Notes
39th (42nd overall). 2:22:42. weather seemed to be the best case scenerario after a couple weeks of carefully watching the weather, 60 degrees, humid and 10mph north wind. Held back at the start the best I could. I knew people would go out too hard and I just wanted to get to my 5:15-5:18 pace ASAP and settle into the flow of the race. The wind was annoying on the way out but Landes and I were in a decent sized pack so it wasn’t like we had to suffer on our own. We rounded the northside and started heading to the half point. The pace was starting to lag so I took it upon myself to get us back on track. Ran alone for stretches but people were still close behind. Landes and I were shoulder to shoulder at half in 69:06. My only concern as we passed half is that I had never really settled into a groove. I was constantly conscious of my effort. Ran with Evan for another 4 miles intermittently joined by a guy or two but for ge most part it was us. We were still on pace at 20, but as soon as 18-19 I could tell my legs were starting to leave me. My stride was lower to the ground, even more of a shuffle than usual. My hip was tightening up badly but here was no shouting pain so I endured the discomfort and pressed on. Evan surged and tried to get me to follow him and I tried for a while but at 22 I was toast. I saw up ahead Johnny was starting to come back, clearly having a rough one himself. It gave me something to shoot for so I picked my cadence up and drew him closer and finally caught up at 23. He tried to cheer me on to stay with, but as mentioned before, I was toast. Not soon after 23 miles i was almost completely done in. My hip was so bad at this point I was practically dragging my right leg behind me. My vision was darkening at the peripheries and my torso crept in front of my stride. I was breaking down in a bad way. The goal of OTQ was gone around 21-22 miles and a PR was evaporating rapidly at 23. I didn’t have much else to fight for, and there may have been some self preservation to not jeporadize my hip for a minute or so faster. I hit a mile to go and I was all but trotting. I had no power left in my stride and I had to focus intently through the mind fog to stay on the blue course markings and not sway side to side. I only wanted to reach the finish line as I climbed the final stretch up Roosevelt. The “hill” almost focred me to a walk but I was resolved to prevent that from happening. I continued my pathetic jog to the end and the moment I crossed the line by glute siezed up and I was nearly pulled backwards. It took me 20 minutes to hobble to the the elite tent. I wouldn’t say I’m mad— frustrated but not mad— with the experience on the whole. I think the car accident a few weeks ago was fate intervening and I just ended up getting screwed over from that. I was happy with the build up and I feel like I made it to a new level, things just weren’t reflected in today’s performance. On to the next one!-