

The most memorable performances for me have been from friends where they've come out and stated their goals ahead of time.  TeamCam in Chicago with his "Sub 3 or over 4" mantra.  Zab's "balls on the table" in Chicago.  Bird and his sub 2.30 in Boston with the cannoli.

Put a goal out like that - and there's no place to hide.

Despite the previous failures, I wanted to embrace the sub 3 target.  I printed it on my shirt.  I made it clear that was the only goal.

But this time I believed it.

Still, I did my best to sabotage it.

My mind is my worst enemy.  Some of my friends can sleep well the night before the race – even oversleeping.  Most can sleep well the week before the race.  I can’t do either.

For 2 to 3 weeks before, my sleep is miserable.  It’s been this way since I ran Chicago in 2009.  Invariably I wake up in the night and my mind starts to race.  Quickly followed by my heartbeat.  By race week I’m lucky to get 4-5 hours / night, and that’s even taking sleeping aids.

As a result I always feel like crap by race day.  I think that likely costs me several minutes over my potential.

Talking to Benita the night before the race – she told me that was probably the case – but my potential was 2.55 or better.  So even losing those few minutes – I was still going to run sub 3.

I believed her.


Race Day

The temps in the 30s in the village hadn’t materialized.  It felt warm walking from the village to the start with Chad and Matt, but really nothing to complain about.

Which didn’t stop Chad and me from complaining about it.

Still, compared to the previous year - this was a no excuses kind of day.

I was in the 5th corral and had planned to run with a friend Jim in the same corral, and hoped Kevin and David in the corral behind would be able to catch up.  Run as a group.

Jim and I moved to the back of the corral, and we could see Kevin waving 15 yards behind.  We agreed to run down the left side of the road so he could catch us.

With a minute until the gun, I chugged gel number 1.  I was also going for a gel PR today too.  I was starting with 8.  My stomach felt a little heavy – I think I’d overdone the bagels that morning, so I was concerned the gels wouldn’t be absorbed as quickly as I needed them to be.

I was starting the race with a 20 oz bottle of water to try to minimize my general hydration suckiness.  I was also taking salt caps.  I took 2 of those with water.  Partly for the salt, and partly because I believed they help offset the acidity of the gels and aided the stomach to absorb the contents more quickly.

Up ahead a small gun sound, and we were off.

Slowly.  We walked for several minutes towards the start line, and 30 yards shy we began jogging.  Watches and garmins were pushed, and it was on.

All that training, all those miles.  All those years.

3 hours to suck it up and get it done.

Less than 3 hours actually.

The first half of the first mile in Boston shelves downhill.  With all the pent up excitement and crowd noise, it’s very easy to take off too fast.  That’s the rookie mistake.  I’d made it before, and was determined not to this time.

Once again I was using Greg Maclin’s pace band.  I’d optimistically printed out a band for 2.55, but there was some method to the madness.  Normally I’m a ‘fader’ over the last 6 miles.  In the pacing I’d set those to be my fastest miles.  I figured that way I was really going out on 2.57 or 2.58 pace, and if I felt good at the end – I’d be able to hammer it home.  My training had suggested I could definitely run 2.55, but marathon PRs are not run in training.   On a course like Boston, with the hills towards the end, nothing can be taken for granted.

Jim and I ran together, no Kevin yet.  First mile split.

7.08

Right in range, but now we need to start to pick it up,  It was hard.  Starting towards the back of a corral of people who'd qualified at around 3.04, meant we had to pick our way through gaps.  At the same time we didn't want to be one of 'those' people sprinting down the side of the road to overtake.  We'd be seeing those people later.

Kids lined both sides of the road as always looking for high fives.  This time I tried to minimize them.  In previous years I'd got caught up in the excitement and high fived the whole way the first few miles.  Energy lost.  Conserve.

6.52

First water stop.  Despite running with a 20 oz bottle, I decided to drink at every stop.  I was already warm, so I also dumped water over my head at every stop too.  This was something I remember from TeamCam's Chicago 2010 race report.  I may look like a drowned rat in photos, but I knew I was a cold weather runner, and wanted to try and keep myself as cool as I could.

Jim was taking all the tangents, whereas I was trying to stick to the left side of the road for Kevin to find me.  We'd run together, then Jim would peel towards the right for a curve, and then join up again.

6.36

Gaps started to appear and I noticed the bibs of runners around us were now in the 3xxx and 2xxx range, so we were now with others running at or under sub 3 hour pace.

Through the 5K in 21.12, once again marvelling how persistence and a good training plan can help.

A little over 4 years ago. 21 mins would have been a 5K PR.

6.34

4 miles in now.  Time to take a gel.  I'd experimented in training using caffeinated gels for the first time.  I had 4 with caffeine and 4 without.  While the taste of the caffeinated versions was slightly bitter, I felt that they gave me more of an energy lift.  I took one with caffeine.

6.45

5 miles.  Still running with Jim, although we'd split up and regrouped multiple times as each picked our own path and tangents.  WHERE IS KEVIN ?  My legs were starting to feel a little heavy, which was worrying.

Too early for that.

I mentioned it to Jim and he said his felt the same way.  Something about the undulating nature of Boston seems to do that.  Fortunately I'd started training sessions this cycle with heavy legs and had had great runs, so I had the confidence that I knew I could overcome.

Once again confidence preventing the negative thoughts from becoming a factor.

6.39

My friend David from Denver suddenly appeared.  Bouncing along and running very easily.  I introduced him to Jim, and then I ran with David as we chatted.  That was the last time I saw Jim during the race.  Despite starting behind me, David was clearly in good form.  His lifetime PR is in the 2.40s and I felt like he was pulling me along faster than I wanted to go.  After passing the 10K point in 41.49, I told him I'd let him go.

6.35

Through 7 miles.  Within 10 seconds of the goal time for this point on the pace band.  I was running by feel, and really just using the pace band for confirmation.  I wasn't getting caught up in trying to hit each split.  A time of 2.55 would be great, but it was going sub 3 that was the main goal.  Other than the heavy legs I was feeling pretty good.

6.42

Another gel.  A normal one this time.

6.42

More water dumped over my head.  Very consistent splits here.

6.42

Where the heck is Kevin ?  10 miles in - I'm guessing he's gone past me by this point, or is having a bad day.  He has the same pace band.  Surely we would have met by now ?  I was running solo.  My legs were feeling heavier and I felt like I needed a boost.  I thought I'd be running with friends the whole way so wasn't planning on running with music.  Since I was using my spiel belt to keep salt caps in, at the last minute in the village I'd stuck my ipod shuffle and some lightweight headphones in too.  I fished them out, and managed to get the cord threaded under my shirt and to my ears.  On came the music and I transported myself back to my training runs.  I'd had a 16 mile effort with 4 x 4 mile sets, finishing well under marathon pace.  16 miles to go here too - I already knew I could do it.  I'd take the headphones in and out during the race, torn between wanting to hear the crowds and experience the race, but also wanting to lose myself in the music and ignore the fatigue in my legs.

6.45

11 miles.  15 to go.  Break that into chunks.  Think about the milestones ahead.  The scream tunnel in Wellsley.  The half way point.  The fire station turn.  The hills culminating in Heart Break.  Crossing the train tracks.  The Citgo Sign and Fenway Park.  Cannoli Corner, and then Right on Hereford, Left on Boylston.

6.34

And there was the scream tunnel.  I manouvered my way to the left of the road so I wouldn't get knocked over by runners veering over last minute for a snog.  I checked out the signs and enjoyed the distraction.

6.44

Through the half in 1.27.49.  Over 2 minutes in the 'bank'.  I knew that wasn't the way to think about it - but other than the heavy legs, I was feeling good, and it was comforting to think I could run a 1.32 second half, and go under 3 hours.

Think of friends and family back in Denver, friends in Chicago, home in England.  I knew they'd be tracking, seeing the splits come up.  Wondering it they thought I was going too fast.  I certainly didn't.

Still - the second half at Boston is a lot harder than the first half.  Heartbreak Hill had lived up to it's name last time for me.  In my mind I pictured a monstorous steep hill.  Would those 2 minutes be enough ?

6.43

Just ticking along.

6.44

In my mind knowing every mile under 6.51 pace was getting me closer to sub 3.

6.33

And now we were into the hills.  Run by effort.  Expecting to get splits around or over 7.00 pace.  That's perfectly acceptable.

6.58

Feeling good.  Just over 4 miles until the hills are done.  28 or so minutes.  Then it's mostly downhill.  I really have got this.  Wow.

7.00

Was that hill number 2 or 3 ?  I don't remember.  Hell - I'm really not noticing these hills.  They certainly don't seem to be as steep or long as I remember.

The splits I'm posting here were adjusted post race to account for the extra 0.25 miles my garmin measured.  At the time, each was displayed as 4-5 seconds quicker, so I was seeing miles in the 6.40s and 6.50s as I ran through the hills.

6.43

Really ?  6.43 ?  I'm 19 miles in.  I know Heartbreak will be coming up in just over a mile.  I'm feeling remarkable good.  These hills aren't so bad.

6.56

Through 20.  Now I want to see Heartbreak.  The hills have been pretty easy.  I'm realizing the mind has a big impact on how they're perceived.  Last time they were mountains, this time they were merely hills.  I'm actually looking forward to see how Heartbreak would appear.

And there it is.  Really ?  That's actually nothing bad.  Not nearly as steep as I remembered.  It looks like a hill I run every day near my house, just longer.  Run by feel, run by effort, once you get to the top - it's mostly downhill to the end.

7.17

Ok - that's it.  Over the top of hearbreak.  This was the plan all along.  Get here with something left in the tank, try and pick things up, and finish strong.

Evaluate.  I do feel pretty good, but I also remember that I've felt good with 5 or 6 miles before.  Still too early to push it.

6.50

This is starting to hurt a little bit.  Not like in previous races, but I'm not running as easily as I was earlier.  No shit Richard.  Remember the sign you saw in the first half.

"If Running A Marathon was Easy - it would be called your Mom"

That had me chuckling for a good minute.

For the first time I'm noticing a few people are overtaking me.  Crossing 22 miles I see I've got 31 minutes to go until 3 hours.  4.2 miles in 31 minutes.  That's just under 7.30 pace.  Make sure you run every mile under 7.30 pace and you've got this.

6.59

I feel a slight tightness in one of my hamstrings and remember in Berlin where I had big cramps the last few miles.  They came out of the blue.  Take nothing for granted was the lesson I'd learned there.  Everything can change in an instant.

2.55 was out, so I decide to 'settle for a sub 3'.  lol - that's not something I thought I'd ever write.  I'm still feeling reasonably good.  I know I could probably pick up the pace slightly but don't want to run the risk of pushing things too hard and cramping.  I recollect a race report from an English friend Tom in London where he had the very same issue at the end.

This running community that I'm a part of is amazing.  Learning for each other.  Remembering anecdotes.  Now my stated sub 3 goal was forcing me to stay focussed.  I didn't want to have to explain to my friends how I'd let a golden chance slip.  So many had told me they thought I would finally do it.  Don't want to disappoint.

7.04

There's a headwind ?  Ok good.  So no one can put an asterik next to this sub 3.  Counting down the miles.  Running within myself, but definitely not easily.

7.04

Ticking along.  Last hill at the Cisco sign.  I remembered that from last time.  That had been miserable and unexpected then.  Now I was ready for it.

See the 25.2 mile point with the clock.  One Mile To Go.  8.30 minutes to run a mile.  I’ve definitely got this.  Can you say 'Sub 3 Baby'.  I can.  And I do.  SUB 3 BABY !!

A quarter of a mile to Cannoli Corner.  A group of friends who weren't running meet at a pre-arranged spot at mile 25.5 and hand out cannolis and beers to our group.  I'd fully anticipated grabbing a cannoli for my finish line picture, but now I wasn't so sure.  The thought of running 3/4 of a mile holding that made me gag slightly.  I'd already managed to get down 7 gels.  500 calories of cream and fat wasn't particularly appetizing right now...

Get over to the left of the road.  Up ahead searching the crowd for my friends.  Finally - there they are - yell - they yell back - arms raised, flying by like an airplane shouting 'sub 3 baby'.  Great boost.  I'm able to pick up the pace.

Right on Hereford, left on Boylston.  Oh yeah.

7.10

And there's the finish line.  I got this.  Reflect a little on how long this journey has been.  Much longer than most people realize, from the days of those naive promises.   I wonder what my time will be.  I'm guessing 2.57.xx, but it doesn't matter.  Point at my shirt and yell 'Sub 3 Baby' again.  And over the line.

6.34 for last 0.2 miles

2.58.31.  Really ?  Wow.  Cruising in like that I lost more than I realized.  It shows how some slower miles at the end can really make a dent in the time.

But it really doesn't matter.  SUB 3 BABY !!!

I always thought I could.  I didn't realize how long the journey would be.  But I got it.

Thank-you everyone.  I definitely didn't do this by myself.  Many of you helped.  From tips I've gleamed from race reports, from inspiration I've gathered from your performances, from words or comments in person or online.  It all played a part.

The next day, I reached out to my friend from my working days in Chicago.  Social media is a great thing.  We hadn't spoken to each other for more than 12 years.  I thanked him for his motivation.  I wanted to make it right.  I finally had.

After a race, I always analyze what happened to learn for future cycles.

This was a novel experience.  Normally I'm trying to figure out what I need to tweak to improve.  This time I wanted to try to understand what had changed that allowed me to run 5 minutes quicker than I had in December, on what was definitely a harder course.

In a nutshell, I think it was the speed work, confidence and coaching.

Adding true speed on the track once / week - gave me a surprising increase in both speed and strength.  I also believe - that change of pace helped contribute to a 6 lb weight loss.

I didn't run any more miles.  I didn't change my diet.  But I lost 6 lbs.  That's a lot less weight to carry 26.2 miles.

Confidence.  This time I knew I could do it.  This stemmed from the running improvements, but also my running group and my coach.  The mind plays a big part in a marathon.  For me it had been one of the weaker aspects in previous races.

Instead of doing straight marathon paced runs, I was doing runs where the pace changed.  I'd run multiple blocks of 3-4 miles, the first block slower than MP, then the next at MP, then the final set faster.  This gave me the confidence to know I could pick up the pace and run faster, even when my legs were tired and heavy.  This confidence was very useful in Boston.

I'm not sure what my goal is now.  I do believe I can run faster in the marathon.  Sub 2.55 perhaps.  I'd also like to get my half time below 1.23 to 'qualify' for New York.  Improve the 5K and 10K times.  Complete the Majors 'again'.  Run some 'destination' races for fun.

But if I didn't run another step, I'm going to be satisfied now.  

I'm always going to be able to say I ran that sub 3 marathon.  

Finally.

------------------------------------

And while purposefully not mentioning it here - obviously the joyous nature of the day turned very sad later on with the bombings.  Many of my friends were closer than I was, many impacted far more profoundly.  It took some time before I felt I could truly 'enjoy' the accomplishment, and 3 weeks before I felt comfortable publishing this.

Like many, I wasn't planning on running Boston in 2014, but now I think I will.  Show 'them' that you can't take this away from us.  From the runners, from the supporters, from the people of Boston.

I read a quote on facebook at the time that rang very true.

"If you're trying to defeat the human spirit, marathoners are the wrong group to target"