Stealth PR

Race weekend is over. Great showing at the 5K Saturday and a great half-marathon today. I went out pretty fast and felt really good, no soreness at all from the 5K. I planned around a 7:30 pace but found myself settling in around 7:15 or so. So on I ran, having fun, keeping a brisk but manageable pace.

So when was the fatigue going to set in? After all I did just run a race the day before. Round about mile 8 is when. The tendons or muscle or whatever around the back of my knee began to get sore. "Ah" I thought, "so it begins". But it still didn't slow me down. What's going on here? I may be able to set a PR I thought. But then I dismissed that thought, after all I wasn't being strict about my pace. A quick calculation showed that it was doable but improbable. So on I ran.

Then I hit mile ten near Charles St and saw a 1:13:24 on my watch. 1:13 with 3 miles left? 22 minutes to match my PR means 7:15 minute miles would beat it! This might happen. Now I was running determined. Keep up the pace. The leg didn't hurt much and the pace was being met. Sweet.

Mile 11. Getting tired. It was gonna be a fight from here on. We'd made the turn on Comm Ave and were heading for home.

Turning in to Post Office Sq I kept looking for the 12 mile marker. The buildings had messed up my gps so I was unsure of where I was, all I knew is that we were close. No mile marker in stie. WTF?

Atlantic Ave had arrived and I had 7 minutes left to match my PR. This could really happen. I dug deep and kicked up the pace. It had to be sub-7 minute from here in. Over the bridge and the end was in sight.

No wait, that's a fish restaurant. There's the finish. Dig hard, keep running. Damn that hurts.

1:32:00. Keep running. Finish is in sight. It burns.

1:33:00. So close. Watch out for the straggling 5-milers.

Run. Run. Run.

Finally, the finish. Hit the watch and look: 1:34:07. Holy crap. A new PR by over a minute. Where did that come from?

Race weekend concludes with a surprise finish and a whole lot of beer.