Clarence DeMar marathon

A rainy day for a marathon, but it was a good day for a race. Ran pretty consistant splits (minus a couple miles) but fell just short of my goal of breaking 3 hours. Ran a total 3:04.04. All in all a decent race, can't be mad at the time. BUT, it's a little frustrating flirting with 3 hours as much as I've done. I'm thinking that after the Otter Brook race next Saturday, I'm going to take a little time off and focus on cross training/gaining strength. Then I'll kick off a serious kick ass training regiment to prepare for either Boston or Vermont (maybe both!) I'll be working days for a little while, so 2-a-days sounds pretty good to me! Well, here are today's splits:

1- 6:07
2- 6:33 (this is the pace I'm looking for!)
3- 6:07 (damn it!)
4- 6:30
5- 6:30
6- 6:35
7- 6:32 (I see a rhythm!)
8- 6:43
9- 6:42
10- 6:42
11- 7:12 (what was this?)
12- 7:05 (lost the rhythm)
13- 6:33
13.1- 1:26.00 (half way there)
14- 6:52
15- 6:52
16- 7:03
17-8:32 (emergency bathroom break)
18- 6:53
19- 7:18
20- 7:14
21- 7:37
22- 7:37
23- 7:36
24- 8:21 (quad started pulling, this is where I lost 3 hours)
25- 7:04
26- 7:29
Finish- 3:04.04

Miles 21-24 destroyed me, if I haven't said it already, I hate hills!!! However, I felt much better this time around. Actually still feel pretty good, I'm not nearly as tight as I've been in the past. I do think though that it is time to get SERIOUS and just destroy the 3 hour mark since it's been teasing me for so long! We'll see what happens!!