Great job and if you run marathons what happen to you at mile 18 is going to happen!  One of my races all most at that same point it happen to me I stopped and all I could think of was what is my son/daughter going to think when I have all ways told them to never give up!  It was tuff (I was not hurt but bonked) but I did the death march for the remainder of the race.  My next marathon was a 25 min PR and BQ!.  You did great, It's a great accomplishment and you should be very proud, if you remember back a few months you never thought you could!  Great job, recover well!  Thanks for posting!

Amazing how your mine works when you are negitive no music sounds good, but being postive it all sounds good!  Staying postive is a must for a good race!

I am not a marathon expert (have done just one so far) but your estimated vs. actual finish times aren't too different from mine. I also trained with Higdon's Novice II, starting from a 10K base. Based on the long training runs, I estimated a conservative finish of about 4:22 (10 min/mi). However, I actually finished in 4:43, about 20 min "late". As a shorter distance specialist, I am so accustomed to racing for time that it took 3 days - till the race photos were posted online - till I really appreciated the accomplishment. Finishing a marathon is a BIG DEAL. Be very proud of it!

You mention that you're considering a fall marathon on a flat course. I had that luxury - Long Beach, CA in early October, which is a relatively flat course with temperatures reliably in the 60's. Although that didn't get me the goal time I wanted, it definitely did help, physically and mentally. I didn't have to worry about hills or heat or their possible consequences. Staying hydrated and fed was no problem. I saw some people dropping out after about mile 20, but at least they weren't being carted off by the medics.

I concluded afterwards that Novice marathon training programs are not designed for specific finishing times. They are designed to get one to the start line and then to the finish line in one piece. For me at least, Novice II did exactly that. For improving one's time, an Intermediate program might be in order, if you're up to the increased mileage and speedwork at those distances.

Again, congratulations!!

I have run Philly twice, 1999 and 2010. (Almost 3. In 2008 I had an injury and dropped out at the half.)  The course is fairly flat, with one hill of note about mile 9 (similar to the one around mile 8 of Vermont) and a small, short hill approaching the halfway point.  There are also several areas of fairly long but very gentle upslopes.  I hesitate to call them hills but they do trend upward.  It's also a pretty nice tour of the city, hitting downtown ("Center City"), Independence Hall/Liberty Bell, University City, The Zoo, Memorial Hall (left from the 1876 Centennial Exposition), the Art Museum (starts and ends here and passes at 13), both river drives (Martin Luther King Drive on the west and Kelly Drive on the East) and Manayunk.  Race conditions can vary a lot but are virtually guaranteed not to be warm.  Typically it's around 35 to 40 at the start, maybe windy (or not), sometimes light rain (mostly not).  2010 was just about perfect, maybe upper 40s, no rain, not much wind.  In 2008 it was in the 20s at the start, no wind or precipitation.  But it's unusual for it to be that cold.  The race does usually sell out, probably not until September though. 

Len

Congratulations and thank you.  I just started training for my 1st full in September (Portland, ME) using SmartCoach from RW and despite the time it says to expect, I will be happy to finish.  Your account gives real insight into what to expect and hopefully I can be a strong/positive as you were to break through and tame the beast. I also know what you mean about not meeting you goal.  I remember a race where I wanted under 1 hour and ended up with 1:00:03 and no one could understand why I wasn't satisfied with that.  The good thing is that you will accomplish the goal, a year later I did it in 56:58.  I have a a sticker with a quote from John Bingham - The miracle isn't that I finished, it's that I had the courage to start.  If you would like a good flat course look at the Hyannis Marathon that goes in February.  I have only done the 1/2 but had my best 1/2 by three minutes and I think it is a two lap course for the full.