a Step in the right direction

Yesterday, I ran the Long Branch 1/2 Marathon, own the shore. This was part of the NJ Marathon, and relay festival. This is the third year I have done this and each year it gets bigger. On the downside first was the pre-race expo. In past years it was inside a conference room at the host hotel, this years was in a tent outside. Last year some parts were outside as well, but not the packet pick up. The problem has always been weather. In 2008, high gusty winds blew across the shore. This year it was rain. Despite great tents, they still were sloppy and had a funky smell to them.
The day started with some hurdles. I was meeting my running partner Scott, at the parking facility near by. Scott however was running behind on the Parkway, and informed me that he had passed the buses, that were to transport us from parking to the race start. The buses were to arrive at 5:00am, they actually made it at 6:00. I found a friend Georgie Fear, who was waiting as well. Georgie was running the marathon, and it was her first since injury a few years ago!
We finally got on a bus, that then proceeded to get lost. Yes, the 2 miles straight down Rt. 36. Somehow we took a wrong turn. That is funny because there really should have been no turns. Our bus stopped about 1/2 mile from the start and we exited to wait in a long bathroom line. We figured best to go there as the crowds near the start would likely be even worse. We made it to the JT Foundation Tent with little time before the 7:30 race Start.

The race was delayed in part due to the busing issues. Scott and I were planning to work at a pace to get us in under 1:30, and to see how we felt. There was a light mist during most of the race, and the course was somewhat slick. We hit the first few miles in about 6:30. I believe the 5K split was at about 20:00 +/-. The course is really flat so it has great PR potential. The winds are the only thing that can be a concern. We managed to be fortunate enough to have a day with little wind.
We continued at a steady pace until the turn around at about mile 9. Scott, had a bit more in the tank and began to separate from me a bit closer to mile 11. I was able to keep him in sight, but he was stronger today. I finished with a 1:26, which was a PR for me by about 7 minutes. So that is great. I was hoping to keep the average closer to 6:30 pace, but can't have everything. Scott and I spoke about getting to 1:23, which would allow for an automatic qualifying spot for NYC Marathon. And while it seems realistic, it also seems very far away.

On another note Kevin Cook, made his return to racing after a year off, and did well in a tough Wildflower course. Good Job Kevin!