Notes
California International Marathon (CIM)
2:32:29....new Marathon Personal Best by 1:21.
Wow, I'm super stoked about my race execution. I knew I was fit and that I could possibly run a PR if everything went well, but I didn't think I'd run a huge negative split (1:16:41, 1:15:48). I ran the last 10K in 35:32 (5:44 pace) with a mile 26 split of 5:33. Official splits were:
10K: 36:31 (5:53)
Half: 1:16:41 (5:52)
20M: 1:56:57 (5:51)
Finish: 2:32:29 (5:50)
Course: The course was mostly rolling. Compared to the hills I was training on at home, the CIM hills were more like small climbs. I think of myself as a strong hill runner, so the hills didn't really take a huge toll on me. The hills I remember most were the slightly steep climb at mile 12 and the long gradual incline at 15.
My fuel/nutrition was executed perfectly. I took in a power gel at miles 5.5, 13, 16.5, 19.4, and 21.1. At 23.5 miles, I took in a Gu that was offered at the aid station. The only reason I took in the Gu at 23.5 miles is because I started to feel a twinge or possible cramp developing on the outer side of my left hamstring. In fact, there were 3 instances in the last 10K when I felt a twinge or cramp potentially developing. To counter it I took in a gel/Gu and Nuun, the low-calorie electrolyte drink on the course.
More detailed race report to follow on blog.