My PDR report

I thought I was overdue for a good PDR; my pattern had been one good, one not so good. Since last year fell into the "not so good" category, I figured this year would be "good". I had a good plan: run with John W (see his PDR report) at 7:00 or slightly better, since he would be going slow for marathon training.

"7:00 per mile shouldn't be a problem. If we feel good after halfway, we can pick it up from there."

Hey, for once I started out being right. Mile 1 at 7:02 (at least that's what I remember, silly me missed the Lap button on the watch). Miles 2 through 6 were all between 6:54 and 7:05. A little vacillation, but otherwise pretty good. Then things started feeling funky - a little tightness in the chest (more like solar plexus area, but since I'm not a doctor, I could be off a little) and some short breaths. Mile 7 was in 7:17, and I wasn't feeling all that optimistic. John was a trooper and tried to encourage me back up to speed, but I just didn't have it. I cut him loose shortly after the Mile 7 mark. Thanks for the help John!

I purposely slowed at that point, to try to catch my breath. I thought about stopping for just a moment, and then continue. I jumped the curb and realized that stopping would be a bad idea. So I got back into the road and hugged the curb (not literally). Mile 8 was in 8:01. OK, I blew up rather badly, but I can recover.

I hate the way my brain tries to trick my body into thinking that I can do something like that. Mile 9 in 8:04. Ugh. At least I'm not fading too badly. Mile 10 in 7:55, but still not really feeling better. Mind starts to wander a bit: I wonder if I'll see anybody else I know running. With over 11,000 people out, the chances aren't so good. Even if someone I knew did pass me, I was only half paying attention (sorry to anyone who did and I didn't say anything). Mile 11 on 8:00, mile 12 in 8:11.

The one thing about the course change that I really don't like is the movement of the finish line to Eakins Oval. That means the last hill heading up towards the Art Museum is where I need to put in the push to the finish. The straight really isn't long enough for much more than a final kick. I finish the last 1.1 miles in 8:55, for a total of 1:38:27 (my official time is 1:38:23). Not a PR, but better than last year.