Run 6:22 [1] 0.6 mi (10:36 / mi)
Run, strides and drills around the campground, then a walk with friends I found back to the start.
Run 3:02:49 [3] 26.2 mi (6:59 / mi) +222m 6:48 / mi
So. Goal was 2:55, B goal was sub-3, C goal was 3:03 BQ-2 (should be fine with the new standards).
Cool, cloudy, spitting rain. They lined us all up at 7 and then the start was delayed because of some late-arriving buses. At 7:05 I asked "when are we starting?" and someone said "7:10" and then 100 people ran in to the woods to pee (me included) so, you're welcome.
Gun went off and I started strong. 6:25s, legs felt good, weather great. Holding this would be about 2:50, and no reason I couldn't right? Low L3, good turnover, feeling good.
That lasted about 4 miles. My calves got tight. That's not good. Something I could run through, but early. I started getting passed some, and fell apart a bit on the hills, 7:20s there. So with a strong PR out, I settled for staying under 7s and going for goal B. It was raining more by now, my feet were wet, and I really couldn't run hard down the hills. Pretty quickly I realized that all I really wanted was the BQ, so off to goal C it was.
I ran several miles with Mark Vautour who was shooting for about the same time. We dragged each other through 7:15s once it flattened out, passed some people who had died, got passed by some people who were going faster, and finished in 3:02:49. Also my watch died at mile 26.
Which means my last three marathons have all been 3:02s.
Wasn't particularly happy with the race, but then again after stressful school time and not great training and the Billygoat trashing my legs and not great sleep, I'll take it. Then I ate a lot of food at the end, and got one of the massages, and was behind a guy in line who was bitching about the race and other races and, dude, just be positive about this, you are standing up, you ran a marathon, so yeah the weather wasn't great, but it's Type 2 fun and you're done. My mom talked to him some which was good because I couldn't take it. Also while I was getting a massage my parents took my wet shoes off: I was very pampered.
Then we went to camp, where we got a fiddlehead quiche on the way (unbelievable) and I took a shower (also unbelievable). Still in the "fuck marathons" stage but that will pass! NYC in Nov.