TheRunningRev.Com

Six days to marathon #3

With six days left the National Marathon I ran my last "long" run today, only eight miles as part of my taper. It was a great run at what felt like a very comfortable 7:47 pace. A little faster than goal pace... I hope to run an 8:00 pace for the first half and a 7:50-55 for the second... all depends on weather.

Running and wondering about Boston

How great is it when you get to run outdoors in the sun and the temperature is hovering around fifty degrees? I don't think it gets much better than this.

This afternoon I headed out at 4:00 pm for an eleven mile jaunt to see if I could keep up a schedule that would allow me run the National Marathon at the end of March. The bigger question for me is whether I might possibly be able to run a 3:20 and qualify for Boston in 2009. I think if I did this I would be satisfied with accomplishing a significant level of marathon running.

Perhaps some of my readers will tell me this is not the way to train but my long runs are going to be run as close to race pace as I can manage to see if I can maintain a 7:40 pace over the longer distances. If I'm crazy please tell me. The last two (my first two) marathons I ran I did all my training at the pace I planned to run on race day and I accomplished my goals and never hit the wall, but I'm trying to take 23 minutes off my last race time which is a huge chunk. I may yet change my mind and push for a Boston time in the fall but that's when I'd like to take on the JFK 50!

Today run 11 miles at 7:34 pace, felt great, breathing a little harder than I'd like to have been but then I ran the Dam Hill, not the damn hill but the hill beside the dam, steep and long on the way out and really steep on the way back!

Feeling Empty

I put in 500 miles or 75 hours of training over 18 weeks for what? One run of 26.2 miles, something that took a total of 3:56:44 to complete. I crossed the finish line delighted and exuberant. I had done it!

But it didn't take long (perhaps 20 minutes) before I started to think, that's it, it's over, I've done it and along with the thoughts came an empty, sad feeling that it was indeed over. I began to wonder what would come next, what would fill that void that had been taken up by training toward this achievement? I hadn't expected such an empty feeling to hit me so quickly but it did.

Thankfully I have a great relationship with God in Christ and that keeps me focused and brings meaning and purpose to my life in ways that running never could. But for a few fleeting moments I felt the emptiness of so many who continue to pursue satisfaction, meaning and purpose through possessions, or their work, or running, or family, or whatever substitute they want to use to try and stuff that God shaped hole in their lives. But nothing, absolutely nothing can fill that hole except the grace of God that is given to us in Jesus Christ.

Jesus said that he came to give us life and life to the fullest and that's what I've found in following him.

The Race

When the alarm rang at 4:30 am I knew it was time. Time to drag myself out of bed, into the shower and downstairs for breakfast. Then at 5:00 am we climbed into the car and drove through the rain to RFK Stadium where the race would begin at 7:00.

We pulled into the parking lot about 6:00 am with the rain still falling outside, so we sat in the car as I desperately hoped it would pass. But when it came time to venture toward the start line umbrellas where still up as the rain was falling. Thankfully about ten minutes before the start the rain stopped and there was a just a very light mist left in the air.

Right about seven the gun went off and the race was underway, it took me a couple of minutes to get over the start line but since the race was chip timed it didn't matter, I'd still have an accurate time from start to finish.

The first mile was slow, much slower than I wanted, it took ten minutes which put me almost a full minute behind my goal time. It required a great deal of mental focus to not push hard over the next couple of miles to play catch-up, I had to tell myself that I had 25 miles ahead of me to make up for that minute.

The next mental challenge was at the one and a half mile marker, it was the first water break, and I had told myself that I would stop and walk through each water stop. I felt so strong though, I was a tough guy and I didn't need to stop. Sometimes its hard to hold your ego in check but I did. I realized that there was a strong psychological component to running a marathon and I had to stick with the plan and stick with it I did.

By the halfway point I was right back on track going through 13.1 miles in about 1 hour, 57 minutes. At this point I felt strong except for a slight muscle on my left side that I was compensating for in other ways, which by mile 18 would firmly establish itself in my left knee (ouch). So on we went... Miles seventeen and eighteen along Rock Creek Parkway bringing up the dreaded Calvert Hill at mile nineteen. I looked at the hill ahead of me and wondered if I could run up it? My ego said "yes" but I decided that this would be a good time for a walk break and could save a lot of energy for the last 6 miles if I walked it rather than ran it, once again the mental discipline sucking the male ego back into line.

I reached the top of the hill and started running again crossing the 20 mile mark in about 3:01. I was right on track for breaking four hours. I felt good, I felt strong, I knew I could do it, so I kept running. I wondered when I would hit the proverbial "wall." I didn't the last six passed without incident, I don't think a single runner passed me during that time as I just kept on going, I felt like the little train that could!

As I passed mile 25 I knew I had done it, 1.2 miles to go, time to pick up the pace a little! I think my last mile was the fastest I had run all day, clocking in at about an 8:30 pace. As I got close to the finish line my cheer leaders (Jenny and Michaela) saw me and Jenny just about lost it, she started screaming at me to run! What had I been doing for the last three plus hours? But with about three hundred yards to go, she was screaming and sprinting along the sidewalk to the finish line so I picked up the pace and sprinted the last couple of hundred yards, throwing my arms in the air as I crossed the finish, I was done, I had completed the race in 3:56:44 and I felt like a champion but I was spent.

Had I seen Jenny at that moment I would cried, but I choked back the tears and allowed myself to soak in the moment. I had run the race and kids were being helped because of your generosity. What a great day!

Would I do it again? Yes, in a heartbeat.

I Made It!!!!

It's official, I crossed the finish line in 3:56:44 That equates to a 9:02 pace. Very happy and sore. I'll post some pictures and write some more tomorrow.

3 Days to Go... Training's Over!

3 miles, 8:40 pace, treadmill. That's it... now it's time for the race. I was surprised that I felt somewhat emotional as I stepped off the treadmill knowing that my training was complete.

Total distance run in training? About 500 miles.

4 Days to Go

4 miles, untimed, sun shining! Wow, only four more days.

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It's the shirt!!

Received my race shirt from World Vision, nice and bright. I should be clearly visible with this on.
Very cool running shirt. I love the world map/tie dye look at the bottom.

6 Days to Go ;-)

6 miles, didn't time it. 45 and windy. It hardly seemed like it was worth it, just six miles, but I'm told this taper time is very important.

7 Days to Go !!!!

3 miles, treadmill, 8:35 pace. By this time next week the race will be over! Felt great on the treadmill today, wasn't breathing hard and nothing hurt... 3 miles is eeeaasssyy!