Looked at my AG results. Top 3 were 3:15, 3:17, 3:21, so no chance even if things had gone as hoped.

Also noted that I was not alone in my big positive split - top 5 were 7, 3, 14, 8, 20 min. More of the same when going further down the list. Rough day for a lot of people. Or maybe that's typical of marathon results for the mid-pack hobby-jogger crowd, IDK.

Looked at my AG results. Top 3 were 3:15, 3:17, 3:21, so no chance even if things had gone as hoped.

Also noted that I was not alone in my big positive split - top 5 were 7, 3, 14, 8, 20 min. More of the same when going further down the list. Rough day for a lot of people. Or maybe that's typical of marathon results for the mid-pack hobby-jogger crowd, IDK.

You had a great cycle and topped it off with a solid race and big fat juicy PR, a PR that was a year and a half old. Don't cheat yourself from the euphoria you should be feeling right now man, you held it together well.

I went for it, but I am clearly not a BQ marathoner, otherwise I'd be one. Tough course. Middle miles were nice & shady but hilly; later miles were nice & flat but out in the open sun.

 

You'll get your BQ. This was a good, big, step in the right direction and you are making progress.  A 7 min PR is awesome and the BQ is coming!

I ran 12 and it was fucking miserable.

Yeah, there is no sugarcoating that one.

Rumor has it someone had the poo monster hit while on the shuttle bus at a local 10K race.  The bus driver stopped, let her out, and she went behind a tree.... which apparently did not shield her much from the bus full of waiting runners.   So if you thought you had a bad day....

 

That's my kinda rumor 

I was not alone in my big positive split - top 5 were 7, 3, 14, 8, 20 min. More of the same when going further down the list. Rough day for a lot of people. 

This reminds me of a bad memory of another day, and another place.

DaveP,as someone who has never run a full, not sure if this will be valid, but looking at that course map, it looks kinda brutal. Looks like lots of smaller, but nonstop hills starting around miles 13 or 14. So chances are that most people's pace will drop due to the hills.

Yup.

 

So do you find you generally prefer the 7 days/week running? I am pretty content sticking with 6.

No, I don't. I like having a rest day.

But, it does make sense to me to do it this way - it lets me keep my volume up while allowing more recovery - especially when I am racing frequently, I can shorten my runs leading up to the race but still get in the miles. I usually have at least one 5 mile day which is physically almost as good as a rest day. Not as much mentally but... I do think during MRT it made those 70 mile weeks easier to manage.