Hello all! It's been a busy last few weeks, so lets not waste any time with pleasantries and get down to the good stuff!
Since I last wrote I've competed twice. Let's start with race number 1.
9/27: Rock and Roll San Jose 1/2 Marathon
-4th Place, 1:03:43.
Came away from this one with mixed feelings. I came down with a mean chest cold saturday morning, and this caused me to adjust my race plan a little bit. Instead of going out aggressively and running at the front of things, I made the decision to run a little more conservatively early on and try to maintain more even splits. Danny (Mercado) and I were in the chase pack for most of the first 10k, and ended up catching the leaders around 5 miles. We hung with the front group of Meb, Jordan Chipengama, and Daniel Tapia for about 2-3 miles until they made a surge that I wasn't able to cover. Ran in the chase pack of four for much of the remaining race, until kicking in the last 600 meters to take 4th.
Considering how I was feeling in the few days leading up to the race, coming away with my 2nd best time and a top 5 finish wasn't bad. I felt like I competed well in my group, and didn't let my bad patches ruin the day completely. With that said, I still feel like it was a missed opportunity, as I was very confident that I was in sub 63 minute shape. Sometimes you just have to grind out the tough days and survive, and hope that the next time you get out there, you'll catch that great day.
Splits: 4:45, 4:48, 4:44, 4:47, 4:48, 4:46, 4:48, 4:47, 4:59, 4:55, 4:52, 4:56, 4:50
10/11: Chicago Marathon
- DNF
So this one has many many mixed feelings associated with it. I did very little marathon specific work going into this one, and instead focused more on 1/2 marathon speed and strength. So I can't say my expectations should have been high, but I had some confidence that I could still turn in a good race. I didn't have much of a race plan, and wanted to just run by feel and see where that got me. I ended up going out faster than I wanted, but decided to go with it and see where I ended up. Sometimes you gotta just go for it a bit. Felt strong and ran consistently through the first 8-9 miles. Caught a pack around 8 whom we decided to work with a bit to try and buffer the headwinds a bit. Ended up see-sawing the pace a bit, and lost some time. Came through 1/2 in 66:50 still feeling ok, albeit a little more fatigued then I would have liked. Held steady for 15-16 miles then started to fall off a bit. 5:05's turned to 5:10's, which turned to 5:20's, then 5:40's, then the wheels fell off. By 19 miles it was pretty much over. I struggled for a few more miles, then decided to pull off course as to not compromise my recovery. Definitely a disappointing finish.
Disappointment aside, I still learned a ton through this race. I know the kind of training that I need to do to maintain that kind of pace. It gave me some clarity as to what I need to do in my build up for the trials.
I lost my splits on my watch, but here is the info from the runner tracking: http://results.chicagomarathon.com/2015/index.php?content=detail&fpid=search&pid=search&idp=999999107FA30900001756E7&lang=EN_CAP&event=MAR&lang=EN_CAP&search%5Bname%5D=Hilton&search_event=MAR
I received a TON of well wishes and notes from people in the lead up to Chicago, and it reminded me of how incredible my support group is. Thank you to everyone who reached out before or after the race, I wouldn't be able to continue doing this without all of you.
I'm blessed to be a member of such a supportive running community here in Flagstaff, and without the likes of that, I don't think I'd be seeing the success that I am. So despite my disappointment in recent finishes, I'm still incredibly grateful of the community that I am a part of.
I was given the chance to speak to some young athletes at the BASIS school here in Flagstaff, and that reminded me that our sport is SO much more than just a sport. It's a lifestyle, a way to meet lifelong friends, and a wonderful community. Thanks to them for letting me tell my story, and answer their incredibly detailed questions! So if you're from BASIS and reading this, consider it a shout out! Best of luck with the remainder of your season!!
Nick Hilton
The Moderately Talented Distance Runner
