I was riding high after a sub-5 hour finish at the USA Fit Marathon and a 100-mile finish at Jackalope Jam. Next up was Galveston Marathon, and I hoped to lower my marathon time.
The Race
I made the rookie mistake of going out too fast. Sub-10-minute miles felt fine up to half marathon. But by mile 15, I was dead.
Here is where my friends Jamie and Luke helped me. Had I no accountability, I might have just walked the last ten miles or so and finished 6 hours+. But inspired by my training partners, I pushed on. I did take some walk breaks but never more than a mile.
One of my nip-ease covers fell off, probably because my cotton shirt was drenched. As much as I hate it, I think I have to switch back to tech racing shirts. Anyway, since the shirt was bloody and it was hot, I trashed the shirt and got sunburned.
I kept working hard. In the final miles, I chatted with a runner who had finished 146 marathons, who inspired me.
If I had worked even harder, I could have kept it sub-5, but it was tough work anyway to finish in 5:09.
Reflections
Obviously, for Woodlands Marathon next week, I need to slow down in the first half and run between 10:30 - 10:50 minutes per mile, like I did at USA Fit. I want to have a good race for my last of the season.
If I want to lower my marathon time next season, I need to devote time to speedwork.
Still, I am proud of this one. Sometimes the best races are ones where things go wrong but you keep fighting.
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