I am 10 weeks out from my marathon and this was my first tune up race.  My goal today was to PR (1:34:51).  However, I also wanted to test myself and was willing to risk a blow up.  I was pretty sure I am in PR shape, so I decided to shoot for a couple minutes better than that.  Weather was good today for racing (50's, overcast, low humidity).  It was also windy.  I expected that to become an issue.  My plan was to go out fast around a 7:00 pace and see what happens.

Warm up was a mile jog with some fast strides.  I figured I'd finish in the top 50 so I lined up accordingly.

1-  7:00

2-  6:57

3-  7:03

Feeling good so far.  Not pushing too hard but keeping ahead of PR pace.  The course was an out and back along the shore and a couple of miles were on the boardwalk.  I noticed it was low tide.  My nose noticed too.

4-  7:02

5-  7:04

6-  6:58

Damn, feeling really good so far.  This pace felt easy.  Heart rate was in check.  I knew though, based on the direction the flags were blowing, that I was getting a pretty big wind assist.  I crossed the halfway point about 90 seconds ahead of PR pace, feeling great and ready to pick up the pace.

7-  7:13

SMACK...there it is.  I hit the turnaround and there was the headwind.  About 15 mph and it didn't let up.  Right away, the plan now became to just hold on to the PR.

8-  7:19

9-  7:30

10-  7:40

11-  7:40

It felt like I was just running uphill these five miles.  I wasn't strong enough to keep my early fast pace with this headwind.  I was giving it what I could though, and I was in some pretty serious race pain.  I felt like the PR was slipping away but I wasn't too worried about it.  For most of this stretch, I was running alone.  No other runners around me, which made this even tougher.  

12-  7:52

13.1-  7:24

My legs were killing me but I picked up the pace the last mile as the course changed direction.  The last .15 of this race is on the beach.  Urgh...no chance for a kick when you're running on beach sand.  Brutal way to finish a race.  I crossed the finish line under my PR time and was thrilled that I hung on.

Time was 1:34:38, good for a whopping 13 second PR

33 / 605 OA.  NICE.

8 / 54 M40-44.  God dammit my AG is fast.  8th with a 33 OA finish??  Heh.  

So I'm happy with this race considering I'm neck deep in marathon training and I had to fight the wind today.  My splits are ugly, but I'm pretty psyched that I held on to PR.  I probably went out too fast, but I also wanted to go out fast.  I wouldn't know if I could hold that pace if I didn't try.  McMillan puts my marathon time in the 3:19 range.  Not a BQ but I've still got time.  My next race is the Hartford HM in four weeks, which is six weeks before the marathon.

Walk the plank, son.

Congrats Baboon!! Great job during MRT and holding on and pushing into that wind!

damn fine!

damn skippy 40-44 is fast one of our local elites is a 43 yo 1:18 HM...  Completely demoralizes me!  

Congrats on the PR!  It's tough finishing the last 6 miles into a headwind, not to mention trying to push yourself when you are all alone out there.   Way to kick butt.  Cool medal as well.

Oh, man! I CANNOT wait for your marathon, Baboon! Very, very, well done today. If not for the headwind you would have been even faster. Very nice running and the medal is equally cool.

Nice job Phil. When I lived in Milford I used to run that stretch all the time - when you get that east or west wind along the beach it's definitely tough. Congrats on the pr, and keep choppin'.

Awesome job!  I think you did great dealing with the wind.  It's too bad you couldn't have gone into the wind first so that you could have gotten a big boost at the turnaround.  Then again, that might have resulted in a slower time overall...not sure.  Still, congrats again!

Awesome job and kick ass medal!!! Congrats on the (13 second) PR 

Great race!