Well now that the Maine Marathon is complete & I crashed, it is on with a four-week mini training program for the Marine Corps Marathon October 30th.
Here is a copy of my race report for all who care to read it:
What a great day for a marathon, temperature was 45 degrees when I got up and projected to be in the upper 60?s when I hoped to finish.
My wife and I got to the race site about 45 minutes prior to the start. I got everything ready and slipped on my gloves since it was still a little cool. I slipped on my hydration back pack and I was off for some light warm-ups. My wife headed out to meet one of our daughters and was going to be waiting to see us pass by at about mile 3.
I met up with a half marathoner at the start who wanted to run 8 minute miles and we agreed to run together until the turn around. I?m not sure if that was smart on my part because what followed was absolutely not in my game plans as a matter of fact is exactly what I have been working so hard not to do.
The gun sounded at just about pretty much on time for a 7:45 start and we passed the mat about 10 seconds after the start.
Mile marker one came and went at 7:21, ok that?s too fast I say out loud at the same time feeling great that I didn?t run a 6 + minute first mile.
Miler marker two comes in at 7:11 (14:32), ok I thought I said we have to slow down a little not speed up!
As we approach mile marker three I?m ready to get rid of my gloves, I certainly don?t need them in this weather. I can see my wife ahead and take my gloves off and start waving them?good thing because she didn?t see me until I did. A quick good luck and I love you and mile three passes in 7:18 (21:50).
The fourth mile trek?s across Martin?s Point Bridge and down into a nice little neighborhood with families cheering us on. Two kids I?ve seen for the past three years the fourth mile marker are passing out dunkin munchkins, we hear his dad say they have their first taker as we pass by in 7:25 (29:17).
Back out onto the main road as we make our way to RT 88. As we near the turn onto RT 88 at mile marker five I get a good luck Bob from the Falmouth Police Chief. Yeah I know I?m going to need it as we hit mile five in 7:38 (36:56).
As we trek through mile six I know this is one of the best areas for crowd support as we pass by Skillin?s Greenhouse and the crowd cheers us on. Boy it always feels good and I get a chill as we pass by and give a few high fives! Mile six is logged at 7:24 (44:21).
Just up the road now for the first real hill and the turn around for the half marathoner?s. Feeling strong as I pump the arms and climb the hill, and bid farewell and good luck to a new found friend Deanne Langmaid (finished in 1:36:08, 7:21 pace) congrats Deanne! And it?s onward and outward to the marathon halfway point for me now. Mile seven passes by at 7:14 (51:35).
Now for the quiet of the country roads as we traverse a truly beautiful area where the running is awesome with the shade of the trees and the beautiful homes and scenery off shore just carries you away. Mile eight goes by in 7:30, (59:06).
Mile nine presents more of the same quiet country roads with very few spectators. Mile nine passes in 7:23, (1:06:29) anyone see a pattern here?
Mile ten continues with much of the same and passes by in 7:53, (1:14:23).
During mile eleven we enter Cumberland Foreside and get a really pretty view of the ocean and a few more spectators in one particular area to give us a little boost. Mile eleven passes in 7:10, (1:21:34).
We turn right onto Gilman Road during the twelfth mile, and once again there are a number of spectators on hand to cheer us on. The eventual marathon winner passes me at about mile eleven and three quarters looking pretty strong. Mile twelve is logged at 7:30, (1:29:04).
Turning right onto Prince?s Point Rd and we get a little downhill jog before the slight uphill to the turn around on a dirt road then mile thirteen is done at 7:36, ( 1:36:40).
Mile fourteen we encounter a slight hill to get us up to the turn from Gilman Road back onto RT 88. Mile fourteen goes by in 7:46, (1:44:27).
Back on RT 88 for some fairly quiet, lonely miles and the mind games begin! Mile fifteen passes by at 8:11, (1:52:38). My first mile at or even close to an 8 minute pace, boy am I going to be paying for this shortly.
Mile sixteen goes by in 8:04, (2:00:43). **** I wish I had been running this pace all along!
I had been fighting an urge to pee for a couple of miles and finally give in and jump into the bushes for a quick break. A little trouble getting back into a comfortable pace and end up completing mile seventeen in 8:58, (2:09:41).
OK I?m really just hanging on now as I can feel the energy just draining from my body and mile eighteen goes by at 9:04, (2:18:46).
All right I think to myself just pick up the pace now, but I just can?t seem to get into a comfortable stride and mile nineteen is done in 9:43, (2:28:30). Houston we have a problem!
I reason with myself that I can afford a couple of slow miles if I can just get into a comfortable stride even at 9 minutes and hopefully finish strong! Mile twenty is completed in 9:32, (2:38:02). Better not great, but better I tell myself.
I know the last big hill is coming up and suck it for that last big climb, I complete mile twenty-one in 9:45, (2:47:47). Boy my legs are ****** at me now, go out this fast again they?re saying and we?ll hurt this bad again!
It?s pretty flat now as I make the turn onto RT 1 for the trek back to Portland, my legs continue to scream at my as we complete mile twenty-two in 9:39, (2:57:27).
As I cross over the Martin?s Point Bridge Wendi the wife of a co-worker passes by and gives a few words of encouragement. (Later I learn that she finishes in 3:35:14, I need 3:35:59 for my BQ, and **** I wish that I had run with her!) Mile twenty-three is done in 9:59, (3:07:26). Oh yeah I don?t want to forget the guys with the keg of beer on ice near the 23 mile marker, I grabbed a cup and it was great!
I had been doing the math in my head and knew I was in trouble. Then I develop a problem with one of the straps on my hydration pack (my fault as I had it connected wrong) and it comes loose, why now and not while training? I try fixing it while running and just couldn?t get it done right and finally have to stop to get it done which ends up being the straw that breaks the camels back so to speak. Once the repair is done and I start running again both quads cramp up immediately. I try so hard to run and can barely shuffle and finally give in to the demands of my quads. I have to walk and finish mile 24 in 13:00, (3:20:27).
Now I know my BQ time is shot, but I?m not quitting! I keep walking and try to run but can?t yet so I continue to walk as best I could. My margin of error is just about used up now and I resign myself to that fact, but I am committed to finishing sub-four hours come **** or high water. I struggle to pick it up and finish mile twenty-five in 16:12 (3:36:39) my worst mile ever in a marathon, my most painful too!
Well I can hear the music as I get closer and closer to the finish, and a unique thing with this race is that you can pretty much see the finish line for the last two miles which can be cruel to someone struggling such as I was at this time. I was able to pick it up a notch and completed mile twenty-six in 11:39, (3:48:19).
God I was never so happy to cross a finish line as I was this one: 3:53:43 was my official time. Boy those last five miles were pretty warm too!
I got my finishers medal, water and a kiss from my wife and headed for some munchies and the massage tent. When I explained that my quads had cramped on me the first question asked was ?were you hydrated enough?? I can now say with certainty that I was, I drank from my hydration pack as we passed every water station and even took a few waters on the way to alternate between that and my Gatorade. This is also the first time I?ve ever finished a race where my urine was pretty **** clear at the finish. I know why I crashed and burned and can only hope that I will learn from this. I can?t blame the weather, it was picture perfect. I can?t blame an injury, I?m injury free, **** I can?t even blame my wife! Just the opposite actually, God Bless her for all her support. A 7:32 pace for the first 16 miles is crazy, what is worse is that I know this and have prepared for it and still find it difficult to slow down. I?ll get it done and I?m determined to run a smart, disciplined race. And I know that if I do I?ll get my BQ. Let?s see if I can do that at the Marine Corps Marathon October 30th where I will run with the Clif 3:30:00 pace group.
If you got to the end of this thanks, sorry so long winded.
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"Keep on Running"
Bob
