Notes
Marathon Project, 2:15:22, 27th place. What a way to ring in the 4th year of my run streak. The plan going into this one was to get into the 2:11-12 pace group and go with them for as long as I could. I knew at some point I would peel off the back but the aim was to prolong the contact. I was right next to Willie at the start and wanted to stick right on him. The first couple of miles were fairly smooth. I knew I'd be going out faster than any marathon I've done before but wasn't scared of what was on the otherside of that unknown factor. The first 4.26 mile loop was fairly uneventful except for when the pack surged out of the aid station and I found myself 50m down but running with Tyler Jermann and Kevin Lewis. We reattached before beginning the third lap. I felt smooth but was working marginally harder than I was used to. I wasn't checking splits so I focused on the rhythm and keeping myself in the group. We hit the second aid station and I had to answer another surge. I didn't come off the back as hard as the first time but I had to gradually work my way back up. I was feeling the pace but was still maintaining my contact. The third lap was where I was struggling to keep with it. I was pressing earlier than Ive ever had to and it wasn't until the 11th mile where I relequished some of the fight and settled in just a few seconds slower. I came through halfway in 65:58 (which was my second fastest half marathon ever) and was at least in a more maintainable state. Things got bad quickly though. My cadence became really heavy around 15-16 miles but I was still putting good power into the group, there was just a little more slapping going on. I finally checked my watch at 18 and started doing some math. I was stuck at 5:20 at best and needed to keep it going to sniff a PB. I was in no man's land fighting to keep some semblance of a pace. I was into the 5th lap and the group going for 2:13-14 started to roll up on me. There wasn't a ton of response as I wasn't sure if I'd blow up by doing something too drastic. I was on the verge of calling it around 35k and really was waiting on a 6:00 mile split so I could justifiably call it. I kept on the 5:20s though, and by the time I was at mile 23-24, I was committed to getting to the finish. And truth be told I was still on PR pace. As rounded the final hairpin turn I felt a strange lift to my stride. I was at 2:09:02 at 25 miles and figured I'd run about 7 min to the finish so I pressed to get myself in the 2:15 range. There were people pulling out of the race the lap before but now the ones I was coming up on were riding a much worse escalator of pain. I noticed Jared Ward struggling ahead and despite him being one of the nicest guys I've ever met and on any given day a far better runner, but I was able to slip by him with a mile to go. Just as I passed, my hamstring seized a bit and I had to regroup my focus. The last 1000m I got a second wind and gave it a little extra juice as I started to rundown a BrooksHanson's guy. The was moving well over the last few k and as I rounded the turn to go to the finish, Richey was yelling "2:14" at me. I didn't glance at my watch, I could tell from the urgency that it would be close regardless. I tried to pick up my feet and stride out more but in doing so I nearly fell over in the last 100m. My stride was too short and my torso kept inching forward. I would have needed immaculate sprint finish to dip under 2:15 but it was a 83 second PR nonetheless. This performance felt a little different from the previous PR in Houston. Maybe it was the lacking crowds or maybe it was the fact that I was holding on for dear life for so long that I felt like I messed up. The night before Richey had spoke of this race being a time to take a swing at the big times, no one was going to try to qualify for anything or make much money at all so it was all about running fast. I wanted to be on the right side of that narrative and at the end of the day I gave myself a chance and even though I was suffering in the later stages I know what to prepare for in the future. I felt like I was capable of faster today but any time you can lop over a minute off your marathon PB and be a part of the most exclusive, deepest marathon on american would, ever, it's a good day.