Shamrock Marathon Race Review: 3/19/06
Mile 1: 6:35 - felt way too easy, possibly helped by the tailwind.
Mile 2: missed the mile marker, still feeling really easy.
Mile 3: 13:59 (2 x 6:59s?) - first taste of the blustery conditions as we make the loop around Rudee Inlet. at least I’m not feeling cold.
Mile 4: 6:57 - i must be honest, this felt quite hard for a 6:57 (with the tailwind as well). working harder than I want to be at this point.
Mile 5: 6:55 - felt like we picked up the pace, but still only a 6:55. just have Dean Clifton for company at the moment, and we agree to work together at the turnaround into the wind.
Mile 6: 6:38 - mile split is more like it, although the effort was the same. strange. time to make the turn and hit the wind. we’re closing on a pack and think this will help shelter us.
Mile 7: 7:16 - was it the wind or was mile 6 short? who knows. nice to see ron and curt at the 10k mark anyway. their “looking relaxed” helped a little. still feel like i’m working too hard at this point.
Mile 8: 6:45 - Dean pulls away with a small group. i get stranded but pass a guy wearing a GPS. he assures me the mile markers are accurate to within 20 yards, so i figure it’s my pacing/effort that’s suspect.
Mile 9: 6:46 - actually start to feel better on Camp Pendleton and catch Dean and pass several runners. take my first Raspberry Hammer Gel just before the water stop. running alongside Steve Patterson now who says he’s feeling good.
Mile 10: 6:42 - got a good rhythm going now. i spot Oscar Longoria as we exit Camp Pendleton and press on towards Rudee Inlet. the wind is strong, but doesn’t bother me.
Mile 11: 6:46 - get a huge boost as we take a right on 5th Street. U2 - Beautiful Day is playing as we approach the boardwalk and i have to tell myself to slow down. still a long way to go.
Mile 12: 6:43 - at some point Dean and Steve rejoin me and we take turns heading north on the boardwalk to shield the wind. i know i’m not much help for the 2 big guys, but i’m keen to do my share. i remember running on my toes and thinking “feeling good”. i was definitely holding myself back at this point.
Mile 13: 6:44 - nice to be off the boardwalk and have some shelter from the wind. had to shout to Shannon to get my Sustained Energy and another Hammer Gel. this will help in the next couple of miles. i’m finally running at my 2:57 goal pace but as i approach halfway i know i’ve got some catching up to do.
Mile 13.1: halfway split - 1:29:29, about a minute slower than planned with a tough 3 miles north on Atlantic Avenue ahead.
Mile 14: 6:46 - the Sustained Energy is helping and the Hammer Gel saved for later. i pass a couple more runners in this mile and focus my efforts on catching a guy and a girl ahead.
Mile 15: 6:54 - finally hook up with and latch onto the couple, who appear to be running really strong. ironically i’ve enjoyed this tough stretch and had fun cheering the half-marathoners on in their final few miles. i didn’t see Ally, so i’m guessing she broke 2 hours as planned. it will be nice to see her later on the bike. no sign of Dean or Steve and I daren’t look back to see where they are.
Mile 16: 6:52 - through the water/gel stop after my turn at the front of the line. i drop back to to take on plenty of water, but surge to catch “Brian” and “Lori”. don’t want to lose touch after trying so hard to catch them.
Mile 17: 6:50 - Shore Drive offers a welcome break from the wind and I’m able to chat to Brian and Lori.
Mile 18: 6:48 - still feeling fairly comfortable at the moment. i think about my ITB problems from last year and try to run on the part of the road with least camber. nice to see Rick and Sharon Brown at the timing mat. Lori thinks it’s funny that I “know everyone”!
Mile 19: 6:45 - we take the turn into Fort Story as a group of 3. i glance down at my watch and pace band and realize i’m still 1:26 down on my goal pace/time of 2:57:00. this is crunch time i guess. still 7.2 miles to go and i need to make up 86 seconds (about 12 seconds a mile or 6:33 pace). i take another Hammer Gel and decide to turn up the pace.
Mile 20: 6:33 - i don’t really remember “dropping” Brian and Lori, but i do remember passing Jeff Douglas and another guy. really happy with the 6:33 split, it feels faster but not unbearable. i think how many races i’ve done on Fort Story, remember some of the better ones and press on towards mile 21.
Mile 21: 6:27 - i’m getting quite warm now with the breeze mainly from the rear. my leg turnover is good and i feel like i’m getting faster and faster. great mile.
Mile 22: 6:25 - this mile’s where Rob Levinsky enters the scene on his bike. it’s getting tougher but i can maintain this for a while. i’m passing runners randomly now, some of them really hurting, but i still feel like i can maintain for a while longer. i remember i’m still carrying 3 Endurolytes and decide to take them - it might be too late, but they may help keep leg cramps away.
Mile 23: 6:23 - surely i can’t keep this going? i’m still getting faster and it’s great to have Ally and Rob on their bikes a few lanes to my right. i’m in my own little world but am conscious of their support.
Mile 24: 6:15 - Shannon joins the “party”. i feel bad for her because she’s not wearing running shoes, but she runs alongside for a while and inspires me to a 6:15!
Mile 25: 6:20 - getting close to home now. not sure what finish time is within my grasp, so i just keep the legs ticking over. relax, power, glide i tell myself. i’m still passing people and it feels great.
Mile 26: 6:27 - the last mile seems to take forever, but finally i’m on the boardwalk with 6 blocks to run. i swing over to the metal railing which helps me run straight, and just look ahead to the finish line. keep the turnover going and it will soon be over. don’t look at my split, i just drive on to the finish…..
Mile 26.2: 1:05 ……where i stop my watch at 2:55:36, a new PR by over 2 minutes!
marathon finish time: 2:55:36 (6:42 pace)
marathon first half: 1:29:29 (6:50 pace)
marathon second half: 1:26:07 (6:34 pace)
marathon last 10k: 39:22 (6:20 pace)
interesting facts -
the second 13.1miles were run quicker than my 2005 Rock’n'Roll Half Marathon.
the last 10k were run quicker than my 2005 Turkey Trot 10k.
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March 30th, 2006 at 11:35 am
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March 30th, 2006 at 2:54 pm
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April 27th, 2006 at 8:02 am
[…] Last year I was 3rd in the 35-39 division, 16th overall and my finish time was 2:59:26 (6:51 per mile pace). With my lack of long training runs over the last 5 or 6 weeks, I can’t see myself getting close to my PR set at Shamrock last month, but I do hope to break last year’s Frederick time by a minute or two. Ok, here goes - this year I’m looking to average 6:46 per mile pace, which would give me a finish time of just over 2 hours 57 minutes. I think the key to success will be to settle in to a nice early pace and try to hold it for as long as possible. I remember last year some of the early mile markers were slightly off and it took a while to figure out what pace I was actually running. […]