Goal: better than 1:27:11. Secondary goal: sub-1:30.
I ran this race as a member of the University of Louisville Corporate Team, so I could not risk completely bumming the race. I decided to go out at my PR pace, to give myself a chance to PR, and see it from there. My PR was run this spring on perfect training on a pancake flat course. This time, my training was much worse, and there were a few hard hills on the course. Here is the elevation profile:
We woke up to a cold morning with temperature of about 36 degrees. After my usual pre-race rituals (breakfast, coffee, etc.) I drove to the race, where I found a cheap parking spot really close to the start line. We met up with the team before the race, but we were all freezing, so we just got a quick picture together, and then went on to the start area.
I saw a bunch of people wearing only T-shirt or even singlet, but I decided to go with long sleeves. After the warmup, while standing in the start area, I sort of regretted it, because it was nice and cozy there, but it was too late to change the setup. In retrospect I'm happy that it was too late, because I needed those long sleeves.
There were about 2000 runners, but people seemed very reasonable here, and slow people didn't try to line up close to the start line. At exactly 8:30, after a countdown, we were off.
The race started with a long straight flat street, and we had the first mile split there. I knew I went out faster than I wanted to, but it was hard to control my excitement. I just went with the flow.
Mile 1: 6:26
We took a couple of turns, but it was like the first mile: flat, fast. I felt great, the adrenaline was still pumping hard in me, and the weather was also great. I was not hot, not cold, and the predicted rain didn't arrive.
Mile 2: 6:28
I knew I had to slow down. I just didn't believe I had enough miles in training to do this pace for 13.1 miles. I tried to take it easier. I ran by a couple of spectators in University of Louisville Cardinals gear, and I pulled down my upper layer to reveal my "Cardinal" T-shirt underneath. I got a huge cheer! :)
Mile 3: 6:35
I knew we had one more mile before the three hills of Cherokee Park. We entered the park, but first we ran a flat portion of the road. I saw one of my trail running buddies finishing his Saturday morning trail run in the park (another extra cheer). Unfortunately we also got some sleet/rain/hail here, which wouldn't have been a big deal if that was all for the race. But from here it was raining on and off, and by the end of the race it was just raining, heavy and cold. But let's not jump ahead.
Mile 4: 6:24
(It seems like I was very fast in the previous mile, but it was all downhill.) Right after the marker, the big climb started. Following my predetermined strategy, I slowed down, maintaining just slightly increased effort level uphill. When we got to the top, my Garmin still showed 6:33 or so average pace, and I wasn't sure if I should take it as a good sign (unexpectedly fast pace), or a bad sign (expected blowup at the end).
I had my first drink on the top of this hill. Aid stations were not great at this race. Most aid stations didn't announce who had water and who had Powerade, so you just got what you got. And except for one, they had these awful plastic cups.
Mile 5: 6:57
Hill #2. Not as hard as #1. Before I knew, I was at the top. But the weather was turning bad, and I already started to feel tired, and we weren't even halfway done.
Mile 6: 6:38
Hill #3. Difficulty is the same as #2. We left the park by this time, and people disappeared from around me. I passed a few people in miles 2,3,4 and 5, and I still always saw somebody ahead, but the passing became more and more rare. At least nobody passed me. Drink #2 happened with paper cups (great), but I got water (wanted Powerade).
Mile 7: 6:38
I permanently switched to the faster 2-1 breathing pattern here from 2-2. Mostly downhill, so I got good speed, but I felt my legs getting trashed. My left hip started to hurt, my right leg, too, a bit of soreness in the right ankle... and I started to hate the world. But I told myself, I was only a 10K from the finish.
Mile 8: 6:30
More downhill. Drink #3 (plastic cup, water, half of it on my shirt). No rain at the moment, but I was already wet. I passed a few more people. I started to feel good about a PR, and barring catastrophe, sub-1:30 was in the bag. But I *was* tired.
Mile 9: 6:27
The race was flat from here. I counted back the miles. I was struggling, but pushing myself. I already knew this race was not to be like the spring half marathon where I felt great at the end. I passed more people though.
Mile 10: 6:28
We were going through the working class neighborhood, and the folks were out and very supportive. I passed one more guy right after an aid station (plastic cup, water, some of which went down my windpipe), and then there was a long-long empty space in front of me. The rain was coming down hard, it was getting into my eyes. I started to feel quite cold, especially my hands. My shoes and socks were also soaked.
Mile 11: 6:30
The race started to feel surreal. I was hurting badly. I tried to run with my eyes closed and only open it for one stride out of 3 or 4. I seemed to get closer to the guy in front of me. Yes, he was closer. And then I passed him. I had this interesting disconnect between how I felt and how I ran. I was in a lot of pain and wanted to stop, but I just kept running the same pace. "You only have to endure it for less than 15 minutes." I told myself.
Mile 12: 6:26
I saw the clock at the marker turning 1:18:00, and I realized that with a strong last mile, I can get close to 1:25. My mental math was not quite strong enough to realize how fast would I have to be. So I just pushed, and pushed, and I was dying, and freezing, I couldn't feel my hands, the freezing rain was flowing down on my face, and where the hell is that finish line anyway?! It was a straight road for the whole mile leading up to the finish, but due to the heavy rain, the visibility was so bad that I didn't see it until I was very close.
Mile 13: 6:14
I really want to see those finish line photos. I was done for. I ran my heart out.
Last portion: 0:39 (roughly 6 min/mile pace)
Total time: 1:25:18
23th overall out of 2143, 2nd in my age group, but age group awards were not given.
Our team got 3rd place in the Corporate Challenge with me running our fastest time. This is a great result.
I'm overjoyed with the race. I couldn't have run any faster today. Running an almost 2 minute PR with the circumstances is great. But I will still focus on a spring half marathon to run an official sub-1:25 before going on to my sub-3 hour marathon journey.
The post race party was a bit lame with a goofy pop-rock band (Bon Jovi and Toto style) and the rain, but there was pizza and free whiskey for the corporate teams, so it was all good. :)
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