Actually, the marathon was a delight, it was low key enough that we didn’t have to stay overnight in a hotel and we were allowed to pick up our race packet in the morning. So up at 4:30am, in the car, arrive by 7am… pick up packet and wait for start.
Interesting the people you see that do marathons..the smoking dude, the girl who needed to cover up the “puppies” as they were hanging out of her sports bra... and oh yeah the “elites” doing warm ups… really? you do realize we are all going to run 26.2 miles in a bit .. right?
We were lucky..we got to park near the start so we could sit in the car until it was time to run. I was going to line up with the 4 hour marathoners and Joe said just line up here (next to the 3:45 marathon pacer).. um.. ok… I think he knows I can run a 3:45.. I just haven’t yet… and so I thought why not, I will push the pace and see how far I get at this pace… because this is only a training run… RIGHT'O!
You are literally smushed up against a bunch of people who are all running the same pace… I could, if I wanted …touch a person on each side of me… it was almost comical .. the pack goes right.. I go right… the pack goes left…I go left… the pack speeds up ..I speed up.. the pack slows down…I DO NOT slow down.. OOPS...
At about mile 7 or 8 the pack started to break up a bit .. and somehow a few of us got AHEAD of the pack.. well that ain’t good.. either the pacer is not going the speed we need (meaning too slow) or now I am going a BIT TOO FAST.. OOPS!
By the time I hit mile 10 I had now dropped down to a 8:31 pace and the higher rate of speed was slowly taking its toll… by half way I started to reel back in and was back at a 8:51 pace and by mile 18, I was at a 8:56 pace. WHICH was still BTW well below my Boston qualifying time… But when the pack RECAUGHT up to me.. it was like I was overtaken by a truck.. the pack came….BEAT ME UP.. and then the pack went.... and now I was BEHIND THE PACK..
And then the hills came… oh yes.. the hills… and yes guess who had to walk?!… I’m glad I did this race, it was a great test on how far along I am in with my training… I finished with a 4:17:03 (9:49 avg Pace)... and I am totally feeling strong.. I can’t wait to see what I can do on a flat course.
Joe being the great companion that he is… finished his race in 3:44:28 (8:34 avg pace)… and then he proceeded to run back and run in the last couple of miles with me… After crossing the line.. I realized that something truly special is happening.. not only did I just run another 26.2 miles… I was feeling stronger than i have ever felt in my life…
Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will - Gandhi
