saturday - i ran the silver comet marathon. it was an inaugural marathon - tacked on to a half that's been around for 12 years. there were about 1500 half marathon runners and ... 29marathon runners!!!
at mile 8 the half marathoners parted ways from the full marathon runners. it was quite lonely after that.
i didn't use my head or game plan on this race. don't know what's come over me. i should know better.
it was a cloudy, breezy, cool morning. it felt fantastic for a change! i took off on a 10 minute mile pace and would walk only at water stops. at mile 8 i realized i had been doing a 9:30 pace. i cannot hold that for a long run. never have. at mile 13 i was still running a 9:30-9:45 pace. i felt great! i was on pace for a 4:30. at mile 20, i was at 3:31. i occasionally walked for maybe 30 seconds during the middle miles. but not enough. at mile 20, i could feel it coming... at mile 21 it hit me... HARD - THE WALL.
i experienced this at my first marathon. and it was awful. and this time, it was no different. everything felt weak and wobbly. my stomach cramped up. my ribs hurt. my back hurt. i felt dizzy. i had to walk more. by mile 22.5, i tried to run again but my calves just got rock hard. i just told myself to walk the rest. save it for two weeks. avoid injury. it was rough. i caught up with two other struggling runners. they were way ahead earlier in the race. it just wasn't there day either.
but i finished. right at the 5 hour mark. and it's all good. :) going to rest up and take it easy the next two weeks. i signed up back in august to run a marathon at a battlefield two hours from home. i cannot wait to be there. runners world called it a beautiful race.
PS - not sure what to call this race. marathon #6 or #7. does one count 50k's towards marathons or is that separate? not that it really matters!!
1 comment:
Wow, that marathon sounds rough! I hope you get plenty of rest before the next one - it sounds like a good one!
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