My goal is to break 5:30 this year. I ran 5:25 here last year, but I am slower this year. I am not able to run my best the weekend after a double as I was able to do just 3 years ago, when I ran a PR a week after a double. The course is crushed rock, but very flat. It was 30 degrees at the start. It was our first freeze of the season. It was 63 degrees when I finished.

My start is at an easy pace for myself around 9 minutes is my goal. At mile 2 I am 18:25 and 27:39 at mile 3. So I am a little slower, but not bad. I have a long ways to go. At mile 3 I hook up with a couple of gals running the half. It turned out I paced one of them at the Des Moines Marathon two years ago to a 4:14 PR as the 4:15 pacer. I run with them until mile 8 where I take off.

Just after Mile 9 we are back at the start. Since I got to the start only 5 minutes early (I live 45 minutes away) I forgot about picking up my number. So I stopped to get it on and get a few stones out of my shoe too.

After I start running again I run with a fellow, Troy, trying to break 5 hours for the first time. He is going near a 9 minute pace so we run together. We run together for the next 12 miles. He tells me something I have heard a lot. If you would run fewer runs you would have better times. I am sure it is true, but I would not have nearly as much fun. It was difficult for him to understand.

We were having quite a time together and we did not pay much attention to our pace, but by mile 19 we were at 3:00, which is right at a 5:00 finish. I tell him, that after last weekend and not getting much sleep the night before (I hope this will not become a habit) I do not expect to break 5:00.

We run a couple of more miles together. He takes off at mile 21. Just after the aid station at 21.5 I get stomach cramps. I experienced this once before in a 50-mile in 2005 at mile 23 and after running slowly for 2 miles they went away. I also had a PR that day with a 9:11.

By mile 23 they are still with me and I stop at a portal restroom, but it did not help at all. I am struggling with 13 and 14 minute miles. Around mile 25 the pain is not at bad. It comes and goes. At mile 26.2 my time is 4:31.

Coming back with a little over a mile to go I see Troy. It appears that he might break 4:55 at the pace he was going.

The next couple of miles go slowly, then at mile 28 the pain goes away. At the turnaround mile 28.5 I am at 5:02. I can see that I have a chance at breaking 5:30, but it will not be easy. As I run it seems to get easier and easier.

At mile 29 I pick it up a little and then with a mile to go I get into a good groove. I know at this pace I will be close to breaking 5:30. Then I see a runner that I met at Des Moines last week. He tells me that "You are looking good, keep going." With less than half a mile to go I am really pushing myself and it feels good. I finish with a 5:28:40.

My finish and how I am feeling. It makes me want to continue and do the 50-miler, but I can tell that the lack of sleep the night before would really hurt my chances of finishing and be healthy at the same time. Maybe next year.

Next, Gobbler Grind in Overland Park on November 18th. I live only 3.5 miles away. I sure hope, that I can get there early. I hope to break 4:00 there. With the next two weekends off I should be ready to go.


TomD