Final Countdown

Got a good nap in.  Weather looking decent for tomorrow.  High 50's, humid, and wind shouldn't be too bad.  As long as it's not too windy we are going out in at at least 1:14.  Not going to mess around with the top guys and let them jog the first half marathon.  1:14 isn't fast for a flat course, but over the first half of this course, it's solid.

Been studying all my prior splits on the course.

2004 before I'd ever run a marathon I ran the whole course in January in sub 10 degree weather in 2:42.  Gary gave me water along the way.  Got all the splits for that.

Then in April I ran the course again in 2:39.  Got all the splits for that.

2004 I raced MDI for the first time, 2:33.  I knew what I was in for and had gone out in 2002 and 2003 and gotten all the splits for the top 5 guys, mile splits and 5-k splits.  I got all my splits for that run.

Sometime in 2005 I ran the course with Gary in reverse, from Southwest Harbor to Bar Harbor.  We ran about 3 hours, but its way harder that way.  He always talked about switching directions, glad he never did it, that course would be brutal.

2005 race I ran 2:32 on a really windy day.  I remember my winter hat getting blow off my head at about mile 3.  It was a rough day.  Got my splits for that, everything is slow the first 10-k because of the wind, but then I was able to pick it up.

I know the dips, and turns, where I can go, and when to rest.  My advantage, hopefully it helps.

Lastly know your competition.

Nothing left to do but try to sleep tonight some, then get my mind in the right place to race Morseman.  he runs a lot of marathons and is strong, but this course is not easy.  he ran a flat marathon two weeks ago in 2:32 after going out in 1:11, so 1:14 through half of this course should be good.  It's going to be a fight.  In 2011 we finished 29th and 30th at Grandma's marathon about 16 seconds apart and going back and forth the whole race.  He got to 10-k first, I got to half marathon first, I got to 20 miles first and then he finished first. Luckily in my defense I had a bad injury through May and early June and went into that race not well prepared.  Still ran 2:26 after going out just under 1:10, and with a bad hamstring injury that almost kept me from running Cabot Trail relay the month before.