Chilly review preview

So here we are, four sleeps away. It's time to preview, but first a review of my four-year history of the Chilly Half.

2005 - 1:59:25 (630th)
2006 - 1:44:00*(341st)
2007 - 1:37:55* (180th)
2008 - 1:29:16 (63rd)

*the official results list the times above for 2006 and 2007 in reverse. I have to think they've got them backwards.

Now, on to this year. Since the organizers of the race have jacked up the entries allowed by 50%, from 2000 to 3000 starters, they've also decided to add in a new starting feature (new to me anyway) - starting corrals. The start will be divided into three corrals: "elite" (sub 1:30), 1:30 - 2:00 and over 2:00. I've never considered myself an elite runner before, but there it is now in blue and white. Weather conditions for Sunday are supposed to be a little colder than recent years past. -5 degrees with a windchill of -16, although this will have warmed up a little by the 10:00 a.m. start time. Training-wise, I haven't been completely unscathed but I have made it through the early spring mostly healthy and getting in the good long runs with the Sunday morning group/duo.

Hmm, hmm, hmm...so what does that mean?

I don't know. I do remember that last year's 1:29 was nearly a complete surprise. I expected to maybe stretch to a 1:32 or so. Now with some regular long-run mileage and repeat hill workouts built in, I don't know. Hill work is fine and all, but this course is flat like Sally Field. The added bonus of the expected wind on Sunday makes prediction a tricky game.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, enough stalling around. I can already hear Skeezix yelling, "less talk, more work? Make the call!"

I don't know what to predict. I do know that you never really know if you've pushed the envelope until you bust through the other side. You can never know the limit until you push beyond it.

1:27? Maybe.

1:24? 4-minute kms? Perhaps a stretch.

Let's see.

Peace.