Notes
Done. Strategy worked pretty good ... thanks for convincing me to do it this way, Jim!
1:35:05 / 1:34:18 splits. Good.
This year's CIM had about 3 or 4000 more runners than last year which complicated things from what I've done in year's past. Our bus got us there much later than normal so only had time to get in a port-a-potty line then go right to the bagcheck trucks and then to the starting line. Normally there's time to hang out on the bus, leisurely go to an unoccupied portapotty, go for a very short warmup jog etc. This year due to the crowds and late bus I didn't do ANY warmup at all! Nothing!
After dropping off my stuff at bagcheck I tried to make my way close to the front but it was impossible. I thought I got myself wedged in just behind the 3:12 pacer but apparently not. I saw that 3:12 sign but once the race started I never saw it again during the race. Not sure how that happened.
The race started and I found myself approaching a huge wall of runners stretched across every possible running lane. It was the 3:22 pace group and I could not break through the wall. I started to panic a little (MUST .... GET .... PAST .... THEM!). I finally was able with great difficulty to make my way to the sidewalk, jump up and find a little space to run past the group. I think I dropped down to about 6min/mile pace until I was clear then jumped back down to the road and relaxed again. I haven't been held up in a race in a very long time and it wasn't a good feeling to start the race. That whole episode probably contributed a good bit to my too fast start. I ran 7:17 when I wanted to run no faster than 7:26. Not horrible but oh well. I was so far back it took 38 seconds to get to the start and I was walking those 38 seconds!
After that I tried to run even effort and not try to hold any particular pace. I'd keep cadence and effort the same on uphills and downhills which meant I would get passed by people on every uphill since I was slowing and then most of the time I'd catch back up on downs and flats. This is why the mile splits are not even. This went on till about the halfway point. Around then those people generally weren't passing me any more on the ups. I passed gobs and gobs of runners over the second half of the race all the way to the end. There were very few that passed me. It's a good way to run a marathon - start slower than you think you should, run even EFFORT and not pace, and power through to the end. I believe that if I'd started out running what the calculators say I was capable of I probably would have had a big fade the last couple miles. My quads were hurting from about 22 on and I wondered whether they'd start cramping but they held on to the end. No walking or cramping.