Notes
Ec-fucking-static!
Lt. JC Stone 50K, North Park, Pittsburgh
I had several goals:
1. Don't be late. Last year, I set the alarm for PM. Started 20some minutes late. Not good.
2. Adjusting for lateness (w/ timer photo'd when I started) my time was about 4:01. So beat that.
3. Beat 3:50. I thought that was realistic. I didn't supersuper race this last year, as I had Boston in 5ish weeks and a 30K the next week (as I do this year. Next meaning 3-28. Boston too $$$$ this year.) So I figured I could step it up this year and we'll see about next week. Go big or go home, right? While I knew I could pick up some time if I avoided having to piss (something I failed in NYC) and hitting the aid stations quicker, I did not think 3:50 was sandbagging it.
I smashed it.
Official isn't up yet, but I did 3:42:53, so it will be close to that.
That's a seven-fucking-12 pace. Faster than NYC in the fall by 4 secs per mile average (in which I went out way too fast, then started to dismantle cell by cell around mile 16) and only 2 secs per mile slower than last year's Boston. True, this course was not as demanding as either of those, but the two bumps/hills got larger each lap (six 5 mile laps and an extra bit at the beginning to get the 1 mile) but it also was 4.8 miles longer.
I faded on the last loop. I can only give Garmin times til the lap splits are posted, but my fastest mile was 6:50ish and slowest non-aid-stop mile was about 7:21. So, throw a few seconds on each of those, as Garmin came out with these numbers: 31.57 miles // 3:42:52.84 // 7:04 pace.
Actual distance is somewhere in between as I KNOW I ran the tangents long, as I wasn't sure of what they meant when they said where you could take the tangents and where you couldn't or be DQ'd. Didn't want that. And this course was certified.
As for strategy: It involved going out faster than I wanted/should?, despising that so many people were in front of me (5-6: it was a small race; probably 50ish) and not letting up anyway. I was feeling good, so I figure I'd hang with it til I needed to slow. Ran with one guy, Ken, about a loop. One guy passed us and ended getting 3rd overall (he was REALLY cutting tangents, but Ken and I weren't sure, so ...) Eventually, Ken and I caught his calf-ailing buddy, who stopped to change his shoes. I continued on, picked off another two guys, didn't stop to pee, didn't dally at the aid stations and finished 4th overall. Some effing 50 year old got second place. Dang, he is fast. (1,2,3 were well ahead of me.)
Point of pride/stupidity factor: This race came after a weekend of EPIC drinking: Pogues show in NYC Sat. night, preceded by vodka shots/Russian beer at a Russian bar in NYC and postceded with more booze, St. Patrick's Day celebrations Sun/Mon (I was off work) and medicinal drinking because a temporary crown came off, and - finally - having a college buddy come in town to take me to see Morrissey on Tuesday night. It was so much booze, I had to go on the wagon W/Th/Fr. I am off now, enjoying a Murphy's.
Cool things: This race is named for a Lt. who was killed in Nam. His brother came out this year, told us about him and ran a lap. We also sung the National Anthem to start it.