October 2017 Running Challenge

Here's the race report.
Woke up 5 am, evacuate the system.(won't havetoworry about that today) plan to leave and pick up my dad and good friend Tim by 6 and get to Hartford for about 6:30 but the boys are up. At least I'll get to see them before I go. My wife gets up after I get the boys settled and at least I get to see her before I go. By the time I get to my dads I'm 20minutes off schedule which is ok. We get to Hartford and park by 655. Organization in Hartford is very poor. There's a gear drop off, I've paid for and finding it is a small challenge but not too bad. I paid for prerace perk which were suppose to include breakfast (yogurt, bagel, banana) they may have had them available but no one has a clue as to where they are. I settle for one of my GU pack that I brought with me.I've had a Powerade to drink on the way down but I was also hoping for a cup of coffee.
Head to the corrals. I've signed up for a 4 hour corral but no the corrals only allow seeded runners in the section for below 4:30. Ok sucks but ok. We're grouped with the half-marathon runners which is again ok but not great. The race starts fine but a bunch of idiots slow things down because they have to jump up and slap the banner hanging over the start line. Finally get going and I start looking for and find the four hour pacer. I stay with the group for a short while but there's too many people and its not comfortable. I decide to get in front of the group but I start going faster and catch up to the 3:45 group.I'm all set to stay with them but same issues and I get in front. I see he portapotties and use one.(just liquid) guess I've hydrated well. Get back out and by 4 miles I've caught up to the 3:40 group. OK time to ease up. Settle into the pace and stay with the group up until mile 12. Feeling really good headed into a long steady slight incline. Passing quite a few runners and about 1/2 mile later its starts going down with much more steepness. I'm a little cautious here but the halfway Mark is coming up and I'm looking at a sub 1:50 mark. Then it hit almost at the bottom of the hill and my right calf tightens pretty good. Slow down and it feels like its tearing. "NOOOOOOO!" Can't believe I might have to quit at this point. "Please let it be a cramp." I look for a place to strech but there are none. I slow down even walk and hope This is not the end.
I able to keep it going by slowing down and walking on some of the hills and I'm looking for the turn around which is at mile 15 or so. The 345 group catches me a little before the turn and I pace along with them up to it. As I make the turn the slight down hill feels good and I'm able to run just ahead of This group.
Mile 20 comes and I decide to stop and hydrate.(I've taken lots of fluid while running but I want to prevent dehydration. I've only got 6.2 to go and I'm at 2:51. The 345 group passes me while I'm stopped and I start again hoping to keep them at least in sight but I'm done and my leg hurts.) I start the process of walking and running hoping a 10 minute a mile pace is possible. Other runners are facing similar struggles and I pass and am passed by the same runners over and over as I keep going. At 22 miles I check my phone for pace and distance. Out of power the phone is off.
Finally I get to 24 miles and my thought is "OK no quitting now." Get to 25 and there is an on ramp to a bridge bringing us back in to the city. Some idiot tells us "This is your last hill and then the finish line" This moron obviously does not appreciate what a hill feels like after 25+ miles. Come down off the bridge and I'm hoping to see the finish line or at least the last turn.the road starts an up hill climb. There's the turn more uphill and no finish line. "Come on where is the line?" another turn no finish line. I can sense it must be near.please just let me see it. Finally I see the supporters and I know I'm almost there. I hear and see my dad and Tim. I raise my hands in celebration. I make the final turn and I'm about to cross the line when three young women sprint by me. (hope it may your day, if you had it left in you couldn't you just have passed me 5 minutes earlier?) I look up and see 3:56. I did it. Turns out my official time is 3:55.(not sure I care) meet up with my dad and Tim. Get my stuff. Go to get food.(which again I paid extra for) Food tent gives me one banana, a brownie, small chocolate milk and a half filled cup of potato leak soup.(really Hartford you officially suck!) I let Tim drive home. I'm done with marathons. You can have them. Those last 6.2 miles were awful, never again. I've enjoyed 18 mile and 20 mile runs but after 3 hours this body is done regardless of my training. I could probably get a 345 or 340 but I think I also could hurt myself so bad I wouldn't be able to run for months. Glad I did, proud I made it under 4. Next goal, sub 45 minute 10 k.

Congrats @HonuNui ! What a wonderful result you had. Love all the photos of everyone.

I made sure to put on my suncreen and completed the AIM Virtual 5K today. I had hoped to get it done as part of my track and field practice, but my quads were shot after the very hard warm-up so I decided to skip the rest of the team workout. I was embarrassed, but since I was in pain, I knew that continuing would only make things worse. So yay for getting smarter and listening to my body. I ran errands all afternoon and then came home and walked to make 5K. The quads feel okay as long as I don't have to lift my leg. I hope I've just overdone it a little and rest will fix the issue. A strain or something more serious would be much too annoying.

No cute giraffes on my travels today, but there was a T-rex and some other creatures of the night.