Time: 4:36:47
Pace: 9:03 min/mi
Comments: The final taper week was an anxiety-filled delight. I got one run in an then had to battle a low-grade sinus infection. I felt like butt but not that absolutely awful of a full-on sinus infection-level butt. So I focused on lots of sleep, forcing fluids and not moving too much.
Over the course the week I made it a point to keep eating well and, on Thursday, I commenced with carbo-loading. I chose to use Maurten Drink Mix 160, downing eight packets over the course of the day. This follows a method a runner I know used for the Chicago Marathon the week prior. Did it work? Well, it certainly didn't hurt.
The race was rough. I will think about the details of the effort later. Bottom line is I hit my goals of 1) completing it 2) running the whole way and 3) sub-four hours. The brutal exhaustion at the end wasn't fun but, at least I know I left everything I had on the course.
Injury update: The right lower hamstring and upper Achilles tendon ached consistently over the course of the race, particularly after the halfway mark. I was really worried they might become something critical by the end but that never materialized. Still, while I ache all over now, they -- and my hips -- are the most sore in the post race.
