It's Taper Time!

Alright, with the longest long run officially done (and BTW, after walking around the school campus for two hours with the kids at their fall carnival, I no longer feel *any* twinge of guilt for coming in .25 mile short on that), it's Taper Time. Let the madness begin!

Splits from this morning are below. I went back to the 1 mile/1 minute intervals, since the 10 minute/1 minute thing was very confusing to look back at and see how things really shook out. A few good/bad/ugly notes:

Good:

• The weather -- Perfect for fall running. Low 50s at the outset, warming up to mid-60s by the time I got done at 9:15ish. No humidity to speak of and just enough breeze to keep me cool.
• Hydration -- I finished the first 20 oz bottle at mile 11 and had just enough left at the end in the second bottle for that last chug at the end. The Powerade/water mix with a dash of salt in each bottle was just right -- I had to spit a few times toward the end to get that sticky sensation out of the back of my throat, and was wishing for just some plain water about then, but otherwise, it served me well. I had no swelling in my fingers, and while I was salty at the end, I wasn't caked like I have been in other similar situations.
• BodyGlide -- I bought the big stick Friday and was generous with it, epecially on my feet. I've had problems with blisters and hotspots on the outside of my foot,around the joint at the base of the big toe , so I slathered it there, and it helped a ton. It alleviated any extra excuses to cut the run short, so that alone is worth it.
  
• The sunrise -- gorgeous high clouds colored the sky pink and orange, and I turned into the sun right when it was coming up. Amazing, and it kept me going for a while mid-run to just appreciate the beauty of it and my sheer joy in seeing it while doing something I really love.
  

Bad:

• GI issues -- OK, not so much an issue, but at risk of TMI, my body has found itself waiting for about the 5 mile mark to decide it's time for some action. Not a problem during the week, when I'm out and back by then, but on a big loop 20-miler, or during the race itself, it could be problematic. I HATE porta-potties, but because my kidneys seem to shut down during long runs, that means I have avoided having to stop for potty breaks on the last three 'thons. I was hoping to keep that streak intact, but the last two long runs have found me grateful to be in/near the park with the restrooms (and actually quite clean and nice restrooms at that, thankfully!). I'm going to have to work on that somehow. The Waco race is about 90 minutes drive from the house, so maybe the travel time will take care of that. Let's put this in the category of things I'd rather not to have think about.
• Feet -- I switched the gel insoles I'd used in my Nikes to the New Balance this morning, hoping to avoid the bottom of the foot pain I had on the 18 miler. the insoles were somewhat successful in that goal, but I still found them aching more than I'd like by about miles 12-14. I ended up running a few miles on the shoulder and grassy median to alleviate the pounding of the pavement and sidwalk. Which I could have done longer if my ankles were stronger and I didn't have to pick my way through the grass, bumps, holes and such to keep from tripping. And having to focus on my footsteps slowed me down a bit.

Ugly:

• Nothing really. Boy, that feels good to write!
  

I felt strong throughout, even at the end. I gave myself permission to slow down on the home stretch, with about 4-6 miles to go, but before then, I'd kept a fairly consistent pace between 11:00 and 11:15ish, with some later splits even under 11:00. It was a nice, steady run, and it helped alleviate a lot of the concern I have going into Miracle Match at my current condition. I never felt completely wiped out, like I have at the end of my other longer runs, and I'm going to go ahead and chalk that up to a greater energy store. Or just that my body knows what to do at these distances. And for all the inconsistencies in my training this spring, I have put in the mileage after all, so I'm hoping it pays off when it counts.

Mile 1 - 11:11
Mile 2 - 11:09
Mile 3 - 11:10
Mile 4 - 11:05
Mile 5 - 11:06
Mile 6 - 11:36 (included stopping watch for break at park)
Mile 7 - 11:11
Mile 8 - 11:03
Mile 9 - 11:09
Mile 10 - 11:22
Mile 11 - 10:54
Mile 12 - 10:49
Mile 13 - 10:46
Mile 14 - 11:00
Mile 15 - 11:49
Mile 16 - 11:42
Mile 17 - 11:28
Mile 18 - 11:56
Mile 19 (.75) - 9:12
Walking intervals (I count as mile 19) - 18:00

Total Time: 3:49:45
Average pace (running) 11:18/mile
Average pace (overall) 11:38/mile

Extrapolated time at this average pace for the full 'thon comes up to 5:02:28. We shall see -- I'm not going to get excited about the possibilities for a sub-5:00 time yet.