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After running NC with my friend Rick, I that I needed to finish the States sooner, rather then later. I looked at my state list and picked 4 spring runs in my standard 3 (or 4) week cycle

Packet pickup was at St. Louis University, and the only real drag about it was parking. Lots of vendors, and fairly easy to get thru. Nothing in the goodie bag. The Short sleave technical shirts, blue for Marathon and green for the half. Anout 2500 marathoners and a whopping 20000 Half.

The start began about 10 minutes late, and it took about 8 minutes to get to the starting line with from the C corral. Already into the 60's.

Running towards the arch was nice, then, down Market and into the Busch Brewery, then at mile 6, the Holy Hill, with a race-within-a-race.

Rolling hills and temps into the 70's made this really hard.

No medical tents before the half was disappointing -- with bike meds on the course that I finally caught up with around 9 (bandaids for a blister) -- were more frequent in the second half. Plenty of water stops.

The half pealed off at 10, and the that made things easier.

By mile 11, the heat and the hills had gotten to me, with the spilts already in the 11's. I had started with a 4 and 1, though by 14, I was taking longer and more frequent breaks. I had a cople of decent miles at 17 thru 19, where I was running with a 3 and 2 group with a quick pace, but I couldnt hold it.

At mile 25 I realized that if I didnt step it up, I'd break 5 hours.