Event: Wellstone’s Dallas White Rock Half Marathon
Place: American Airlines Center, Dallas, Texas
Date: Sunday, December 9, 2007
Time: 9:00 AM
Goal: 7:26 Pace for a PR

Age: 54
Weight: 148

Goal Event: Chevron Houston Marathon, January 13, 2008

Div: Male 50-54
Bib: 6929

Race attire: Asics shorts (black) and Cowtown Marathon short sleeve shirt (yellow), Boston Marathon 2006 cap Asics 2020, a\Thorlo socks, Garmin 305 and backup Nike watch.

Weather: Start, 49 degrees, slight rain, NE wind at start, overcast.
                End, 42 degrees, temperature kept going down to mid 30’s by the end of the day.

Friday – December 7, 2007, Lets go to the Races!!!!

The weather predictions for Sunday’s run has been all over the place for the last week and the latest prediction is for a 52-55 degree start with slowly declining temperatures that will reach 50 by the end of the day.

We left for Dallas at 3:45 PM with hopes that we could miss the rush hour traffic in Downtown Dallas. We stopped at Panera bread and picked up more awesome Cinnamon bagels.

Our plans are to meet Henry (henron) and Marj at 6:00 and attend the Texas Shindig. It will be nice to see them and have an opportunity to visit. Even though we have met in Boston (where they have graciously held a brunch on Sunday morning, the day before the Boston Marathon) we have never had a chance to get to know each other. Tonight’s meeting will be a real treat.

Traffic was not as bad as expected so we were able to pick them up at 6:00. After navigating around downtown we managed to park near TGI Fridays where the Shindig was being held.

The food, music and company were great. We had a good time talking and listening to the music. Even a little dancing was in order….we were the only ones out there…maybe we scared all the other dancers away…hehe

After a few hours we strolled around the West End (the old warehouse district). At 9:30 since we were about to turn into pumpkins we decided to call it a night.

Saturday – December 8, 2007

Saturday morning came early so I was up and running an easy 2 miles on the Motel treadmill, then off to a breakfast of waffles and juice.

With breakfast out of the way we headed over to the Expo to get my bib and a few odds and ends. I think we were there a few hours before we left and went to the Lewisville mall to mess around.

Paul (pfriese) and his wife picked us up at the motel and escorted us to the Ribs house for dinner and a chance to meet up with more boomers. Henry and Marj, Paul and DW, Linda (dromedary) and DH and the illustrious Ribs and family.

The food and companionship was second to none. Ribs took special care preparing a marathon meal that would give us an edge on race day.

The food was great but the entertainment was even better. Rib’s son is preparing for a piano recital so we had a special opportunity to be his audience. His performance was superb.

Almost as exciting was the candle fire on the porch: I’ll just leave it at that…..

Communicating on the CR site is a lot of fun but when you have a chance to meet in person it makes the relationships much more personal. I truly appreciated and enjoyed the opportunity.

As the evening came to an end and we stepped outside the air had a chill not present when we arrived. It would prove to be a sign predicting tomorrow’s temperatures.

I prepared all my running clothing for the race before going to bed but I was still confused as to what to wear. One more chance to watch the weather forecast was in order. Well, the forecast changed again. Now the weather “person” informed us that the cold front was coming in earlier than previously predicted (gee, what a surprise). Now it appears that the morning temperature will be in the mid 40’s, NE winds and a 70% chance of rain. The daytime high would be in the morning as the temperatures would slowly decrease during the day. I don’t recall seeing such a slow moving cold front. The current temperature was about 55 degrees while just south of Dallas it was still in the mid 70’s.

The changes in the weather forecast made me decide to skip the singlet and go for a short sleeve shirt and maybe my wind breaker.

Sunday – December 9, 2007

I was up at 4:45 AM and ate a couple of bagels and drank some water. Then it was time to check the weather; 49 degrees and rain approaching.

There a lot of Ardmore runners attending the race today, much more that the usual 2 or 3. In particular a few of my running partners are running today. Tim and his wife are staying at the same motel as my wife and I: Tim will follow me to the American Airlines Center. We left at 6:45: the drive was only about 15 minutes. Since we took the back road we missed all the traffic. Even so, 50% of the parking was already claimed.

Man, it is cold out; it feels a lot colder than the 49 degrees that is reported.

Soon, my wife and I found a comfy spot on the hard floor near the doors that lead out to the starting line.

After a few stops at the men’s room it is nearly time for the marathon. I stood next to one of the doors and watched the marathoners exit. I hoped I would catch some of my friends but no such luck.

After the 8:00 AM start of the marathon I roamed around the hallways releasing nervous energy.

I targeted this race for a year with the hopes of a PR. Not only a PR but a significant improvement.

My best was here in 2005, 1:39:12, which lead up to my first BQ in Houston, January 2006.

Since I am training for another Marathon PR at Houston I need today’s race to validate my marathon training.

My goal is aggressive, 1:37:30, roughly a 7:26 pace. My most recent half marathon, The Half, which I ran a few weeks ago produced a 1:39:24 and was under tougher conditions. My second goal was to get under 1:38 and finally any PR would be OK.

As race time approached we walked to the starting line. I squeezed my way into the running crowd just about 15 feet from the start. I was wearing my Boston Marathon wind breaker. I knew I didn’t need it but the blustering wind was really cold. My wife usually stands just outside the corral so I can give her my jacket but this time it was too crowded, so she said she would be at the end of the crowd and on the right side of the road. When I run by I can give her my jacket.

The race started late, about 10 minutes, so when the gun sounded we were off. I quickly tried to home in on my pace, within 30 seconds I saw my wife but for some reason I kept my jacket. I just didn’t want to slow down and the weather felt a bit like Boston 2007 (where I wore the same jacket) so I though I would be OK. At least that it was I told myself.

Part 4 - The Race, and we are OFF.

Splits:

Mile 1 – 7:23, I am already warm, so I will zip and unzip my jacket to stay comfortable. A runner notices my Boston jacket and asks me about today’s goal. He moves on.

Mile 2 – 7:17, I really don’t need this jacket and I am very frustrated with myself. I knew better. I need to slow down a bit.

Mile 3 – 7:14, I feel good about my pace, it seems easy, but I need to back off a little and find 7:25.

Mile 4 – 7:30, I am familiar with the course and some challenging hills are coming. A runner passes me and we talk about the weather at the 2007 Boston Marathon.

Mile 5 – 7:35, The hills are a bit tough but not too bad, even so I loose a little time and have to pick it up.

Mile 6 – 7:22, Back on pace and it feels good. My jacket is a real pain, and it is wet from sweat. I sure wish I could get rid of it.

Mile 7 – 7:32, We have made the turn to the right and my focus is to get to Swiss Ave. If I can hold my pace all the way to that point, which is about 4 miles to the finish, I am home free.

Mile 8 – 7:26, As we cross intersections the wind howls and it feels quite cold. At about the 8.25 mile mark a girl runs by on my left and says “Bill Rogers is behind you” I said “What”, she repeats, “Bill Rogers is behind you”, and then she moves on. I think, wow, I am ahead of Bill Rogers, hehe, that’s neat. So I begin to think, hum, he will be on my right, probably with a few other runners, chatting. When he comes by I will run with them for a while and say hi. Another minute or so goes by and where is Bill? I keep looking. Finally the group begins to approach me on my right. As they go by, I notice he is running along the right hand curb. No one is running with him. A few runners say hi. For a fleeting moment I think, wow, I’m going to get to run with Bill. That was the fastest second in history. He zoomed by like I wasn’t even there. What an incredible stride. I just kept watching him as he faded off in the distance. For a moment I though, “what am I doing here”? Seeing him run, while I was running really emphasized his speed. I will never forget this moment. To awesome for words.

Mile 9 – 7:22, I am definitely colder and the pace still feels good. The Garmin has been displaying an average pace of about 7:23 during most of my splits so I feel like a sub 1:38 is definitely in the making. Just get to Swiss Ave. I have not seen the Mile 9 marker. It feels like Mile 10 should be approaching. I sure hope I am not getting confused. I need Mile 10 to be coming soon.

Mile 10 – 7:33, Ah, there it is, Mile 10. I sure would have been disappointed if this was Mile 9. What happened to Swiss Ave.? It should be here by now. I need to pick up the pace. My average still looks good.

Mile 11 – 7:31, OK, another slow one, pick it up. I can taste the finish line.

Mile 12 – 7:17, Yeah, an up tempo pace, toward the end of the race, I feel really good. I wish I could shed this jacket.

Mile 13 – 7:02, Ok, I really feeling good, PR here we come. A lot of people are calling my name.

Mile .1 - 6:59, I can hear the crowd, my pace is under 7. Excellent. As I cross the line I look at the clock. 1:38:55. HUH? What happened? That is not near the pace I though I was running. No wonder it felt so easy. Well, maybe the Chip time will confirm my pace. The Garmin sure doesn’t.

Summary: I stayed around long enough to see the official posting. My chip time was 1:38:46, a 26 second PR. No complaint for the PR but my performance was sub par based on my current training.

I knew better than to use the Garmin for a race: I knew better than to wear my jacket. Today, I knew better, just didn’t do better. I appreciate the PR but I also feel like I missed a great opportunity. As I get older PR’s will be scarce so I am a bit disappointed. Also, I needed a better performance to validate my plans for Houston.

So, we shall see how this all pans out.

Even so, I still had a great time: the whole weekend was a blast: I wouldn’t have missed it for anything. I am lucky I can run. And, where else could I have run a half and watched Bill Rogers zoom by?

Oh, Swiss Avenue…Well they changed the course…I should have checked the Map…another one of those…”I knew better”.

For more Boomer and Race pics click here. 

Finish Time: Clock 1:38:55, Chip 1:38:46, 7:32 pace

Final results: Division – 13/206

Gender – 240/2288

Overall – 286/5217

Event: The Half
Place: Norbuck Park (near Flag Pole Hill) at White Rock Lake, Dallas, Texas
Date: Sunday, November 4, 2007
Time: 8:00 AM

Goal: MP 7:48 (adjusted from a training plan of 7:40)

Age: 54
Weight: 148

Goal Event: Chevron Houston Marathon, January 13, 2008

Div: Male 50-54
Bib: 1565

Race attire – Boston Marathon shorts (blue) and singlet (white), Dallas 26.2 cap Asics 2020, a\Asics Kayano socks, Garmin 305 and backup Nike watch.

Weather: Start, 52 degrees, no wind at start, clear, slightly humid.

End, 70 degrees, clear, slight breeze, daytime high reached 84

Part One – “On the Road Again”

I got up early Saturday morning to watch the Men’s Olympic Marathon Trials, wow, what an incredible finish, however tragic for Ryan Shay which is a story for another time. It’s amazing how the elite runners just seem to float at a sub 5 minute per mile pace. I don’t float at any pace. In fact, I don’t think I float.

Saturday I was on a tight schedule, so after the trials I drove to Ardmore Regional Park, jumped out of my truck and immediately began a 5 mile recovery run. My legs were tired and I experienced minor signs of what I thought could be shin splints. Yuck. I expected tired legs since I ran 13 miles on Thursday but even so I was a little concerned.

Afterwards and while loading the truck I slammed my right shin against the curb, man, that really hurt.

I was on the road by 11:30 AM and heading south to Dallas. I had a side trip planned to meet up with my parents for lunch at Chili’s in Gainesville, Texas. After a carb loading lunch and a nice 1 ½ hour visit with Mom and Dad I was back on the road.

I stopped in Lewisville to pick up some Cinnamon Crunch Bagels at Panera Bread (these things are to die for) along with Gatorade and some bottled water. I would have Bagels for Dinner and breakfast Sunday morning.

I have run this race for the last three years and always drove to Dallas the morning of the race which meant I was up at 3:00 AM and on the road by 4:15 AM and parked at the race by 6:00 AM, which allows time for Packet pick up that starts at 6:30 AM.

This year, however, I decided to get some extra rest and since I could get a room at a discounted price of only $49 bucks, I said…”What the hey”. Forty-nine bucks and 10 minutes from the race are hard to beat.

I checked in and upon entering the room I discovered that ants were crawling on the night stand: a quick call to the front desk and I was in a different room.

I set the alarm clock for 5:15 AM (and set it back an hour to standard time) and called the front desk to request a 5:15 AM wake up call.

Since I didn’t have any plans I just hung around the room, watched some TV, stretched, and used “the stick” on my sore hamstring. Later in the evening while watching the OU/Texas A & M game the common area outside my room became quite animated with loud voices and sounds of running up and down the hallway along with loud band music. After investigation I discovered that there was a party in the Ballroom. The noise kept going on until about 2:00 AM. I would sleep and wake up every few minutes: I even had a dream about the noise. All through the evening and night my right shin throbbed and a nice bruise was developing. Well, so much for a restful nights sleep.

Soon, the wake up call rang, I jumped up and began to drink some water and chew on a bagel when I noticed it was 4:15 AM and NOT 5:15 AM. Obviously the Motel’s computer system did not reset to standard time. I went back to sleep and worried if I would wake up to the alarm.

But, soon the alarm buzzed and I was up and preparing to leave for the race.

Part 2 – “Warming Up”

I was out and on the road by 6:05 AM and arrived for the race at 6:20 AM with plenty of space to park. Runners were arriving at a steady pace. After I picked up my bib and chip I ran a couple of warm up miles, worried by the shin pain, stretched and made a last stop at the porta potties.

As I approached the starting line the crowd was elbow to elbow, it took some maneuvering to get in between the 7:00 and 8:00 minute pace area which was only a few yards from the starting line.

So there I was lined up and ready to go. A guy noticed my Boston attire (he ran Boston the last 2 years) so we discussed our experiences and soon discovered that we were in the same corral at Boston. Small world.

He was here to run with a buddy: they are preparing for the White Rock Marathon: his friend is trying for his first Boston Qualification. He asked me what pace I was running: I said that it is a marathon pace day so I was aiming for a 7:48. His friend suggested that he run with me if he wanted to run at a faster pace. He said, no, we are running 7:55’s, it is important to run your plan and practice marathon pace. Discipline is important in marathon training. I agreed. But as we shall see, we don’t always practice what we preach.

Part 3 - “Why am I here?”

During my 8 years of running Marathons on some occasions people have asked my wife if she runs, she always responses with “No” and gives her reasons. If my daughter, Dana, is present they will ask her the same question and her response is similar, “No, I am not a runner, it hurts my knees and shins”. I have never tried to push running on my family. I figure if they want to try it, then the choice is theirs and theirs alone. However, I do offer guidance when appropriate.

A few years ago my niece decided to run her first Half Marathon which I was thrilled to attend. And Last November, I ran with her during the first two miles of this same race. I almost missed her as she turned the final corner to the finish line.

My daughter and niece have attended some of my Marathons and I privately hoped that they might attempt a marathon one day. Maybe the excitement of attending my events would motivate them.

My Daughter (Dana) attended my First Boston Marathon in 2006 and when 2007 came around I invited my niece. They both were there and Cindy (niece) ran the Freedom Run.

Soon after Boston my daughter surprised me when she said that she had joined the NYRRC and had decided to run the NYC marathon in 2008 and wanted to know if I would run it with her. I was quite astonished since she “is not a runner”. I told her I would love to, but I would have to get in through the lottery system which is no guarantee. She said,” Well if you can’t, will you come and watch?” I said “sure”. Dana replied, “Then you can carry signs around the course and look for me”. I said, “Yeah, I can do that”.

Later I checked the NYRRC website and discovered that they had relaxed the qualifying standards, since 2005. The new a Half Marathon qualification time for my age group is 1:40 and the Marathon is 3:30. How convenient, this fell right in to my training plans; in fact I ran a 1:39:12 at White Rock in 2005.

So, I informed Dana that I would try to qualify at The White Rock Half Marathon in 2007 or the Houston Marathon in 2008.

She has since finished some 5 and 10K’s and a Duathalon and Cindy has finished her first Sprint Triathalon. Something has surely changed.

In the mean time, I suggested to Dana that she run the Half Marathon at Houston as an intermediate goal toward NYC 2008. She registered just days before the race was closed.

Which, finally leads up to today’s race, a planned MP run of 7:48 not the required 7:40 pace I would need to qualify for NYC.

Today, I need to concentrate on 7:48, the 7:40 or better is planned for The White Rock Half marathon in December where the weather is cooler, the course is easier and I will be better prepared, besides this race has a very hilly first half and it has always nailed me.

My best time here is 1:42:48 in 2005.

Part 4 - The Race “Marathon Pace or bust, I guess it is bust”

The gun went off and even thought I was just a few yards from the starting line it still took 30 seconds to cross. The crowd was thick and it took me almost a quarter mile before I was in stride: my first mile pace is 7:34.

Time to reel it in and find that 7:48, ah there it is, 7:45 for mile two and my shins feel fine.

Remaining Splits:

Mile 3 – 7:42, still flat but the hills are coming, the pace is comfortable and I begin to think more about the 7:40 I need for NYC. It’s early, but I am concentrating on passing runners, one at a time, very few are passing me.

Mile 4 – 7:37, the hills have begun, since I am off of my 7:48 MP, I figure I will try to keep it below 7:40 (sounds like a good excuse to me) for as long as possible. To do so, I need to concentrate on maintaining pace up the hills and take advantage of the opportunities when I am running down the hills.

Mile 5 – 7:31, I am climbing the hills with nice short quick strides, counting my steps and trying to find 180 steps per minute (3 steps a second), I can’t let any one pass me while climbing the hills, and in fact I need to reel runners in, one at a time as I climb the hills. So far so good. But, can I keep it up?

Mile 6 – 7:38, the constant hills are relentless, I am still passing runners, and I don’t think anyone has passed me for a while. I have to run FAST down the hills in order to make up for any lost time during the climbs.

Mile 7 – 7:22, some really nice down hill stretches provide me with a great 7:22 split, I am quite surprised. I am still passing runners and not loosing ground.

Mile 8 – 7:33, I am very familiar with this section of the race, the Dolly Parton Hills, part of the marathon course, as is most of the rest of this race. I can see this mile very clearly in my mind. I keep pulling one runner in at a time, if someone passes me that informs me that I could be slowing down so I have to keep pushing. I have had success with these hills before but they have taken such a toll on me that I loose pace on the flats going around the lake.

Mile 9 – 7:37, it is mostly flat now, the grades are slight but now anything is a challenge. It truly is…one mile at a time, I would sure like to back off and take it easy. I am concerned that if I loose concentration I might drift off into an 8:00 minute pace. One slip like that and this race is toast.

Mile 10 – 7:33, I keep picking off one runner at a time, no one has passed me for miles now, and I keep pulling them in, pulling them in. I am counting the miles to the end of the race. If I can get to mile 11 and still be on pace, I know I can hold on a little longer.

Mile 11 – 7:40, 2.1 miles to go, I am beginning to think I might have pulled this NYC qualification off. Throughout the race I have heard my name called and some have hollered “Go Boston” or “Hey Boston”, I guess they read the Boston Marathon Logo on my singlet. I wish I could have acknowledged the crowd but I have been in such a high state of concentration that I just stared ahead.

Mile 12 – 7:42, there is a young girl running next to me, obviously struggling, as I can surely relate. She hollers “How close to the end?” Another runner responds “About 2 miles (he repeats her name), you can do it, you have a lot of people cheering for you”. She replies “Really?” I felt for her, when you get to the point when you have lost track of the remaining miles, you are in trouble.

Mile 13 – 7:30, as the final stretch approaches, she is still maintaining pace. I can’t afford to back off, but if she can keep going I will stay with her. She hollers again, “How much further?” I reply “just about 3/10ths of a mile, we turn left, go under the road, and then you are at mile 13”. She is holding on, so it is time for me to move on.

Mile 13.1 –0:45, I can see the clock, currently just under 1:40, I don’t have any kick left, so I just try to maintain pace As I approach the mat, the official clock clicks over 1:40, my chip time is 1:39:24, 12 seconds shy of the PR I set two years ago, at the White Rock Half Marathon but a 3:14 PR for this course which I think is far more difficult than the White Rock Half Marathon, at least it has been for me.

Summary: OK, I didn’t maintain my discipline to run Marathon Pace which is crucial for Marathon success but I did put myself in a better position (mentally) to PR at White Rock which is my target Half Marathon for 2007. And, I managed to qualify for NYC which was really neat. And, it is ironic to qualify on the same day of the 2007 NYC Marathon. Now the pressure is on Dana…hehe

There is no doubt that this race was very challenging for me, the previous 3 times I have run this course I have managed to have some success on the hills but I was always wasted during the second half where I would see one runner after another passing me. This time, I managed to keep it together during the second half which required a high level of concentration. If I had drifted off on for just one mile I could have easily lost enough time to miss a sub 1:40. So, now I have a lot more confidence going in to The White Rock Half Marathon where my goal is to get under 1:38 which prepares me for success at The Chevron Houston Marathon.

Note: Afterwards I caught up with Ribs while he was monitoring the Hamburger line: we had a great time reviewing my results. I wanted to meet Flash, but to no avail. I needed to get back to the Hotel before the noon checkout time.

Finish Time: Clock 1:39:55, Chip 1:39:24, 7:35 pace
Final results: Male Age Group – 15/119
Overall - 200/2541
NYC 2007 Requirements – Male Veterans Age 50 plus – ½ Marathon 1:40

Reuel Little Half Marathon, State Championship
Madill, Oklahoma
October 13, 2007
Starting time, 8:30 AM

Running Attire – Boston Marathon shorts and tank top, white Dallas 26.2 cap, new Asics 2120 with only 5 miles.

Temperature at start, about 65, finish 78 with winds southerly, 10-20 mph.

This race is part of the Oklahoma Championship series: the top 10 finishers get the honor of State Half Marathon Champions, which is kind of neat. Some years the field is fast (I think the record is near 1:20) and some years it is slower. Since this race is close to Ardmore (26 miles), the faces are all familiar.

I have always wanted to make the top 10: typically that means I would have to finish near 1:38. I think the closest I have gotten is 11^th male.

The course is an out and back which loops back to the half way point within a few hundred feet of the starting line, which makes it nice if your family and friends are attending the event.

The Half Marathon historically started at 9:00 AM in conjunction with the 5K, 10K and 1 Mile (fun run) participants, but this year the half started at 8:30 AM.

The new start time was welcomed along with a couple changes in the race course. The 8:30 start time made it easier to gain access to the “facilities”, allowed for a less crowded start and you immediately identified the competition. Mile markers are a little difficult to find and water and Gatorade is well distributed throughout the course.

This year it seemed that there were less Half Marathon participants than usual.

My previous weeks training was very intense, Tuesday - 10 miles with 5 at Tempo, Wednesday – 11 MLR, Thursday – 5 recovery miles, and Friday – day off. My tempo runs have not been all that great since I am having trouble maintaining my desired pace of 7:13-7:25. With that in mind I may be adjusting my Marathon pace goal.

Today’s goal was to ‘just see what I cam maintain’, what ever the heck that means. A goal like that gives me a lot of breathing room, hehe.

The 8:30AM start is nice on a cool day but can be devastating on a warm clear morning. Today, it was a little it of both.

After the count down, the race begins.

Mile 1 – 7:33, I started with the lead group: the first mile felt very comfortable. I decided to try and keep in this zone.

Mile 2 – 7:41, I am holding my position, 6^th place overall (5^th male), and I can still see the lead vehicle, this is neat.

Mile 3 – 7:47, A little slower, so I need to pick it up.

Mile 4-9 about 7:36, I am still maintaining a comfortable pace, wind is to my back and the air still feels cool even though the sun is getting really warm. I ran with a friend from mile 5 to the halfway point, where I am still holding onto 6^th place (5^th male), a real surprise. Hey, I can still see the lead vehicle. This is really neat. My friend and I run through the halfway point and at about mile 8 I loose pace and he passes me. He is the ONLY runner that has passed me: I am now in 7^th place (6^th male)

Mile 10, 11, 12 – I missed the mile markers, but I am maintaining a slightly reduced pace. The only way I can judge pace is the fact that I am maintaining my position.

Mile 10-12 is difficult, long and against the wind. It concerns me that the wind might cause me to slow down. It would be so easy for a few runners to take over my position in the race. If I want to keep holding my place, I have to concentrate. Keep the pace and charge through the wind. At this stage I pass one of the lead runners who has totally crashed: I am now in 6^th place (5^th male)

Mile 12.1-13.1 – 7:33, the first half of the last mile is against the wind: the closest runner is about 100 yards behind me (another running buddy from Ardmore); if I can stay between him and the lead female (directly in front of me) I may pull off a top 10 finish. At this stage I feel a resurgence of energy and am able to pick up the pace: suddenly I feel totally refreshed: I know I can hold my position. I continually pick up the pace and with the finish in sight I know I have FINALLY reached a long time goal of making the top 10.

What a charge, I feel great.

Final finish time, 1:41:12 (7:44 pace), 5^th male, 6^th overall, 1^st in AG.

Obviously this finish time would not go far at a larger race, but today at the Reuel Little ½ Marathon State Championship it did…the competition is what it is….you have to take advantage of opportunities and today I was able to that. I had so much fun trying to hold my position in the race and it wasn’t until the last mile that I knew I ran a good, strong strategic race.

So, I get a 1^st AG trophy and a Top 10 trophy…neato….

Next on the agenda?

Well, I start a new phase of my training next week: my next half marathon is Nov. 4^th; my plan is to run MP. Hopefully the next few weeks of training will get me closer to my goal MP…if not I will have to make adjustments. No time to rest.

Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon and Half Marathon

April 29, 2007

6:30 AM

Goal – Run an easy Half Marathon as a Recovery Run.

April 28 – We arrived in OKC at 5:15 PM, just in time to check the EXPO. Parking was crowded, so I stayed in the car while my wife ran inside the Expo to pick up Casey’s (Kevin’s son) commemorate shirt. Kevin picked up our bib’s the day before and forgot his son’s shirt so we hoped we could get to the Expo in time to get one for him. It was least we could do since he had saved me a trip to OKC.

We met Jackie and Sherry back at the Hotel and made plans to go to Spaghetti Warehouse in Bricktown for the pre-race pasta meal.

Tomorrow would be Jackie’s first marathon so tonight and tomorrow is Jackie’s day; I am just here for the ride. And it should be a big day for Kevin since he is still trying to get under 3:30 and maybe 3:35. After a DNF at Little Rock he is more determined than ever. Also, I expected that I might see Paul (pfriese).

Kevin’s training had gone great lately including recent 5K and 10K PR’s.

As for Jackie, his goal would be to start/finish.

I had considered running the Marathon but my recovery had been slow since Boston. It reminds me of last year’s recovery period following the Chevron Houston Marathon. It took about 6-8 weeks before my legs were ready for serious training. With that in mind I felt that I needed to stay focused (and not risk overdoing things) on my next goal of a Marathon PR at Whiterock or Houston.

Later that night Jackie and I discussed our plans. I would run with him until the Half Marathoners left the marathon course. After I finished I would meet him somewhere after the 21 mile mark, depending on how my legs feel. He would look for me at a Mile Marker banner.

Sunday morning came early; we were parked by 5:35 AM and just slightly ahead of the crowd.

I went straight to the Porta-potties. It was 6:10 AM and very crowded with an estimated 15,000 runners. I had a hard time getting back to where Jackie was getting prepared. I saw Paul (pfriese) (he looked ready to race) as I left the corral to find Jackie. When I found Jackie we only had 15 minutes before the gun would sound.

A quick jog allowed us time to get into the crowded corral. I was trying to get my Garmin connected to the satellites when I asked Jackie if he had every thing: oop’s he had forgot his championchip. He ran back to where his wife was waiting (I figured that we might not connect up again). Jackie returned with just a couple of minutes to spare; I was surprised that he was able to get back into the same area of the corral. It was jam-crammed with runners.

The gun went off and we were running. It was very difficult to find an open lane during the first ½ mile. We were speeding up and slowing down and trying not to trip; it was very difficult to home in on our 9:20-9:30 pace.

Finally we had a clear lane as we approached mile 1. The first few miles were at a 9:15 pace, a little bit too fast. It was already hot so I reminded Jackie to stay hydrated and focused on his pace. Ignore the other runners; don’t let them PULL you.

The Half Marathon runners exit the course at mile 8: while I moved to the left lane I wished Jackie luck.

Later we (the half marathoners) re-connected with the Marathon course at mile 21.

As I ran along Clasen Blvd., I made mental notes as to where the best place would be to catch Kevin and Jackie and Paul (pfriese). Mile 23 looked promising since the Mileage Banner was easy to see and the volunteers at this location had a clock and an ETA banner.

For me Clasen Blvd. is the most difficult part of the OKC Memorial Marathon race course: the slight uphill grade and the 4 miles of straight road present both a physical and mental challenge. It just seems to go on forever. But, when you turn left at mile 24 and enter the historical district the scenery changes and a few hills are introduced, all of which are a welcomed change.

My legs felt better than I expected so I began picking up the pace: however I never really checked my pace. I just decided to run at what ever felt comfortable. It was neat to run without the pressure of “performance”. My main goal was to feel good at the finish with something leftover for Jackie.

As I turned south toward the finish line I began to pick up the pace and ran as fast as possible considering the crowded conditions.

While crossing the finish line a spectator to my right hollered my name. Later that week I discovered that he was a long time college friend from work. His wife ran the half marathon.

After receiving my metal I ate a bagel and drank some Gatorade: I didn’t want to eat much since I would be running again soon. A full stomach was the last thing I needed.

While cooling off I met up with Jacque a girl I know from church. She ran the half and finished in the top 10 of the women's division. I think this was her first competitive race in 7-10 years. In my opinion she could be one of the top women Masters Runners in the state.

Soon I met up with my wife and she drove me to mile 23 where I would begin the long wait for Kevin and Jackie. It was about 9:00 AM.

As I recall the ETA banner was predicting a 3:00-3:20 finish time for the marathon runners. So, I had a long wait ahead of me. I wish I brought some Gatorade

Many looked fresh but some were really struggling. I remember on man was doing the shuffle. I have surely “been-there-done-that” so I could sure feel for him. Remember these are some pretty fast runners coming by.

It is always interesting to me to see the wide variety of shapes and sizes of runners and their running style. Sometimes I think (after looking at some of them) why I am not running a lot faster than them….well, if it were only that easy.

There was a woman and a couple of young girls manning the 23 mile station: we talked for a while. I thanked them for constantly cheering the runners. I tell you what, running a marathon or half marathon is not easy but endlessly cheering has its own challenges; I would much rather be running.

I commented to them, that even while runners don’t always acknowledge there cheers, they can’t imagine how much there-just-being-there is such a mental boost for us, especially at this stage of the race.

After standing around for while I walked to mile 22 and sat on a bench. I still had my bib pinned to my running shirt. I recalled what I would think when I saw (what appeared to be runners that had already finished the race) runners standing on the sidelines: I would think, gosh they are already done and they look so fresh.

Well, there I was the fresh one on the sidelines. Little did they know that I wondered how many “extra” miles I could run that day?

I walked back to mile 23 just after they turned over the ETA banner. The predicted finish time was now 3:15 to 3:30.

Kevin has been trying so hard to get under 3:35 and he is very capable of beating that based on his latest races. The weekend before he ran a record 10K. He could PR today as long as the heat doesn’t get to him.

A few minutes passed by and suddenly, out of the clear blue, I saw him charging along. He looked strong. I called out his name and began to run a few steps with him. He said he felt great and was currently on a 7:45 pace and requested that I run with him for a while. We ran together but I was concerned as to whether I could hold a 7:45 pace for an extended period of time and still run mile 23 to the finish with Jackie.

And, the last think I wanted to do was mess up Kevin’s record pace. We talked and I reminded him to stay focused, get to mile 24, then he was home free with what appeared to be a sub 3:30 finish. I was ecstatic for him. We ran together for about ¾ of a mile when I told him that I had to bale out and I would call his wife and let him know his ETA. I would have loved to run the rest of the race with him but I had a few more friends to find.

I walked back to mile 23 and arrived about the time they had flipped the ETA banner over to the 3:30-3:45 finish time.

I walked back to the 22 mile mark, sat down again, then returned to mile 23. Now the ETA was 4:00-415.

I started a conversation with a man that was looking for his daughter. He had caught her at numerous points along the course and each time he ran a couple of miles with her. It must have been a blast for him. However, as he began to see runners that he recognized (those that had he had seen while he ran with her), he became apparently worried. He told me that the year before she was the pacer for the 4 hour group so this was not a difficult pace for her. He was obviously concerned.

Suddenly I looked up and there was Paul (pfriese) running with the 4:15 pace group. I called his name and wished him luck. He looked great.

I was surprised that I actually had seen two friends so far. Using the ETA banner as a guide was definitely a benefit.

Once the 4:15 group came by I knew I needed to really concentrate on my search for Jackie. One advantage is I told him that I would be next to a mileage banner after mile 21. It helps when the runner and spectator can look for each other.

The ETA banner was now displaying 4:15-4:30. He should be in this group unless he is really struggling. My cell phone rang and it was my wife wondering if I had seen Jackie. I told her that I would call them as soon as we hooked up.

I was actually little concerned but then I saw him approaching. So, I pulled out my phone and off we went.

Jackie was definitely struggling and he told me there were numerous times that he had wondered what he was doing here. I tried to help keep him focused.

He said, “I think I may have bit off more that I can chew” I said, “Look, lets just get to the next water stop, OKAY?, then you can get something to drink and take walk break”.

The water stops were frequent and soon we made the 24 mile mark. We were finally leaving Clasen Blvd.

I knew this spot well: this is where Kevin passed me in 2005 (just a few months after I missed my BQ by 5 seconds, I was running this race to try and get my 1^st BQ). At this stage it was a run/walk for me to the end of the race; as I recall I lost almost 10-12 minutes form mile 24 to the end. It was only my running experience that kept me going otherwise I am sure I would have had a DNF.

So, I knew how Jackie felt and how difficult it was just to put on foot in front of the other. I tired to keep him focused without over simplifying his struggle. “Hey, you have done 2.2 miles before, forget about the last 24 mile and concentrate on getting to the next mile marker, take it one mile and rest stop at a time”

And, that is what we did, drink, rest, run. I knew where mile 25 was and as we approached that point I told him, “1.2 to go, you can do this in your sleep, lets go” We proceeded, except this time Jackie ran through the mile marker, we skipped the water stop. Mentally he could see that the end was in sight.

I told him that as soon as we made the next right turn, we would see the finish line balloons (what I didn’t say was that it was about .6 miles to go).

“Just focus on those balloons and go” I could see that he was picking up the pace.

The finish line was there for the taking.

As me crossed the line I slapped him on the back (almost too hard due to my enthusiasm). He made it with a 4:30 finish time.

I was almost as excited as he was.

We gathered up some food and found his family. Afterwards, he lined up for a massage. I noticed that he forgot to get his finishers shirt so I rounded it up for him.

Now, I wanted to find out Kevin’s finish time and check Paul’s (pfriese) results.

Later, after checking out of the Hotel (which did not give us a late check out, so there was no chance for a shower) we drove to Norman for a nice steak dinner (we needed that protein, hehe).

While on the ride home we called Kevin; he finished with a 3:38 and couple of other Ardmore guys finished slightly more than a minute later.

I told Kevin that he had raised the bar on me, now I have to get under 3:30, yikes.

It was a good day. Part of me wished I could have run the marathon but it would have been a real struggle. And, there is nothing like cheering your friends and running those memorable miles with them.

If you ever have a chance to do the same, don’t pass it up.

April 17, 2007 Boston Marathon Race Report

Marathon Pictures 

I qualified for Boston at the Chevron Houston Marathon, January 15^th, 2006 with a qualifying time of 3:33:25, roughly an 8:07 pace.

Running experience: High School Freshman Cross Country Team, one semester. Running since the age of 40.

Age: 54, BD January 9, 1953

15^th Marathon since 1999.

Best Marathon – Houston 2006, 3:33:25

Current Marathon Training pace – 7:48

Goal pace for Boston – 8:00 – 8:15

Boston Bib#: 12699

Wave #2, Corral #12.

Training Summary

April 17, 2006 was my first Boston. Last years goal was to enjoy the race and finish strong. Weather conditions were almost perfect and consisted in the following results.

Checkpoints 5K         10K         15K         20K          Half        25K        30K        35K         40K
                   0:25:53   0:58:18   1:20:14   1:47:44   1:53:41   2:15:28   2:44:33   3:12:24   3:40:07
Finish Pace       Official Time       Overall       Gender       Division
          8:07            3:51:35             11367          8020          1405

I targeted Boston 2007 as my key race for the year with one tune up marathon scheduled on November 19, The Rte. 66 Marathon in Tulsa, Oklahoma where I ran a 3:34:53. As my conditioning improved my VDOT score also improved to a 46 which corresponded to a 7:48 MP.

After Tulsa I began training at my new marathon pace. My speed work and training runs were some of the best I had ever experienced and lead to a 5K PR of about 21:09 (I say “about” because the course ended up being short, see my RR) My 5K PR represented another VDOT improvement of 47.

Training was going well and I felt that I might have been in the best running condition of my adult life. Needless to say my confidence was up to a new level. Two weeks from Boston my right hamstring began to tighten but I still maintained a positive attitude.

The question was: What marathon pace should I run at Boston? The 7:48 pace was relatively new to me and Boston is a difficult course so I felt like an 8:00 pace might be possible as my primary goal and anything less than 3:35 would be very acceptable.

Wednesday, April 11, 2006

Today was my final run before traveling to Boston. 7 miles with 2 at MP. All is well: my right hamstring is very tight and sore. The weather predictions for April 16^th did not look good, rain/wind/cold. A Nor’easter was brewing.

Thursday April 12, 2006

We left Ardmore for DFW (Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport) at 6:15 AM. After 2 hours on the runway due to engine problems we changed to a different plane and finally arrived in Boston at 5:30 PM. The weather conditions consisted of rain/sleet and wind. After unpacking, my wife and I went out in the cold sleet and searched for something to eat. We settled for pizza (not at the top of my carbo-loading list).

We had rented an apartment in Back Bay and later that evening, after talking to Dave (divechief), we discovered that he was across the street in another apartment. It is truly nice to have a friend nearby. Dave and I planned to run about 5-6 miles Friday morning.

Friday, April 13, 2006

Friday’s weather was overcast with temps were in the mid 40’s with a gusty wind.

At 8:00 AM Dave and I headed out for an easy run which gave us an opportunity to discuss the upcoming race and pending weather conditions...

After lunch the three of us (Dave, my wife and I) headed to the expo to get our race packet and search for Boston Marathon goodies.

The weather forecast for the race was rain with 20-50 mph head-winds and temperatures in the low 40’s, so the topic of the day was: “How do I dress for the race on Monday?”

I knew what to wear for warm rain, wind and cold temperatures but the combination of cold rain, 20-50 MPH head winds and cold temperatures left myself and most runners confused as to how to dress for the race.

I purchased an Adidas Boston 2007 jacket and throw-away rainproof suit. After a few hours at the expo it was time to return to the apartment.

My daughter (Dana) from NYC and niece (Cindy) from Dallas arrived Friday afternoon.

The evening air was cool and comfortable enough to take a long walk along Boylston Street in search of a carbo-loading meal. Dave accompanied us in our search. After mounds of pasta it was time to hit the sack.

Saturday, April 14, 2006

Sue (norwor) was kind enough to take us (my wife, Dana, Cindy and myself) to Hopkinton for a tour of the athletes’ village and a ride along the marathon course. The village was already very wet and soggy and I didn’t notice as many Marathon banners or mile markers along the route as last year.

Afterwards we went back to the expo and I decided to buy the Official Marathon jacket, since this race could be especially memorable due to the weather.

Sunday, April 15, 2006

We were up at 6:00 AM: my wife, Cindy, Dave and I headed toward the Freedom Run by 7:15. The weather was comfortable, with mid to low 40’s, cloudy, misty and a slight breeze.

Under the current weather conditions it was hard to believe the pending gloomy forecast for Monday. Boston weather forecasters were predicting the worst weather conditions for the marathon in its 111 year history, 38 degrees, 30-60 MPH winds and heavy rain (2-8 inches) with possible snow accumulation. One forecaster said this could be a storm of historical significance. Our biggest concern was the condition of the Athletes’ Village. News photographs of the village depicted very, very wet and muddy conditions. My race plans had shifted from time goals to just surviving the elements. Concerns for hypothermia caused race organizers to prepare for the worst. They added additional medical support, buses to escort runners that would drop out and heated/tented areas to provide relief from the weather. We all just wanted the race to start…NOW!!!!!

Prior to the start of the Freedom Run we gathered for a Coolrunning picture. It was really nice to meet up with more Coolrunners, McSolar and SanSuci and Dove.

At 8:00 AM the race started. The pace was controlled in order to maintain a 10-12 minute pace (as was announced by the race organizers). The gun went off and it was time to run.

Afterwards we showered and immediately traveled to Henry and Marj’s house, in Brookline, for a brunch and Coolrunning gathering.

We arrived just in time to miss the group photo but time enough for food and pleasant visits with very excited Boomers.

It was a thrill to meet (in person) so many Coolrunners. McSolar and I had a really nice long conversation. The internet is great for meeting others with similar interests but nothing beats a one-on-one conversation.

It was nice for Henry and Marj to host such an event. The food spread was great. I can’t thank them enough.

Later that evening, my wife, Dana, Cindy and Dave attended the Pasta Party together: the food was very good and much hotter than last year, which was surprising since it was rainy and cold: a preamble of the morning to come. It was COLD, WINDY and RAINY.

Dave and I made plans to meet at 6:00 AM so we could walk to the busses together.

Later that night I watched the weather report one more time and it looked horrible. I decided, if the weather dictated, to get inside a trash bag while waiting in the village. Dana and Cindy got a kick out of the idea as I demonstrated sitting in a trash bag. But, hey, if it works, that’s all that counts.

I hit the sack at 11:30 PM but nerves kept me awake: I think I slept about 4 hours.

BRING IT ON!!!!!!!

Monday, April 16, 2006

It was Monday, “Are you ready for some …. Running or maybe swimming”?

The alarm went off at 5:00 AM, time for a bagel, water, and a nice hot shower: well, this time I skipped the shower since I was spending too much time getting dressed. I listened to the radio, the temperature was 46 degrees and not 38…was I hearing this correctly?

I dressed warmly with shorts, long sleeve and short sleeve shirt layered, running jacket, ear band, gloves and sweat suit all covered up by a white rain proof disposable suit. I was packed in and already warm. My wife said I looked like the Michelin Man (ironic, since I work for Michelin).

My bag was packed with ALL the necessities (at least I thought they were necessary, you never know what can happen). I wore older shoes with the plan of changing into my racing shoes as I walked to the corrals.

At 6:03 AM, Dave came knocking at the door concerned that I might have slept in. I said, “No, I was still getting dressed”. Seeing all the stuff I was bringing Dave joking said, “You must have been a Boy Scout”. “Yep, be prepared is my motto”, I said

While walking to the busses, some of the wind gusts were so strong that we were almost knocked over.

Dave and I were surprised that the bus lines were so long: apparently arriving at 6:30 AM was not early enough to get a cozy, indoor, spot in the Hopkinton school buildings.

It rained during most of the entire 45 minute ride to Hopkinton but ceased a few minutes before we arrived.

As we exited the bus a race volunteer informed us that the new weather forecast was for little to no rain and lighter wind. Ironically, just seconds later the rain began to pour out of the clouds.

I scanned the village and the fields were puddled and muddy: the trick was to try and travel to the tent without sinking your feet in the puddles and mud along the way. The tent area was packed but I still managed to find a small spot on the perimeter where I could lay out my “water-proof” picnic blanket that immediately proved NOT to be waterproof. Thank goodness for trash bags.

Dave headed out to look for Aamos at the other village while I set up our camping spot. The rain was blowing from the east directly on our little place under the tent; even so we managed to stay reasonable dry. Since I was dressed for much colder temperatures I started stripping down to my short sleeve shirt and Adidas Boston 2007 jacket. I consumed a couple of PowerGels chased by some water as my last pre-race meal.

Within 15 minutes or so before the announcement that would tell us to proceed to the starting line Dave and I left the village and proceeded to the upper village. The upper village appeared to have better drainage but under the conditions I am not sure that it really mattered.

An announcement over the PA system warned runners to not walk across the football field since it was covered in about 10-12 inches of water. Like I said, it was really soggy out there.

We found a nice dry section of concrete and changed into out racing/swimming shoes, dropped off out bag and we were off to the starting line. By now it was misting slightly, the wind was light and with the warm temperatures it felt quite comfortable.

Dave commented to me that I might have a PR here after all. He was right, the weather was far better than we could have hoped for just 12 hours ago. With that in mind I decided to take a shot at my 8 minute pace.

Just prior to the sounding of the starting pistol I removed my poncho and sweat pants which had survived all my previous marathons and tossed them to the side. I was reminded by a volunteer that they would be donated to a worthy cause.

The pre-start festivities were not quite as exciting as last year but none the less we were excited, pumped and ready to go.

The gun fired and we were headed to Boston.

The 2007 Boston Marathon had begun for the second wave .

Mile 1 Split 8:03

Mile 2 Split 8:04

I caught up with Dave somewhere around mile 2: we were running too fast for our plans so we both tried to back off. Dave planned on running slower than me this year so he reminded me that he hoped he would not see me again until the end of the race. It was time to split up so we would not influence each others pace.

At this stage I was feeling good and trying to maintain pace. My Garmin was having trouble connecting to the satellite so I was glad that I wore my “back-up-watch”.

It was slightly misting with a light breeze; actually I was getting too warm. Some runners were shedding cloths. All I could get rid of was my Adidas running jacket and it’s not going any where without me.

Mile 3 Split 8:05

Mile 4 Split 8:11

Mile 5 Split 8:01

The crowds were not quite as large as last years but they were still very vocal. As we thanked the crowds for showing up, they did the same. The weather was still holding up and I was warm so I unzipped and zipped my jacket whenever I got warm or cold. It didn’t take long after I unzipped my jacket to cool off. I found that I could run even cooler if I pushed up my sleeves. If I could shed my jacket I would.

My legs still felt great and I was holding my pace. My current goal was to maintain pace up to the half way point. My mantra was….one step at a time.

I couldn’t believe that the weather was so mild; sure it was breezy and wet, but based on the weather predictions I was very pleased.

Mile 6 Split 8:07

Mile 7 Split 8:06

Mile 8 Split 8:08

The crowds were still great and I continued to periodically run on the right hand side of the road so I could “hi-five” the kids. I was having a great time.

In 2006 I stayed to the right and was very involved with the crowds but this year I spend some time running down the middle so I could concentrate on my pace. Just think, last night I had left “race pace” behind and figured that today it would be just me against the elements but this was turning out to be a great day to run.

Mile 9 Split 8:15

Mile 10 Split 8:07

Mile 11 Split 8:08

Somewhere toward the end of mile 11 we could hear the Wellesley Crowd. Many runners were commenting on the fact that Wellesley could be heard from almost a half mile away. Their volume was awesome and provided just enough motivation to keep us going strong.

Mile 12 Split 8:08

Mile 13 Split 7:41

Passing through Wellesley was quite an experience. Even though the crowd was smaller than last year they still provided an incredible mental and physical boost as was noted in my mile 13 split.

Mile 14 Split 8:12

Mile 15 Split 8:42

Wow, I sure felt that 7:41 split; it caught up with me. My quads were really getting sore and tight and with such a long way to go I lost my concentration which I did not realize until I saw my mile 15 split. This part of the race was no-mans-land; barely half way through and a long way to go to the finish.

Mile 15 began the arduous task of climbing the Newton Hills, so it was time to re-focus my efforts toward race pace and climbing the hills.

Mi le 16 Split 8:03

Mile 17 Split 8:38

Last year my family met me at Heartbreak hill which was really neat but they were not able to catch me at the finish line. In fact the “T” was so crowded that it took them a couple of hours before we could meet.

This year needed to be different especially considering the cooler temperatures.

We decided that they could reach the 17 mile point quite easily. The “T” would take them to that point and back (hopefully) before I finished.

I began looking for them somewhere after mile 16; it gave me something to focus on: it was quite a pleasure to see a friendly face as I approached mile 17. As soon as we made contact they began their trek to the finishing line.

Mile 18 Split 8:39

Mile 19 Split 8:38

Mile 20 Split 9:04

The next few miles can be very difficult and they were physically and mentally daunting. I tried to take them in short sections, not miles. In fact I concentrated on making it to the next block rather than the mile. It sure made the hills seem easier.

As I passed the John Kelly statue I knew that it wouldn’t be long before I saw the HTH group and Pro (Craig). It truly helps to have friends along the course especially near Heartbreak Hill.

As I approached the HTH banner I unzipped my jacket to show my Bib number and made sure to make eye contact with the group. Craig ran with me for a while and was interested in how the winds were affecting my pace. I told him that the weather (so-far) had really not had an impact on my performance. I felt strong but tight.

Thanks gang…for being there.

Mile 20.5 marks the crest of the hill: afterwards it was “all-down-hill” and if you felt good here you had it made.

I felt great and ready to run.

Mile 21 Split 9:04

Mile 22 Split 8:15

Mile 23 Split 8:51

Mile 24 Split 8:53

Mile 25 Split 8:42

The crowd was very motivating and I can’t count how many times I heard my name as I hi-fived 30, 40, 50 spectators in a row. What a thrill, it just doesn’t get any better than this.

My legs were very sore and tight. Since I was concerned that I might have to walk due to cramping (which could result in getting too cold) I compensated by forcing myself to slow down.

Last year I missed the CITGO sign but it was not the case this year as I saw it and focused on it for quite some time.

I knew I was almost there.

Mile 26.2 Split 9:55(8:16 pace)

Since I was more familiar with the course I knew when I was approaching the final turn to the finish line. Sore legs and all I kicked it in for a great finish of 3:38:59. Not too shabby all things considered.

And this time my family caught me crossing the finish line.

After picking up my bag I went to the Family reunion area. An hour went by and I was really getting cold. I looked for a “non-windy” place to hide while I called my family and found a better place to meet up. After getting together we went back to the apartment where I could shower and warm up.

I was disappointed that we didn’t meet up with Craig and the rest of the group after the race but I was really cold and needed to get dry and warm up.

I followed the race with a nice protein rich “hamburger” meal.

TT WAS A GREAT DAY!!!!!

Summary

Did I meet my training goals? Seeing as I trained for Boston as my primary race for the last 12 months, was I disappointed with my results? Did the weather “dampen” my spirits and performance?

Well….the answers to all those questions are …NO…

No, I didn’t reach my training goals.

No, I wasn’t disappointed. Well, only mildly

No, the weather did not dampen my spirits or have a major influence on my performance. I wanted ideal weather (don’t we all?)

I trained and focused on this race for an entire 12 months. I truly wanted to break 3:35 and inch closer to a 3:30 finish. Sure, I was slightly disappointed in my finish time but not overwhelmed by missing my goals.

I remembered that it was just slightly over 2 years ago when I finally got under 3:45 and missed qualifying by 5 seconds. If you had told me that I would run Boston within the next two years and finish in 3:38:59 I would have been ecstatic.

So, here I am excited with my results, thrilled to have been here and ready for Boston 2008.

However, during the next 12 months Boston will not be my primary focus for I will soon start training again for my next possible marathon PR. But, if I never PR in the marathon again, well, that is fine too.

Like they say…it is the journey not the final destination and Boston is just a BIG part of the Journey for me of which I am privileged to participate.

Thanks to everyone for helping me get here and special thanks to Sue and Richard, Henri and Marj, Craig and the HTH crew and Dave for just hanging around with me and listening while I obsessed about the weather.

And above all…remember….Have FUN!!!!!