Sub 3 Almost! - Eugene Marathon RR

Timeline T-minus...
-31 days - Eugene Marathon ("A" Race)
17 days - ITU Motala LD Triathlon ("A" Race)

Fun race here at Eugene, Oregon aka Tracktown USA! Missed my sub 3 by less than a mile, may have just barely eclipsed it on garmin, but that doesn't count! Maybe next time World, keep on watching! :) It's becoming closer to a sport of inches.

My kinder surprise container filled with a few salt pills was opened in my back pocket, which must had occurred when I sat on them while driving in the morning to the bus shuttle. When I tried to grab them at 5k, the pills dropped! Ah poop!

But besides the small mishap, the race strategy went really well. The plan was to cruise the first 35k with a 1:29 half split and run the last 7k like it's only a 7k race. A great tip from Bryan Andrews.

The course was flat and fast, a small hill at 7km, and mostly riverfront along the second half. I was surprised to see trees on both sides of the path when running along the riverfront. A few very steady strong runners passed me, I was impressed. 

I got to 35k right on schedule (with a 1:28:5X halfway split) at steady's 4:15 per km. But the legs just got crushed trying to jump start them for the last 7k. I guess I ran the legs into the ground and the pain was just a bit too much. Only a less than 3 minute positive split which I'm ecstatic about. There was a unsanctioned beer aid station less than 2k away from the finish, despite knowing I would miss my sub 3, I didn't grab the beer as I was determined to still chase a PB. 

The last 200m on Hayward Field, best known historic track in US, was pretty neat! Too bad I was too broken and could only a muster a pedestrianly slow 4:20s - 4:30s per km on the track. ;P

I ended up shaving about 15 seconds off my PB in Chicago in 2013! Considering 6/7 people achieve lifetime PBs in Chicago, I was thrilled with beating this time finally after trying for a couple years.  

Derrick deserves a shout for coming with me and putting up with me all weekend. We visited Nathaniel and Sophie in Portland along the way there and back.  

Couldn't walk the next day. Derrick had to put up with my zombie legs. But Voodoo Doughnuts helped. Can't believe this place is opened 24/7.

It is interesting to see the many similarities in splits between Chicago and Eugene!