RCM Race Report:
BLUF (Bottom Line Up Front):
I PRed by 28 minutes. I picked up the pace from beginning to end, with the last mile being the fastest. The Hanson Marathon method works!
More Detail:
Disclaimer:
In case you get the wrong idea about breaking my PR by 28 minutes, rest assured OldSlowGoofyGuy is still slow. I'm about 1:15 away from a BQ.
Weather:
The weather was perfect, about 32 degrees at the start with light winds. I had multiple throwaway layers, ultimately finishing in short sleeves and shorts. It was supposed to be sunny, but we got a break and it stayed overcast the whole morning.
The Course:
The new course is great. Relatively flat, a few rolling hills. No hills worthy of a name. It's basically 2 different 13 mile loops. That worked out great because I got to see the race leaders at their 26 as I was passing my 13. At mile 18, we went through the Space and Rocket Center. It was Disney-like there for a few minutes. At one point, you come over a rise that blocks your view and then all of a sudden you're looking at the space shuttle straight on. That, and the sight of the majestic Saturn V were uplifting. We did about a mile on a gravel road, which was great for me since I do a lot of training on gravel. Not sure everyone felt that way. IMHO, the new course was a big improvement over the previous course. Much more scenic, enough turns that you didn't have to dread a 10 mile straight away (or fight headwinds for very long), but not so many that you felt like you were wasting time in the curves.
The Race:
I did the first 2 miles with a pace group that was about 20 seconds slower than my intended pace. This prevented me from making the rookie mistake (that I make time after time) of going out too fast. I did the first half at a few seconds slower than goal pace, with the intention of picking it up if I felt OK. At the splits given by the runner tracking, 10k, half, 30k, finish, my pace and estimated finish went down each time! The 2nd half was about 4 minutes faster than the first. I don't think I got passed after 20, while passing lots of people (see disclaimer above). At 26, I came up on a guy who was weaving. To avoid a collision, I said 'on your right' and passed. He snippily replied 'you sprint to the finish, big guy'. Thank you very much, I will. By my watch, the last 1.2 miles were my fastest. I beat my goal by about 2 minutes. The quote that kept me going during the race was Jeff Galloway: 'You are the Captain of your running ship'. It made me realize no matter what happens out here, I am responsible. If this ship crashes and burns, the captain is responsible. Every time I needed to make a decision, like should I pick up the pace, I ran it by the captain.
The Finish:
RCM is famous for it's finish. They announce your name and hometown as you cross the finish line. A track club members greets you immediately with your hat and medal. Thank you to the middle age guy who did not hesitate to hug me when I started crying tears of joy in response to his question 'did I need anything?' Am I the only person who does this? The finish was inside the arena this year, which was pretty cool. It was more Olympic-like finishing inside, surrounded by spectators. As you leave the finish area, they have a PR gong! How cool is that?
Training:
I used the Hanson Marathon Method Advanced Plan. 6 days a week, with long runs of 16 miles. They claim they are duplicating the last 16 miles of a marathon, not the first. I only missed 2 training runs during the 18 weeks. Based on my outcome, the Hansons delivered exactly what they promised. It's a big time commitment, although you do get out of the 22 mile grinders. If you're using the Hanson plan, do not fear the last 10 miles; you ARE prepared.
Thank you:
Hanson Brothers (it works just like you said it would)
Jeff Galloway (the captain of this running ship salutes you)
Huntsville Track Club (especially the guy who gave me a hug!)
Embassy Suites (host hotel)
Hildegard's German Cuisine (non-training approved food, honoring the German scientists)
DISsers (there in spirit)
And last, but certainly not least, my DW who puts up with boring runner stories, our house smelling like a locker room, expensive running toys and trips, finicky final week meal requests, and me!
OldSlowGoofyGuy, enjoying his PR:
But I will have my "throwaway sweatshirt" on pre-race--a navy blue hoodie with large colorful geckos on the back. 
