Notes
This went really well. The only things that could have gone better were 1) weather 2) calves dying around mile 21 and 3) having to take a dump during Mile 19. With those 3, I would have been under 2:40. Can't complain overall though. Besides the calves, which forced me to briefly stop and try to beat them into submission and walk just a tiny bit, I really didn't hit a wall, which is a total marathon first. In fact, I hit a much worse wall during my last long run 3 weeks ago. I did slow down but that's cuz I went too fast too far, I think. I wasn't as bad a crash and burn as the splits may indicate. It was cold and a little rainy at the start, but the rain stopped right away. There was a pretty bad wind out of the East and South, and it was in my face for all of the last 3 miles. Oh well, it was a great course and finishing on the 50 yard line of Memorial Stadium was awesome. Here are my splits:
1) 6:04
4) 24:44 (18:40 last 3)
5) 30:45 (6:01)
6) 36:51 (6:06)
10K) 38:10
8) 48:48 (11:57 last 2)
9) 54:52 (5:53--starting to find my rhythm and really move. It was effortless for a while)
10) 1:00:51 (5:59)
11) 1:06:46 (5:54)
12) 1:12:47 (6:01)
13.1) 1:19:16
14) 1:24:44 (11:57 for last 2)
15) 1:30:32 (5:48--mostly downhill but this was too fast. I knew I needed to slow down but I was having a hard time doing that)
16) 1:37:06 (6:33--uphill into the wind definitely helped me slow down. Feeling my first fatigue, but not bad. Started to have to take a crap, too)
17) 1:43:20 (6:13)
18) 1:49:29 (6:09--close to my in-laws house. Saw my family, which was really nice. Knew I still looked pretty smooth for them!)
19) 1:56:46 (7:16--not bad at all considering I was in the port-o-potty for about 1:15. That really helped. I was afraid stopping would make me cramp up)
20) 2:03:02 (6:15--Not a bad 20th mile at all! Starting felling tired and feeling my calves, though.
22) 2:16:14 (13:12 last 2 miles, or 6:36 pace. Starting to really cramp us in calves, but this is still pretty solid. Missed Mile 21 but it didn't alarm me because I knew I must have missed it. I knew I needed to address my calves in order to finish but put it off as long as I could)
23) 2:22:44 (6:30--still hanging in there)
24) 2:29:42 (6:57--finally had to stop and bang on my calves and give them a little recovery, but miraculously still under 7)
25) 2:36:49 (7:07--finally a legit 7+ minute mile, even with a brief calf break. Only 1 of the day, though)
26) 2:43:21 (6:32--feeling the finish line. Maybe my fastest 26th mile ever, even my 2:27)
26.2) 2:44:47 (1:26 last .2. Not blazing but felt pretty ok. Loved the finish and wasn't too destroyed)
As I'm writing this I"m not feeling too bad yet. Calves are shot but 3 ibuprofen and a longer than I wanted walk after the race to get my stuff has helped.