IL Marathon 2011 - let the wind blow

A special shout out to Teri Lyon on a great finish at the Illinois Marathon.  Huge 10 minute improved personal best at 3:46 and much thanks for arranging transport and lodging for nearly 30  runners from the Quad Cities and Muscatine area.

Another kudos to Erin Roling, on a 15th place overall female finish at 3:27 for her first marathon.  Good luck to both Eric and Matt on their lives in Madison.  Will miss you both.

QCRunner learned humility again at half marathon distance, despite a 30 sec personal best.  Running is always an unforgiving master, especially in the masters division.  First 6 miles about 10-15 ahead of the pace I had in me that day at 6:45.  Overly aggressive.  Turned into a south and then west wind of 20-30 mph for miles 6-10.

Too much watching the gps, too little concentrating on running my on race by perceived effort, the level of effort appropriate for that day.  Operating at about a 95% effort, 10 secs a mile is the difference between finishing feeling strong, and finishing feeling like your are holding on to a slipping effort.

Covered the gear up with Moeben sleeves at the half way mark, and held on, running by heart beat, concentrating on stride, knowing the 1:30 goal time was slipping away, with hope of hanging on to simple improvement.  Always have primary and secondary goals.

I am seriously considering ditching the GPS tech completely.  It is a stress creator, not a stress reliever.  Battery life is declining, and there is no rush for replacement.  A wise young elite runner told me he ran once with his wife's GPS, and then swore off the tech forever. "That thing would drive me nuts" he said.

And don't necessarily run 3 ultras in the previous 5 weeks if the half is a priority. But I knew the exchange I was making.  Grown up stuff this is.

Best to all.

-Larry

Photo credits.  Daphne D. , Erin R., Tony C.