Donna and I got in late. We arrived at our room around 9:30pm. I had a friend, Steve Boone, pickup my packet.

This course has rolling hills off and on the first 20 miles. There are a couple of challenging hills. There is plenty flat during the first 20 miles too. The last 10k is a flat out and back. There is zero shade during this part and not much earilier in the marathon either. It is around 60 at the start and well into the 70's at the finish. Temps were high for me, but the course was a near perfect course for my style of running.

Until Friday I had my eye on a sub 4:00 for the first time this year, but I alter it to a sub 5:00 goal, while hoping to beat last week's 4:38. I was more concerned about not being able to better 5:00.

My concerns at the start were jolting of my arm, fatique to the arm, running awkwardly, and mostly my balance. Wearing a sling my game was to run while my arm is across my body with my hand resting near my shoulder. Then putting my arm into the sling as it tires.

There is a big crowd with all the runners from the different distances. To Donna's delight I agree to take my cell with me for the first time. She is afraid that I will not be able to finish. She is very much against me running this one. It did make it difficult to get water and anything else at an aid station.

It was very crowded the first three miles. My times were 10:07, 9:13, and 9:50 for 29:10. At this point I put my arm into the sling. I ran a couple sub 9 minute miles, then settled into 9:30's. Everything was either arkward or backwards. I received a lot of support from people along the course as well as other ruuners throughout the marathon.

At 6 miles I was at 56 minutes. I am running steady, but slower, because of my balance and running arkwardly. Everything feels unnatural. My legs want to get up and go, but I can not.

Mile 10 is 1:33. I am still running steady and feel good. I was a minute faster at this point last week. At the half I was a 2:03 and I am 2 minutes ahead of last week. Still feeling good.

As I near Mile 15 I start having problems with my balance. I have slowed a lot by Mile16. I call Donna for some support, but she does not answer. Mile 17 I am running at a very slow 11 minute pace, then Donna returns my call. She wants to know where I am at and if she can pick me up. I told her I was at tough part of the marathon for me, but I am still running and I am not dropping out.

At Mile 20 my time is 3:17. The last 10k is a very flat out and back. I feel like responding as I did the other two times, that I ran here at this point. My balance is not there. I am able to run at 10:30 miles. I am now passing some runners and feels good.

At Mile 21 I am feeling okay, but I really want to run faster. I am going to try to increase my speed a little at a time and back off when I must. At Mile 22 I am at 3:38. It has not worked to well yet. Mile 23 is just under 3:49. Now is the turn for the finish. I feel like I am full of vinegar. I am now getting support all along the way from people. All kinds of positive comments.

Mile 24 is 3:59. I can see a sub 4:25 is a sure thing as long as I keep running. I have been passing many runners the last 4 miles. Now I am passing some that left me behind much earlier in the marathon. I am running the best I can. This arkward way of running is now really taking its toll, but I do not have far to go.

Mile 25, I am at 4:09. I am doing my best to finish strong. I start to feel so very tired. With a mile to go I see a group of runners ahead. I pick it up a little and start passing them one at a time. I keep my focus on them and nothing else. About 200 yards or so before the finish I pass the last of them. Before I know it I finish with 4:21. I was totally exhausted. I felt like I had nothing left.

This is a reunion marathon for 50-staters, so I had many friends here and made many more along the way. I get a lot of congratulations. I am very happy with my time and even more so with the fact that I ran the entire marathon. I never dreamed I would do that with my arm in a sling. Maybe the sling was not as much a handicap as I thought.

Now I am looking for Donna and scmewhere to sit in the shade. They had the finish fenced in so she could not meet me at the finish line. We say for about 3 hours after the finish to be with so many friends, old and new. Donna said, I probably asprised many more runners than I thought.

Next is the Kansas City Marathon on October 20th. Then the next day I am a 5:00 pacer at the Des Moines Marathon, which will be 250th marathon/ultra.


TomD