my makeup may be flaking

22.9 mile long run. Followed Georgia Marathon Miles 0-16 then 18-22 plus running to the start and running home. Ran normal long run pace for 11 miles and then pushed for the next 9. As soon as I got to the tough hills my legs started to really burn, but I'm pretty happy with this performance as I was still pretty sore from yesterday.

4.84 miles in 29:59 (14:23 down, 15:36 up)
 

Lost the data but 11.75 miles @ 6:28 incluing the last 8 miles of the course. 1200ft elevation gain ->6:16 pace.

This is basically the Salt Lake City Track Club winter 15K of Atlanta. It was FREE for members and $10 otherwise. And yet, there were only ~1000 finishers compared to 20,000 for the Hot Chocolate 15K 3 weeks ago. I really don't get that.

Anyway, good race that went about as well as I could have hoped, yet I still feel like I left something out there.

There are two races 8K and 15K, that start together. The 15K loop is the 8k course plus another 7k loop that is almost the same. I ran with a group of guys running the 8K and just tried to let them pull my along.

I got a little excited at the start, and my heart was jumpy. However, my pre-race plan was to be a little agressive and then just hang with whoever was around. I reached the first mile in 5:48 (5:34 on course tool) and I was in oxygen debt, I settled in and cruised the second mile downhill, easily staying with the group 5:41 (5:51).

The third mile contains a megahill which I look at everyday from my daily run and tremble. My daily run is on a rails to trails path that crosses over the race course. Right at that point are some weird sculptures. When I looked up today, I saw that they were really figures writhing in agony. The third mile was somehow 6:11 (5:33), which I only managed by tucking in behind the 8k guys. I seemed to be working much harder than them, which had me concerned. 6:02, 6:01 (5:38,5:48) to finish out the first loop.

Pretty much everyone turned out to finish the 8K and suddenly it was just me. I could see someone else like 40 seconds ahead. I really let down my effort here. 6:17 (6:05) for the 6th mile and the guy ahead was the same distance away. The 7th mile was a cruising downhill: 5:54 (6:07). Then up the megahill in 6:36 (5:59), this time with no one to push me. 8:06 (5:51 adj pace) for the last 1.32 indicating I had some more in the tank. The guy in front of me ended up taking a wrong turn in the last mile so I finished second overall (1st was 54:07).

Beltline tempo in 31:02 (6:25 pace) (14:52 down, 16:10 up). A minute slower than last time but it was pretty cold (~25).

RIP Harris Wittels. May this site preserve his legacy.

Warmup with Allie and then 10 miles at marathon pace (6:31) over the last ten miles of Georgia Marathon course. 7:25 avg pace

*1.05 miles

Snowless snow day.

It's not just that there's no snow here, it's that this is one of the nicer days we've had this year.

In fact, it's not that, it's that the forecast doesn't call for snow until this evening, which means tomorrow should be a snow day, but it won't be.

Edit/Twist: Thursday was a snow day, but only after they made sure that the forecast no longer predicted snow.

Splits 5:24, 5:49, 5:55 pace for last1.107

The 5:24 first mile psyched me out a little. I just tried to stick with the people around me after that and I didn't lose any time relative to them. I think the first mile might have been aided a little plus a slight tailwind. Anyway, I definitely felt like I had a lot left at the end, it's just that I've not run a race shorter than 15k for a very long time.

Given my last race, I should have been maybe 10-20 seconds faster, but I think it's quite possible that I just will forever suck at the 5k due to my heart. Still, this course was not that easy and I still ran 30 seconds faster than any 5k since moving to atlanta.