My objective for the DCRRC 20-miler in Alexandria, Va. was to get in 15 miles at marathon goal pace, roughly 5:35-40 per mile. The idea was to go at that pace from the gun and wind it down the last five miles, letting people pass if necessary.
Things did not go as planned. I was out front early on, and perhaps a half-mile into the race, a volunteer on the course told me to go straight rather than turn (she confused me for someone in the 5-miler which was starting 15 minutes after us). Cresting a hill I began to hear people yelling, "Hey! You were supposed to turn!" So I turned around and got back on the course and caught up to the front. After the race I guessed it was about a 60- to 90-second loss in time, but now that I think about it, I would say it was closer to 2 minutes.
Most of the race was on rolling bike trails that, much like the Parks Half, disrupt my rhythm style. The weather was rainy and humid. I ran about six-minute pace for 15 miles, and at a certain point I almost forgot I was in a race, not a Sunday long run. The lapse in concentration allowed the chase group to reel me in quite a bit, but at a certain point I decided that if the workout did not go according to plan, I might as well get a win. My total time was 2:04.56, and surely there is a good training effect to be had from the effort ... but it would be to nice to have clearer evidence that I can get it done on Nov. 2. Next year I will put the Philadelphia Distance Run on the calendar.
What can you do? Ten days until taper. In the middle of a 110 week; another will follow.
In other news, Haile Gebreselassie broke his own world record in Berlin by 26 seconds. 2:03.59.
I think it is fair to say that Simon Wanjiru ran the best marathon of all time in Beijing. Geb, in Berlin, ran the best time trial of all time.
M - AM 8 PM 7
T - AM 8 PM 6
W - 12 - 3 WU, 8 by 800 2:30 avg. with 400 rest, 3 CD
Th - AM 15 PM 5
F - 12
S - 10
S - 22 - Race
Total - 103
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