Notes
Little disappointed that I didn't get under 62 but still a PR.
First, I forgot my watch ... not a good start. It made me nervous about my warmup (when do I go to the car and get rid of the warmups and put on flats? I ended up going back too soon for my tastes and not getting in enough warmup - only 2 miles max).
It was a very good weather day but a little breeze that turned into a headwind at the toughest part of the course.
Without a watch I was hoping to catch a few splits along the course but there was not a single place where they were calling splits. At 3 miles I passed Kenley Gafke and asked him what he split and it was 18:29 - just about perfect for a 62 finish so I tried to hold that effort the rest of the way. I got sidetracked at about mile 5 when we had to go up and over the long overpass. The overpass isn't super steep but it's actually fairly long and not like your typical up-and-over overpass. This one goes up and then flattens a bit and takes a turn then continues up. When we came down off the overpass we had to head into the wind for about .75 miles. I was all by myself with Steedman and Arreola and about 5 other runners all bunched really tight in a group fighting the wind. They were too far ahead of me for me to gas it and catch up and draft off the pack so I had to tough it out on my own.
Once we made a turn to the West it got much easier as I was out of the wind. I picked off Arreola in mile 6 and came up on Steedman at around 8. I thought about passing him but I figured that maybe it was too early and he'd just stick to me and outkick me at the end like he did at Norcal. Right then a girl came blasting by and I decided right there to follow her, for better or worse. Immediately passed Doug and, though I couldn't quite keep up with that girl, I got some energy and definitely picked it up some. I think I was putting some time on Doug but I was still worried that we'd turn that corner with the last .15 miles to go and he'd blast by me. When I turned the corner I snuck a peek behind me and, shit, there he was no more than 5 feet behind! I just let go with everything I had and never turned around to see if he was gaining on me. I ended up finishing ahead of him. Yay for that. Davis ran really well .. 61:27. Kim Conley was there (won the female division) and ran 56:20.