Redemption Song/Am I Really Done W/ Distance?

Sunday was my 28th half marathon since 1984,here's a little insight:
1st half
1.26.49-9.23.84

PR
1.18.07-3.12.06

1st PDR/R&R
1.21.56-9.17.89

Last PDR/R&R
1.25.24-9.17.06

Last half
1.50.18-6.11.17

As you can see Sunday 9.17 tends to play a role in these,when I crossed the finishline in my last PDR{Philadelphia Distance Run as it was known b4 it became part of the Rock & Roll Racing series} 11 years ago I'd struggled to log a 1.25.24 although compared to three weeks prior when the Virginia Beach half had chewed me up and spat me out w/ a 1.30.50 this was an improvement but having began my masters track career I felt it was time to focus on track ergo my quote"I'm done w/ distance running"
It would prove to be a soundbite that was heard around the running community but for the wrong reasons as some arsehole who shall remain nameless got all up in my grill and said"can I have that in writing?" which leant it's self to a terse reply from yours truly and a near arse kickin' for him.......

Clearly my random choice to run Broad St in May followed by my Oddessey Half Marathon in June underlined I was in fact not done w/ distance running on the roads as I felt the need to take care of some unfinished business this fall,however off a semi decent 1.18 Broad St 10 I quote "shat the bed" at Oddessey in a humbling 1.50.18,had I just got lucky at Broad St and bitten off more than I could chew a few weeks later?........

Conditions were grey and overcast when the gun went off at 7.30am w/ yours truly in the  #1 corral of #24,unlike Broad St I would at least get a clear run at it even if the skies were anything but clear.
Again a wise old head on old legs I've ran  the majority of my 28 half marathons on the PDR/R&R course/courses all of them in mid Sept when it's pot luck as to conditions,I've ran in picture book clear skies no heat days,broiling heat,humid as hell,pissing down rain conditions one thing I learnt from my second Boston Marathon in 02 don't worry about things you can't control ie the conditions they are what they are you just have to adapt to them and play the hand you are dealt.
5.58 for the opening mile via my Garmin{perhaps the best thing I ever bought for my running} I was probably 10 seconds behind the official clock as I started mid corral but again to revisit an old Coach GP pearl of wisdom run off of feel not the clock my recent runs had shown low 7 min mile pace when all by my lonesome so now w/ a field around me  work off of them,
6.37 for the second mile which had me roughly adding 7 mins to each mile to guess my next spilt, another 6.37 split on mile 3 heading up the Parkway as I looped passed the start when corrals were still going off.
Afforded myself a slight chuckle as I passed the Ireland flag and then the Kenya flag that adorne the Parkway in alphabetical order.
6.48 on Spring Garden St a new twist to the numerous courses this race has ran b4 heading back down to "old faithful" Kelly Dr,talk about the road well travelled,and maybe some of that familurity leant its self to a 6.23 split.

6.30 at six miles sub 38 min pace followed by splits of 6.41 and 6.45 as I worked my way towards Falls Bridge,which sadly no longer has the lone bagpipe player like it did "back in the day" it always stired my celtic blood hearing him.
Given I began to slow crossing Falls Bridge perhaps I could have used said Bagpipes as my next split at mile 9 was 7.05,not too shabby I was probably sub 59 mins at mile 9 and sub 66 at 10 miles off of a 7.21 split,remember in May at Broad St I ran 1.18 for 10 miles......
Despite now obviously slowing and having runner pass me unlike the previous 9 miles I had one ace up my sleeve on a 15 mile training run Falls Bridge represents 7.5 miles to go today Falls Bridge was 4.5 miles to the finish at the Art Museum steps and those recent 6.30am 15 milers not to mention Thursdays 16 miler were going to carry me home.

7.25 for mile 11 sure each mile marker felt it was taking longer to appear on the horizon but I just reminded my self of each run home when I come up the steps at South St bridge and get to the traffic lights at the junction of Spruce st and the on/off ramp of I76....two more miles,two more miles....
7.38 for mile 12 but my heavy legs were lifted by a dj spinning the classic Rage Against The Machine track "Bulls On Parade" it is the Rock & Roll Half Marathon and hearing that and seeing the back of the Art Museum ahead was all I needed.
7.28 as I hit the 13 mile mark,once a track runner,always a track runner I went into full blown sprint mode up the slight incline as Carl Lewis once famously said "I just wanted to know I left it all out there".......

1.30.15,even w/ the shit show that was Oddessey in June not my slowest ever half,faster than Virginia Beach 11 years ago,faster than the torrid East London half in 85{1.36.29} and an old PDR in  the early mid 90s of 1.33.12.
Clearly the hard work of the last six weeks paid off but no time to rest on my laurals,9 weeks to go b4 the Philly Marathon which means another 6 weeks of high end training b4 a three week taper and doing it all over again,in old math they say take your half marathon time,double it and add 10 mins....a 3.10 marathon on Nov 19th?????