I said AFC, not KFC. America’s Finest City Half Marathon. 11 days from now.

Last October 2008 I started running and set a goal to complete the Triple Crown. I didn’t know what I was capable of back then as a novice runner, but surprisingly I completed the first two races in under two hours. As the third race approaches, it’s a given that I must complete the final half marathon in under two hours, but I hope to set a new PR.

I’d like to finish the race in under 1:45, which means I have to run an average of 7.5 mph or an 8:00 pace for the entire race.

I’m pretty confident that I can sustain an 8-8.5 mph speed for the race, so it seems like a done deal. Fatigue and the course itself look like the only barriers to setting a new PR.

I hear the course has some hills the last four miles with lots of downhill at the beginning of the race. My strategy is to go as fast as I can early on to have a buffer of time to attack the late hills towards the end of the course in order to finish under my time goal.

I look forward to setting a new PR in honor of Team Tuma, my dedication for all of this summer’s races.