Poor effort, exacerbated by truly awful weather. The conditions more typical of mid-August prevalent through the night as well, had a difficult time sleeping as a result. Feeling flat and low energy from the moment I got out of bed. Strike two was of course the left leg, which has been going downhill the past two weeks, since the 20 miler I suppose. Last weekend's misadventure didn't help any. Ankle/achilles also not right, can't pin it to a specific day or run. The whole leg is not right at all, and if it doesn't improve over the next month the marathon will be no fun at all. Weather completed the gloomy picture, seemed warm while warming up but at least the sun was behind clouds then. Soon after the race started the clouds moved out and it got a lot more uncomfortable. Didn't seem quite as bad as I remember it being 3 years ago, but still no picnic. Gusty wind served only to offer resistance, no cooling effect whatsoever with the humidity so high. Stayed as conservative as I could early on, tried to hang on to the last money spot but it became clear by mile 3 that it wasn't to be. Get it over with mode started no later than mile 5. I was fully aware that the pace was going to go straight to hell and didn't care one bit, just trying to minimize the damage. At about halfway I dialed it back so as not to overextend myself and melt down and end up in an ambulance. That thought process doesn't happen with me typically. Used the last 10 miles to practice drinking water from cups while on the run, which was valuable I suppose. Last 3 miles, which included the worst of the climbing, went in 19 minutes. I'd like to say it was a cooldown, because I didn't run a step after crossing the finish line, but in truth it was somewhere between racing and jogging. Finished 2 minutes out of the money and almost five minutes ahead of the next finisher after me, which is ridiculous. After finishing, I watched multiple ambulances going back and forth along the course fetching people who had wilted, and the awards ceremony was delayed while the race director got more water.
PM - 24 minutes in Walden. Rode the bike over from Emerson field for what will in all likelihood be the final aquajog of the season. The water is definitely getting too chilly to take without a wetsuit, which I realized about two thirds of the way along. The first 10 minutes were glorious though, shedding all the heat from the stultifying and gross day.
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