Notes
A beautiful day for a marathon, cool and sunny without too much wind. This time around I had t - he chance to train pretty well. I was able to do most of the mileage that I wanted to do. I got all of my long runs in and they all went well. I was able to bring the intensity up in the later weeks and managed to get some higher mileage in. And I got to do a nice taper and I got to the line comfortable and relaxed and feeling like I could run a 2:58 and maybe better.
I was hitting my splits early on, though just, and they felt just a teeny bit fast. I didn't want to give in all though I know what the truth is. I just refused to listen to myself hoping I wouldn't have to pay the piper later in the race. There is no such thing. I hit my ½ just a little slower than planned and then headed downhill from there. Things got worse and worse - I stopped when I saw Chris and just walked and talked a little - a good morale builder - and then headed on up first avenue.
Coming into Harlem I ended up with severe blister pain in the left foot (outside of the big toe) and had to take off my shoes (again). Four miles this year. I can't say my pace was blistering afterwards but it was better.
I could say I'm disappointed - and I am - but not deeply like the last two years. I'm surprised. I thought I did a pretty nicely disciplined job getting ready (for the daddy of two - one being born during the run up). Maybe I lacked in intensity as I didn't do the club workouts and I barely raced. I think that was a big part of it: without racing I didn't have an accurate sense of where I really was. Last year I was able to do the Staten Island ½ and that confirmed where I was. This year I was travelling so it was a no-go. More I'm mad and frustrated that a pretty good effort didn't come to fruition. Some of it was foolishness - though had I listened to my body I probably would have come across between 3:05 and 3:10, which would have been better but still a disappointment. I dunno.