Austin Marathon
My best recollection, a week later
Pre race: drove down to Austin Friday, 2 days before. I think this is a lot better than day before. Get a little acclimated to your surroundings. Expo: prettu standard. I bought a cowbell for the girls and watched the Seton MD give a medical presentation regarding physiology of running. Very interesting.
Pre-race dinner: Not ideal, but had pizza and pasta - deep dish pizza* at Mangia. There were extenuating circumstances. I felt a little heart burn during the race and, well, the results speak for themselves.
Race morning: got up 2 hours before start. Had a bagel with peanut butter. Had a good sit and started jogging to starting area a little more than a hour before the start. Unfortunately, I forgot my gear bag and had to return after having jogged about 2/3rds the way. I had plenty of time but perhaps went too long on my warm up at 2.2 miles*.
Race: started with not that much pomp and circumstance, just a couple short addresses from mayor and CEO of Freescale and away we went. Start heading south down Congress which is a reasonably gradual uphill for 3 miles or so miles. I conscientious tried to hold back and my first mile was a little too slow at 8:25. 2nd mile was 8 flat and that's where I stayed +/- for the the next 10 miles. The down hill portion south of the river was really fast and I made up the time, but near the river I settled back in at just over 8 and I wasn't thinking BQ any longer.
North of river along Cesar Chavez and Lake Austin Blvd. is the highlight of the race. Flat, straight and a lot of spectators (downtown was a full blown crowd). The Freescale employee sound tunnel was a fun diversion. The Wellesley girls are louder than that? Between CC and Town Lake Blvd is a slight ramp and after Town Lake Blvd is a a bit more of a ramp on to Enfield. This is where, I really noticed how I was dragging despite having the physical capability.
Turning on to Exposition produces the steepest hills of the race. I don't know the impact of this for later in the race, but it felt substantial. The Mopac overpass was brutal. Also, at this point I started to feel a lot a friction-related pain on my left heel*. At mile 13 or so after the hills I stopped at the medic to have them treat it but they didn't have band-aids so they lathered Vaseline on and away I went. The 3:30 pace group passed me at this point. For a while I tried to outrun them gradually, but eventually gave way.
The rest of the northbound path was a gradual uphill and I couldn't keep an 8 minute pace at this point. I was surprised that there were no more steep inclines in this part even though according to the elevation chart we are still climbing.
The return south was the hardest part. I had built up the mental expectation that I would be able to open it up but I couldn't muster the energy. I saw the 3:35 pacers around the one bathroom break I took. Again I tried to outrun them gradually but faded.
The wall hit when it was supposed too and I walked a short portion twice, once to take in may last gel - cant remember why the first time. I muster enough energy though to keep my legs turning over, but not at an adequate pace.
My race was saved at around mile 24 when the 3:40 pacers passed me with only one or two people in tow. I sucked it up and tucked in behind. Going down hill approaching campus my watch was showing a 7:30 pace and I was holding on. This is when I realized that my slow down was mental and I could have done better.
There is a double topped hill approaching the finish line which was no fun but I held pace, passed more than passed me and finished at 3:40 and change.
Take-aways: * denotes mistakes that hurt performance. Do not let any clothes get we, especially socks. Do not forget gear bag. While the pacers hurt me on the Dallas half marathon, they helped me here. I think that trying to stay with pacers is probably worthwhile after all.