4:47:32 PR! at Freescale Austin Marathon

I registered late yesterday at the Expo.
I have my bib (#5846).
I have my finishers medal and technical shirt.
And while the only thing that appears online right now is the gun time -- 4:57:52 (I ran with my own chip which didn't scan because the station wasn't networked to the master file), my watch shows 4:47:32 - which is a new PR and a pace of 10:58/mile the entire way!

And, yes, it was my third marathon in 14 days! I'll explain later. (This is not recommended!)

Temperature on my truck was 28 degrees from when I got to the Freescale Semiconducter parking lot before 5:30 a.m. and it hadn't changed at race time (7:30 a.m.) The start had been delayed 30 minutes. When I got back to my truck and started driving back to the hotel, it was 34 degrees.

The course was awesome with the exception of an almost 3-mile out and back between about 22.9 and 25.8.

I had gotten great rest all week long (and I didn't decide to come do this until yesterday morning). I was happy with what I had to eat yesterday as well as what I ate this morning(2 Fig Newtons and a Clif Shot bar) before the race. I felt I was hydrated well. I hit almost every water station (and they had to have had 17-18 - amazing). I had 2 GU and 2 Power Gel during the race. Took them between 10-11, 16-17, just past 22 and just before 25.

I ran the entire way except for less than half of miles 24, 25 and 26 and without further adieu, here are my splits:

Mile 1 -- 11:25.73
Mile 2 -- 10:26.93 (21:52.66)
Mile 3 -- 10:51.79 (32:44.45)
Mile 4 -- 10:33.31 (43:17.76)
Mile 5 -- 10:02.80 (53:20.56)
Mile 6 -- 10:02.79 (1:03:23.35)
First .2 -- 2:37.37 (1:06:00.72)
Last .8 -- 7:44.01 (1:13:44.73) ... mile 7 - 10:21.38
Mile 8 -- 9:53.06 (1:23:37.79)
Mile 9 -- 10:06.48 (1:33:44.27)
Mile 10 -- 10:03.83 (1:43:48.10)

Mile 11 -- 10:37.13 (1:54:25.23)
Mile 12 -- 10:28.08 (2:04:53.31)
Mile 13 -- 10:10.57 (2:15:03.88)
First .1 -- 1:11.22 (2:16:14.10)
Last .9 -- 9:38.82 (2:25:52.92) ... mile 14 - 10:50.04
Mile 15 - 10:52.62 (2:36:45.54)
Mile 16 - 11:03.49 (2:47:49.03)
Mile 17 - 11:27.44 (2:59:16.47)
Mile 18 - 11:04.55 (3:10:21.02)
Mile 19 - 11:02.46 (3:21:23.48)
Mile 20 - 11:03.34 (3:32:25.82)

Mile 21 - 11:44.40 (3:44:10.22)
Mile 22 - 11:35.94 (3:55:46.16)
Mile 23 - 10:58.94 (4:06:45.10)
Mile 24 - 12:49.94 (4:19:35.04)
Mile 25 - 13:08.69 (4:32:43.73)
Mile 26 - 12:33.93 (4:45:17.66)
Last .2 - 2:13.46 (4:47:31.12)

I'll have to recheck the addition of the splits (it seems to be off a second). As you can see I was tracking to between a 4:40 to 4:43 until the last three miles. In the last 1.2 miles, I had to really manage some potential cramping on the entire outside of my left leg.

Oh well, I talked to Rick Cook on the phone (after calling Waverly and Gena, of course) and he could certainly tell that I was - and am - almost giddy!

Should I call this finish, "7th Heaven" (since it was my 7th and best marathon ever)? More later!