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Notes

Grandma's Marathon

Will run with Maria - goal is to tuck under 3:30:00 (and beat Hannah's PR - friendly competition and all that)

Course is the same as previous years. Start in Two Harbors, run on Scenic Highway 61 to Duluth. It's mostly downhill, with a gentle climb at mile 22 (Lemon Drop Hill) and looping around the DECC and William A Irvin to finish. Bit of rolling between miles 7 to 11.

EDIT, 4/8 - I don't think that we'll get 3:30 for this cycle. I probably could, but Maria? Ehh.

Post-Race Report/Notes/Thoughts:

1) Got Maria under 3:40:00.

2) My stomach was unhappy even after the starting wait for the bathroom. The bathroom line was so long after the buses didn't leave until 6:10 from Barker's Island. Annoying long wait was not ideal.

3) Stopped for about 3 minutes at mile 13 for pretty significant unpleasantness. It was not good, but it was good to get that out.

4) Fueling was pretty good, but I think I was very low on salt. The sea salt Gu at mile 18/19 was amazing - would have that again.

5) Maria made the right choice in not waiting for me at mile 13, but I also made the right choice to wait for her for about 90 seconds at mile 22 as well. She was struggling when I caught her at mile 20.5, but she perked right back up once I caught her.

6) I definitely was trying to hammer to catch Maria from 13 onward. My logic was either she's blowing up and needs the help OR I won't catch her and she'll have a great race. I didn't think of her stopping for the bathroom though.

7) Weather was perfect for a marathon, garbage for standing around and watching.

8) I might have had some nasty chafing in the gentleman's area, which was sting-y in the shower afterward.

Overall, I felt pretty good after the race. I wasn't completely mauled like two days after my first or blown up after my second. Part of that is that this was at a slower pace than those races, but still - I'm feeling better about this race.

Mile-by-Mile Splits

8:16

8:21

8:10 (After this, we went off the front of the 3:45 pace group. That group was going way hard.)

8:06

8:07

8:07

8:06

8:08 (Dat consistency.)

8:16

7:56

8:08

8:06

11:14 (There were finally about 150 portapotties. Point-to-Point races are fun.)

7:44 (Suitably lightened and the fast mile of the race.)

7:57

7:59

8:00

8:04

7:56

7:55

7:49

8:30 (Caught Maria, about 15 seconds of walking.)

9:48 (Waited at the bathroom - my legs decided to pack it in pretty badly at this point)

8:22

8:16 (Aaaaaand she's gone.)

8:15

3:14 (I had this as 4 tenths of a mile, so prorate that out to 8:05 pace)

When I go down to the mile by mile splits on this - I was in better shape than I thought. If you drop the two bathroom stops, I'm pretty comfortably at sub 3:35. And that meshes, with a perfect, even race, we were catching the 3:35 pace group. I can also say that this was a negative split. (All fairness, my legs were touch and go at mile 21 ish, so I don't know that I had the pace to keep it rolling once I caught Maria, but I also don't know that I didn't. If I hold on the second half, I would have run something 1:50, 1:46/7. That's sniffing distance from the dream goal of 3:30.)