A1A: Race Report

The chip time isn't up yet, but my Garmin says 2:09:45 and I think the clock time was 2:11, so my guess is that the chip time will be similiar to my Garmin. Either way, it's an improvement over Miami by about 12 minutes.

So, the report:

Pre-Race and Start:
Wendy and I left our house around 4:45 and while we ran into some traffic, it wasn't bad, so we were parked and out of the car by 5:30 am. Quickly, we each used the restroom and then found our perspective places within the corral where we bid each other "adieu": I situated myself amongst the 10 minute milers and Wendy was between the 8:30 and 9 minute milers. The timing was near perfect because we only had to stand in the corral for about 15 minutes before the start -- way beter than the 90 minutes I stood before Miami.

I didn't hear the gun, but we promptly began at 6 am.

First Half:
Unlike Miami, where I had a hard time establishing my own pace in the first few miles, I felt like I found a comfortable pace immediately this morning, and I was able to remain within a pretty consistent window for the first 6 miles:
1: 9:49
2: 9:49
3: 9:59
4: 9:33
5: 9:28
6: 9:35

I saw the first front runner at about 45 minutes, and saw Wendy ahead of me shortly before the turn around between miles 6 and 7.

Second Half:
I was still feeling good at the turn around, and my miles continued to be consistent up until mile 10, then I slowly began to lose steam. But otherwise, my 8 and 9 minute times were the fastest I've ever had (was at the 8 mile marker at 1:17 and the 9 at 1:27).
7: 9:41
8: 9:42
9: 9:45
10: 10:21 (starting to feel tired)

The last few miles were a bit of a struggle because the wind picked up off the ocean and we were running straight into a steady headwind. Not so bueno for the last few miles, but on the other hand, the strong breeze also helped keep me cool, so I can't complain about it too much.
11: 9:59
12: 10:17
13: 10:12
.16: 1:29 (did significantly less "swerving" this morning than I did at Miami)

Total Time: 2:09:45
Avg Pace: 9:51/mile

Finish and Post Race:
When I crossed the finish line, I saw Wendy right away and she handed me a bottle of water and asked: "How'd you like that wind the last few miles?" (She finished about 13-15 minutes ahead of me, but I'll let her post her own report with details.)

After getting my medal and my chip removed, we both grabbed bananas and additional water, hit up the port-a-potties and then hopped on the shuttle back to the start where we parked -- it's nice that A1A finishes on the beach, but it sucks to have the finish in a different spot than the start -- and I think it was hotter and stuffier on that bus than it was on the course. Thankfully, it wasn't a long ride before we departed and walked back to the car. Logistically, everything felt perfectly timed this morning, so we were back to the house by 9:15 am.

Observations and Anecdotes:

• I would not want to run this full marathon -- the out and back course is simple and flat, but somewhat boring. You have the ocean to look at, but that's it for scenery. I don't know, maybe Floridians take the sight for granted, but it wasn't a particularly exciting course, visually.
• I saw a woman running in Keds. She passed me at mile 2 and I never saw her again. I assume she finished ahead of me.
• I felt really good this morning. I felt like my pace was just right: it wasn't too draining, but it wasn't too slow either, and it makes me look forward to working on shaving off those 9 minutes and 45 seconds on the half -- a 2 hour half would be splendid!
• I didn't feel it during the race, but once I got in the shower, I discovered some under-boob chafing. Yow-za. It was stingy.
• Sorry, no pics as of yet. My official picture-taker decided to sleep in this morning. We'll see what Brightroom captured in a few days.