Marvathon #18.5 - 31 January '10: GGT Marathon
Edgewater, Maryland
On a treadmill, everyone can hear you scream
I didn't just "To finish is to win," I actually cut the tape — yeah baby! Well, OK, the "Gold's Gym Treadmill" (GGT) Marathon was an impromptu, solo "race" but, by God, I'm counting it as a Marvathon!
I'm training for the 3/7/10 B&A Trail marathon & the plan was 20 for today. Due to the impending weather, I would've done it yesterday with Keith, but team Hartge/Solberg had the "food run." (We go to grocery stores, get expiring food & distribute it at a local church). It snowed 6 inches later that day so an outside run wasn't in the cards. (I ran 17 on ice in a snowstorm in Montana a few years back ... & — surprise, surprise — injured my back a few days later.) I hiked to the gym yesterday afternoon, but they had closed due to the snow.
Today was beautifully sunny ... & bitterly cold (20-ish with a breeze). The cold I could tolerate, but I wasn't gonna do 20 on a narrowed shoulder with Route 2 traffic zipping past & no pre-planted water bottles, so it was off to Gold's Gym. I might have had 26.2 in the back of my mind but didn't say it out loud or think it too hard 'cause, frankly, there was a good chance I'd bail on only 20. The great thing about an out 'n back is that if you do 10, you're gonna do 20 — no choice. A loop is tougher mentally since the end of every loop is an opportunity to bail. But on a treadmill the loop ends after every step & the shower is but a stone's throw away. Brutal.
This winter I've done 17 & 18.5 milers on the treadmill (my previous record was 15 in a Billings, MT hotel), so 20 wasn't out of nowhere. The "Rock" playlist on the new (to me) iTouch got me thru 17 in good shape, but it got old fast for 18.5 & I struggled to keep going. Today, the Dave Matthews Band got me past 16 & Boston took it from there ... it was a "Long Time" & you better believe it was "More than a Feeling." (Attention race directors: Boston's Star Spangled Banner would be a fabulous way to start the day.) I ran 16 & 10.5 last Sat/Sun but &mdash in the interest of full disclosure — didn't run a damn bit all week (excuse = work). That lapse is what got me thinking about going real long today.
I was pretty pooped at the end & my wobbly gait probably looked pretty silly to other gym goers. Zoned out a bit, I lounged for a few hours at home & now I feel just fine. No pain, no blisters, no blood. I've been running more flat footed & without insoles after reading "Born to Run" after C-mas (great book!). I've even run a few miles barefoot. The new style seems to work OK, I've got a new little pain for the 1st half mile or so above my left knee. Then my left footstrike gets a little hinky from time to time, putting a little twist on the knee. I think my lower regions are still figgering out exactly what's going on, so I'll stick with it.
Note to self: Dang-it, Thinking this was a training run, I brought the training red hat, not the lucky red hat. Let's just let that be our little secret.
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Time:
I noticed 11:15 on my watch sometime before getting on the TM & it was shy of 4:15 at the finish, so let's call it ...
4:59:59
Pace per mile: 11:27
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Place
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| Overall
| Div
| Men
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| 1/1
| 1/1
| 1/1
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Marvathon #18 - 17 October '09: Indianapolis Marathon (Bib #2150)
Indianapolis Indiana (x)
A bribe for a nap
Low 30's at the start & a bit breezy. A few little hills but a VERY easy course compared to the previous few races.
I must admit I was a bit weary & a more than a little stiff (esp. upper right leg) from the cold toward the end & for some reason have a monster blister on the ball of my left foot. I'll probably wait more than 2 weeks before running another. I had to bribe the desk clerk $20 for a late enough checkout (8:30 is too late in the morning to be starting a 26 mile run). I finished the marathon just before 1 pm (it started a bit late) & had to high-tail it for the hotel shortly thereafter. I just barely finished my shower before the mandated 2pm checkout. (Pssst. I left the door ajar, returned the room key & took a 45 minute nap -- mum's the word) Checkout time notwithstanding, I'm still lovin' the Comfort Inn's Quaker Oatmeal.
More later.
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Time: 4:18:23
Pace per mile: 9:51
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Place
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| Overall
| Div
| Men
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| 494/1,005
| 51/??
| ??/??
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Marvathon #17 - 3 October '09: Freedom's Run (Bib #250)
Harpers Ferry (start), Sheperdstown (finish) West Virginia but most of the course was in Maryland (2nd in MD) (x)
From the C&O Canal to Antietam is a bitch — & I loved it
This was a FABULOUS run. I'll never forget the "Mr. Toads Wild" bus ride from Shepherdstown to the start, the sun over the Potomac River at mile 4 & the killer hill coming off the C&O Canal into Antietam. Five National Parks, beautiful scenery, an incredibly challenging second half. So far I've never done the same race twice, but this one will be an exception (possibly North Bend State Park too -- I love runnin' in West Virginia). New rule -- bring instant oatmeal packets. It's the perfect pre-race breakfast & a great post-race mini-meal. More later.
This elevation map isn't sufficiently granular to truly characterize the course. There's a lot more
up & down after the big hill into Antietam after the flat C&O canal portion.)
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Time: 4:21:07
Pace per mile: 9:58
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Place
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| Overall
| Div
| Men
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| 121/307
| 12/33
| ??/??
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Marvathon #16 - 6 June '09: North Bend State Park Ridge Runners Races (Bib #27)
Cairo, West Virginia (dcMemorials from nearby Parkersburg)
This course was a bit on the hilly side.
'Nuff Said?
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But the temperature was perfect (50-60's) & the scenery was fabulous. The hardest part were the uphills in the 1st few miles -- that got my attention &, wisely, I dropped behind Keith around 5 & ran with "Lenny" the preacher to Harrisville. I jogged very slowly up the big hills, but didn't take any substantive walk breaks. At around 13 miles a deer passed me on the left & shortly thereafter the front runner (who started an hour later) passed me on the right. He was a real nice fella -- actually said, "Good job!" After the big hill (15 - 16+) I felt FABULOUS. There was no 'wall' for me this race. I ran strong from there 'til the end. I would really like to do this one again someday.
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"Wal-mart Jim" -- the guy featured in Runners World a few months ago ran this one in about 5:30. He does a 'thon every weekend & has camped in Wal-Marts in every state. He's on his 8th time around the 50 states. Eating spaghetti the night before, a guy at his table sheepishly admitted to have only run 40 (seriously). New classic 19-time-JFK-50-miler-Keith-ism to go along with "I must admit after 30 miles I began to feel a bit weary" was uttered on the way home. In the midst of reminiscents of 50 milers gone by, he began, "You know, if I had ever gotten really serious about this running thing, I could have ..." A mere 16 marathons is quite piddling in such company.
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Time: 4:32:56
Pace per mile: 10:25
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Place
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| Overall
| Div
| Men
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| about 63/81
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Marvathon #15 - 26 Apr '09: Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon (Bib #1333)
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma (dcMemorials from OKC)
168 seconds I'll never forget
The OKC Memorial Marathon, dubbed "A Run to Remember" was just that. The temp (70-ish) & humidity (80-ish) were a factor for the 1st 13+ miles, then we turned back toward town (see picture) & it didn't seem so warm & muggy anymore. (An interesting sight at 14 was a marine carrying a flag stiff in the wind -- pointing forward.) Weather.com records that when I had an hour to go & 6 of the remaining 7 miles due south, the wind blew at 26 mph ... from the due south.
But that wasn't the most memorable thing.
Two & a half minutes of the opening ceremony is a memory for life. These things are always noisy, as you might expect, with such a large crowd hyped for the distance. Most folks aren't listening to the emcee, don't much care to hear rah-rahs from the mayor, etc. etc.. But in OKC a week after the 15th anniversary of the bombing, when the gent asked for 168 seconds of silence (one for each of the 168 dead), 20,000 people went quiet immediately -- ears obviously attuned to that particular pitch -- & remained so for the duration. You could hear the birds singing. It was quite unforgettable & by itself well worth the trip.
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I'm quite satisified with my slower than expected 4:38 time (10:38 per mile) & better than expected overall finishing order (1026 of 2405) ... but who's counting? I'm always a "middle of the pack'er" but have never been so precisely that as here. In my division -- "Clydsedale 1" (men 170 - 184 pounds) -- I was #69 out of 140. Amongst men overall I tallied in at 737 of 1435. You can't get much closer to the middle than that. Had there been another 50 pounds of me, I'd have finished in the money at #3 of 33 in the "Clydesdale 5" (over 230 lbs) division; were I a scant 27 years older, I would've qualified for Boston. Extending my numerical silliness a bit further, I'll note that my bib was 1333 & my hotel room 1323 ... & my shoe size & day of birth -- to say nothing of my IQ -- are also 13. Freaky?
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Now this one is delicious ... In addition to the full & half marathon'ers, the field included 613 5-person marathon relay teams. On balance it's a pleasure to share the field with these folks. Although they clog the pathway & each makes for the disheartening visual of a finisher when 20, 17, 10, or 7 miles lie ahead for me, they are positively scrumptious to pass -- especially at the finish (see photo at right ;o). With the average relay team finishing at 4:39 (to my 4:38), it was a veritable feast. One takes one's pleasure where one finds it.
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By the way, the analog of "Clydesdale" -- for at least 145 pounds of the fairer sex -- is "Filly."
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Time: 4:38:20
Pace per mile: 10:38
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Place
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| Overall
| Clydesdale 1
Men 170-184#
| Men
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| 1,030 / 2,413
| 69 / 140
| 737 / 1,475
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Smokin' past the college-student relay racer at the finish. Suh-weet
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Marvathon #14 - 21 Mar '09: National Marathon (Bib #2069)
Washington, D.C.
There's nothin' like a baby girl
The highlight for me was the unexpected pleasure of seeing Erika (my 18-yr-old daughter) at the end. Sharon (the babe in peach below) was sick & couldn't come, so it was even more special that my "darlin' daughter" made the trek. I almost ran past she & her friend Jessica but they got my attention, I made a bee-line & had a tipsy hug (see photo at right). She was very sweet after the finish & concerned that I not be mad at mom, "I told her she couldn't come." Of course I wasn't mad. Sharon had been up all night coughing. Seeing/hugging/kissing my baby girl at the end is a memory for life - I'll cherish it always.
Funny line before the start: A pre-teen rounded the corner & came in view of the very long lines for porto-pots. "Ew, why didn't they just go before they left home?" Well dear, we've been drinking for a few hours & our nervous tummies have left us a bit loose in the bowel. Every runner's nightmare at about mile 5 -- young guy couldn't make it to the porto-pot -- brown all the way down. Yet he continued running. I don't recall anyone INTENTIONALLY dressed in funny costumes this time. Strange, wonder why.
Temp. started at about 32 & ended in the mid-forties. NO WIND, and not a cloud in sight! I wore 4 layers up top & (new) tights below (my yellow jacket was also new) & this worked out quite well. My lucky red hat stayed in my pocket for a few miles only. It was especially welcome when we turned east on Constitution & went straight into the sun.
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Keith (see Hatfield/McCoy below) rode in with me & ran the last half. That prob'ly made me a minute or two quicker. I did some very simple & limited ab work this cycle & I think it helped. I didn't get that feeling of fatigue in the gut area. My right knee band might've been too loose. Started hurting around 20 in the way it used to in my pre-knee-band days (but not cripplingly so as it was back then). No blood on my toes. My old Mizuno's are done. I think they've been with me for about 4 'thons. They didn't cause a big problem, but the lack of cushioning was noticable especially on the left front. There are a few somewhat significant hills on this course. It's not flat.
Oklahoma City (4/26/09) is looking pretty inviting.
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Time: 4:17:48
Pace per mile: 9:50
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Place
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| Overall
| Men
45-49
| Men
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| 1242/2094
| 126/ 188
| xx / xx
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A welcome surprise after 26.1 miles
Marathon #14 (state #13)d
Keith Harvey along for
the ride (2nd half)
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Marvathon #13 - 19 Oct '08: Atlantic City Marathon (Bib #418)
Atlantic City, New Jersey (dcMemorials from Atlantic City)
The guy who won the race didn't pass me until mile 15!
It was mile 22 for him
Registration the day before was a bit disorganized at the start, so we volunteered at the last minute -- following the lead of one "Shawna," a very friendly young lady who ended up having serious knee problems mid-race the next day. We spent several hours registering folks, stuffing bags & folding t-shirts, then the next morn, I had 2.5 miles of walking before the race (hotel to start & back -- oops, forgot our bibs -- hotel to start & back, hotel to start), so my legs may have been affected somewhat.
Mid-forties w/ 15-20 mph winds made this a bit on the chilly side but not bad. Running into that wind was the challenge. Completely flat, pothole-free, mostly knee-friendly surface. The short races, including Sharon's 5K, started at the same point, but in the opposite direction so it was cool seeing Sharon on her way. It was WONDERFUL having her to cheer me on thru-out the race.
Here's a new bit of wisdom -- every one of these races is different. Given that I'm only doing 'em once, it's a new PR every time (for that course, w/ those hills & that weather). That sounds kinda cheesy. It seemed profound after 20 miles ;o)
Check out the babe in peach!
Oh, number 2417, I'd like to take you home with me!
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Time: 4:19:47
Pace per mile: 9:55
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Place
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| Overall
| Men
45-49
| Men
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| 130 / 251
| 26 / 46
| ?? / ???
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Pet peeve -- come on runners, hold your damn cups until the next garbage can! The boardwalk had plenty of cans, yet runners perpetuated the unnecessary tradition of tossing 'em on the ground (& therefore in the dunes eventually).
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Marvathon #12 - 27 Sep '08: Akron Marathon (Bib #713)
Akron, Ohio
Who's the gay guy in front of the flag?
I'm pleased with an under 10 min/mile finish but it's taken most of 24 hours to get to the point where I'm tempted to do another one this year. This one was tough; probably as much as Hatfield/McCoy. "I began to feel a little weary" around 15 -- not bad -- but then at about 17 it was essentially uphill (much steeper overall than the similar stretch at Balto) for 6 miles. I forget when it was that I started having walk breaks -- maybe 18 -- but nothing excessive (none during the last 2). The other bit of adversity; the Sunday before the race I got a monster sinus headache -- enough to stay home from work Mon. Went to work Tue & came home after 3 hours -- too much coughing. Worked at home Wed-Thur & did a lot of coughing. It was pretty much cleared up by race day, but a bit of coughing day after. Positives: Nearby hotel, easy to find the start, well provisioned, good weather (50's at start, a tad humid, overcast all the way), great crowd -- lots who called out my name; good music, TWO post-race naps (1 good, 1 great). No lines of kids for side-5's, but a few singletons; very nice shirt (but no 'MARATHON' on the back but there is one on the left sleeve -- a first); muscle cream afterwards & wasn't really stiff after nap #1 nor wobbly.
Less positive: It was crowded all the way (5, 4, & 2-man relays plus a half), but not like we were falling over each other, tho' I did get stumbled from the rear early on. There's an upside to that too; there's some degree of satisfaction passing someone who's running a 5-mile race & there were plenty. (But I sincerely salute anyone who runs any distance.) Lessons: took my hat off around 7 & that kept me cooler; The 'I wanna wanna do another in a few weeks' strategy didn't work as well -- the thought was repulsive at around 20. But as I sit here in LaGuardia I'm eager to get home to browse thru MarathonGuide.com. I already know that Atlantic City is the one, but always get enjoyment from this 'window shopping.'
BTW, travel day was interesting, flight delay resulted in getting to packet pickup just 1-1/2 hours before closing. At one point in DCA they were sounding like I'd get to Cleveland at 8:45 (Akron is about 1 hour south). This was a freebie, so no switching to a different airline. I bit of stress; but things went smoothly after takeoff. On the return I stop in LaGuardia AND Raleigh, ugh
Atlantic City, here I come (maybe (9/27 7:30am), I think (10:40am), Definitely (10/8).
Time: 4:20:13
Pace per mile: 9:56
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Place
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| Overall
| Men
45-49
| Men
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| 822 / 1582
| 618 / 1039
| 70 / 135
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The upraised
fingers signify
state # 11
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Marvathon #11 - 3 Aug '08: San Francisco Marathon (Bib #6553)
San Francisco, California (dcMemorials from San Francisco)
Better than money in the bank (Ingwald, R.I.P.)
The weather could not have been better for running -- in the 50's & overcast. As my dad would've said, it was "better than money in the bank." A really nice course including a segment over & back across the Golden Gate bridge. A lot of miles inside Golden Gate Park as well. I wouldn't call it overly hilly, but there were definitely some significant hills & a good bit of up & down. One down stretch was very steep & overall these sections might explain the monster blood blister that formed on my 2nd left toe (as usual, by just leaving it alone, it subsided nicely). I hit the wall at about 23 so slowed down a good bit but didn't walk this time. Sadly, Sharon & Erika didn't catch up with me anywhere in the race or afterwards. This is a downside of not running two 'thons in the same place as you don't know the place.
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And San Fran is a particular hard place for out-of-town spectators as there's no parking & the course never goes past an earlier leg.
As with Hatfield-McCoy I chose the 'I wanna cross the finishing line wanting to do another one in a few weeks' approach rather than trying to beat 4 hours. It worked -- Akron here I come.
Dad passed away early in the morning of the day we left for San Francisco (7/30/2008). I made it to the funeral in Montana, but in order to do the marathon I missed the viewing the night before — I'm not sure that was the right choice. Here's the heart of the obituary I wrote more than a year earlier when we all thought he was at the end. The last line expresses how I'll always remember him.
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Ingwald was born in 1930 in Malta to Albert (formerly Alert Solaas) and Olga (Eikelid Skaar), both of whom had emigrated from the Sogn region of western Norway. He grew up on their homestead north of Dodson together with his two sisters and seven brothers. He attended Longview school there and graduated from Dodson High in 1948. He had many fond memories of his early years working on the farm and he had no difficulty choosing a career. He married Eva Hallam in 1953, and they began farming and ranching in the Harb community, southeast of Malta. He bought a school bus in 1964 and operated the Harb to Malta route for 26 years while still farming. He always welcomed the children cheerfully and faithfully kept to the schedule through mud and snow as well as sunshine. He loved life on the farm and often expressed gratitude for the advantages of a rural life. As his health failed, he wanted nothing more than to be near his family and many friends in his beloved home country. He took special pleasure from visiting and joking with his Harb friends, Harvey and Tim Bruckner and Dick Salveson. Special friends who truly added touches of gold to the colors of fall for many years were Larry Shaw, Dr. Jim Holcomb and Tom Black from Wenatchie, WA, who enjoyed hunting pheasants and telling tales with Ingwald. He retained his sense of humor to the very end and everyone enjoyed his hearty laugh. He came to faith in God many years ago and was a member of Elim Lutheran Brethren Church. Reflecting on the love of his family and many friends, "God is good," was often on his lips, even more so in his latter years as his health declined.
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Time: 4:11:51
Pace per mile: 9:37
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Place
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| Overall
| Men
45-49
| Men
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| 1,661 of 4,445
| 152 of 319
| 1,342 of 2,931
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Marvathon #10 - 14 Jun '08: Hatfield McCoy Marathon (Bib #220)
Start: Goody, Kentucky
Finish: Williamson, West Virginia
(dcMemorials from WV)
The "hill" in hillbilly ain't no coincidence
Most memorable -- all in a positive way -- are the water stops (twice as many as usual), the race director (chatting us up before the start,
praying before the gun), the "gun" & the shotgun-toting, bearded hillbillies Hatfield & McCoy at start & finish. Oh yes, and the H-I-L-L-S. This is definitely Kentucky / West Virginia.
The MapMyRun elevation isn't very accurate (e.g. the 1st 2 miles are mostly downhill), but you get the idea. Don't fixate on
Blackberry Mountain which peaks a bit beyond 7 miles. It's tough, but it's early & the 1st few miles are a nice pre-hill
warmup. It's the "bumps" from about 16 and on that are the killers. The one just past 23 looked like a mountain in my
near-delirious state. My mistake was keeping up with Keith for 18 miles, in fact I was kinda pushing the pace just a mile or two before hand (lesson learned: WAIT til 20-22 & see how you feel]. We did 9 minutes for the 1st 2 miles & 10:38 for the
worst part of Blackberry Mtn. I had Baltimore in mind where my having kept up with him such a boon -- I forgot about the part
where that was a JFK50 training run for him. We lucked out with the weather considering it was mid-June. Mid-70's at the finish & humidity in the 90's thru-out. Steady rain for the last 6-8 miles. I decided to NOT "leave it all on the course" this time. I wanted the thought of my next marathon to be pleasant later in the day. That was a good choice. I walked a good bit after about 20 & finished steady. My only thought was to beat 4:30 because Keith had said repeatedly that we'd finish closer to 5:00 than to 4:00. ;o)
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BTW, driving "hurry-up-ish," the Prius got 48 mpg Friday. Keeping to the speed limit on Sunday, it got 54 mpg. Go figger.
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Time: 4:28:18
Pace per mile: 10:14
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Place
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| Overall
| Men
45-49
| Men
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| 82 of 210
| 11 of 26
| ?? of 139
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MQI: 9/7 = 1
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Marvathon #9 - 8 Dec '07: Rocket City Marathon (Bib #398)
Huntsville, Alabama (dcMemorials from Huntsville)
Don't push it too hard old man
Near 90% humidity & temp near 70
at the finish. Not too hilly but far from flat. For the 1st time ever I didn't feel really good at any point. No surprise after 3 'thons in 3 months, fever on Tues & almost no running for 2 weeks after an ankle twist running thru the woods on thick leaves. I awoke w/ plantar fascitis on the left which messed w/ my head a bit. Shorter of breath from the start than usual (3 vice 4-count intake). Nonetheless I started out w/ 9 min miles (dumb) but slowed to a 2:03 half. Serious left knee pain at 14 led to several hamstring-stretch-breaks & a few 2 min walk breaks. I love having kids along the side w/ outstretched hands to swipe ("side-5's") -- gave me a needed charge several times.
Finished the last 3 miles pretty hard -- left it all on the course. Marvelous 30-mins of lying on the grass at the finish & a so-so post-thon nap.
No more 'thons 'til the spring -- the body is speaking. My only regret -- 5 secs faster & I'd have been able to say that 2007 was entirely faster than all previous 'thons.
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Time: 4:20:44
Pace per mile: 9:57
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Place
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| Overall
| Men
45-49
| Men
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| 684 of 1,318
| 114 of 162
| ?? of ??
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Marvathon #8 - 11 Nov '07: Outer Banks Marathon (Bib #1105)
Outer Banks, North Carolina (dcMemorials from Outer Banks)
Hold that time, age 13 years & I'm Boston-bound!
Nice & cool. Mostly flat & a good bit of wind at our backs until about 22. Sub 4:00 -- Yea Baby! If I was 60, I'd have qualified for Boston.
This is a point to point, starting in Kitty Hawk, thru Kill Devil Hills & Nags Head, finish in Manteo. Our hotel (Dave Mueller did the half) was at the finish line so they shuttled us to the start. That ride put the distance into perspective -- the bus kept going ... & going ... & going. As with Balto, I felt good the entire race &, again, started thinking about doing another 'thon after the finish. Here I learned that gummy bears are surprisingly refreshing. This race was the most well-provisioned ever & the folks along the way were extremely nice & even thanked us for being there! A beach town in the winter enjoys visitors. Lesson: Leave the stopwatch alone at the finish line -- the finish photo makes me look like I'm clutching my belly!
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Time: 3:59:07
Pace per mile: 9:07
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Place
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| Overall
| Men
45-49
| Men
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| 282 of 963
| 28 of 83
| 216 of 587
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Marvathon #7 - 13 Oct '07: Baltimore Marathon (Bib #2609)
Baltimore, Maryland
Knee bands R-O-C-K !!
Perfect weather! Mile 15-20 uphill then pretty much down all the way home.
12+ minutes better than my previous best time! And I felt G-R-E-A-T. Training right makes all the difference.
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Ran with Keith Harvey. -- a HUGE help. I would have run much more conservatively otherwise. [late entry 9/28/08: Also, this was the first time I used knee bands -- absolutely life changing. Today I can't imagine continuing the run marathons with the kind of knee pain starting at 18-ish]. If alone, I would've run unnecessarily conservatively. This was Keith's JFK 50-miler training 'thon (& it was only about a month before that race) so he slowed in the early 20's & finished around 4:15. For the 1st time, I started thinking about running another marathon late in the race. Sharon greeted us at about the half-way point w/ a bottle of Gatorade -- she had done the 5-K. Fantastic long-sleeve tech t-shirt w/ a gi-normous "26.2" on the back. Under Armour was the chief sponsor.
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Humorous note; at packet pickup with Keith my 'losing the forest for the trees' tendancy emerged. We walked into Raven's stadium w/ more activity all 'round than I'd ever seen for an expo. I looked all around for an indication of where we needed to go for registration. Keith amusedly pointed out the gigantic arrow 30 feet in front of me.
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BTW, it was somewhere in this timeframe when I switched from New Balance 880's to Mizuno Wave Nirvana's.
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Time: 4:08:14
Pace per mile: 9:28
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Place
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| Overall
| Men
45-49
| Men
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| 1,059 of 2,527
| 110 of 213
| 826 of 1,707
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Marvathon #6 - 11 Nov '06: Harrisburg Marathon (Bib #1096?)
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania (dcMemorials from Harrisburg)
Broken down & not self conscious
Cold, wet & VERY windy! Straight into the wind along the Susquehanna River. Some gusts nearly
stopped me in my tracks. I almost made the huge mistake of checking in my gloves at the start. As we were waiting out of the wind it seemed like a wouldn't need them. I had actually already checked them before I realized my mistake & it was very fortunate that the guy was able to dig them out of the van. We finished on an island in the river & it was a very cold walk back to the hotel (not short) w/ completely inadequate clothing. I utilized the dressing area to change duds which I had a hard time doing w/ my stiff creaky fingers. Amusingly, I couldn't have cared less when a young lady gingerly stepped in while I was struggling w/ my shorts, my shriveled wanger still exposed. [late entry 9/28/08: Can't recall why, but for some reason had to take my shoe off after a run thru the woods (prob'ly a stone). Was extremely difficult to untie & retie the laces due to frigid fingers.] Got a fair number of pictures for
dcMemorials.com before & after the race (but very overcast & dark so pretty lousy pics). This was the 1st time it occurred to me to use these trips for that purpose & start developing the 'Beyond DC' part of the site.
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Time: 4:23:11
Pace per mile: 10:02
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Place
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| Overall
| Men
45-49
| Men
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| 289 of 472
| 43 of 60
| 231 of 339
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Marvathon #5 - 9 July '06: Virgina Mason Team Medicine Marathon & 5k at Seafair (Bib #633)
Belleview, Washington (N. of Seattle)
Sponge-worthy runners
Hilly! Weather was nice at the start but it got hot. The sponges (a first) they gave out late in the race were welcome but it never occurred to me that I could've kept it. At around 20 I remembered about my "Succeed" tablet a few minutes after a water stop & very stupidly popped it in w/out water. I was on the side of the road heaving in short order.
During this trip I stayed w/ sister Evie for nearly a week & had a wonderful time while she convalesced w/ a new hip (Steve & Megan were out of town so my being there was a help to her). It was a short night at college pal Anoosh's house on raceday eve & I wasn't fully prepared the next day. I didn't take anything to drink during the few hours before gun time which I paid for dearly late in the race when the temperature started rising. Very nice short-sleeve tech t-shirt w/ "marathon" on the back -- the most important feature.
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Time: 4:26:50
Pace per mile: 10:11
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Place
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| Overall
| Men
45-49
| Men
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| 299 of 572
| 25 of 52
| 219 of 366
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Marvathon #4 - 21 May '06: Delaware Marathon (Bib #177)
Wilmington, Delaware
(dcMemorials from Wilmington)
Had I died, I'd have been in good hands
Four [if memory serves] times around a loop -- almost completely flat. I met a very nice young funeral director who works in a northern suburb of D.C. at the start & ran w/ him thru about 20 after which he dropped back a bit. He was a big factor in this being a PR for me. Interesting t-shirt w/ full listing of the "Class of 2006" on the back.
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Time: 4:20:40
Pace per mile: 9:57
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Place
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| Overall
| Men
45-49
| Men
|
| 284 of 504
| ?? of ??
| ?? of ??
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Marvathon #3 - 21 Jan '06: Orlando Xtreme Marathon (Bib #156)
Christmas (near Orlando), Florida
No Gators. No Gatorade either
Four [if memory serves] times around a lake/swamp (Orlando Wetlands Park or some such). We stood around at the starting line for about a half hour after the scheduled time. That was very bad as it got very hot & the sun was full on. Talked with "fiddy-two" Dane Rauschenberg (sp?) as a result of the delay which was nice (was a few 'thons into a 52-race in 52 weeks jag). There were only a few dozen marathoners & we had our own starting point away from the other distances. The water stop on the far side of the lake ran dry late in the race. Sharon did the 5-K & won her age group! It was nice having a cheering section 4 times around. After the heat set in I dropped my goals & started walking a lot including a, probably 5+ min jaunt w/ Sharon. One memorable little thing was that we had a flat tire on the rental car the next day. BTW, this one was kinda hard to find as it was remote & the turnoff was not well marked.
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Time: 4:39:20
Pace per mile: 10:39
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Place
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| Overall
| Men
45-49
| Men
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| 20 of 41
| 2 of 2
| 14 of 27
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Marvathon #2 - 30 Oct '05: Marine Corps Marathon (Bib #22496)
Arlington, Virginia
Next time I'm bringin' some chow
I wore a throwaway shirt, but ended up wearing it the entire race as it was pretty cool. Here's where I learned the importance (for me) of carrying some grub. I was starving after 17 & sick of the sweet energy gels (I unwisely passed up cookies). The Annapolis Striders' had oranges in East Potomac Park (20-ish) & these were a relief. It was REALLY nice having Sharon to cheer. Saw her first time around 13 & almost cried -- broken down like you are, the emotions come to the surface more. We ended at the Marine Corps Memorial, but I didn't even realize it cuz things were so crowded (we virtually had to walk up the hill at the very end as the pathway narrowed).
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Time: 4:26:55
Pace per mile: 10:11
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Place
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| Overall
| Men
45-49
| Men
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| 6,709 of 18,848
| 4,797 of 11,161
| 586 of 1,401
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Look at that fresh new hat!
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Marvathon #1 - 20 Aug '05: Stavanger Rock 'n Run (Bib #39)
Stavanger, Norway
Runnin' long in the land of my fathers
This was our last stop on a fantastic 2-week "50-cousin tour" of Norway. Stayed w/ Drs. Asgeir (3rd cousin) & Eva Haugedal in Kleppe near Stavanger. It was a cool day w/ a light rain. My biggest worry was getting lost as there were only a few dozen marathoners & I was almost dead last. The course was twice around a loop so I followed a German couple who were doing the half-marathon for about 12. I don't think I saw another runner until about 25 when I passed a guy who I guess was injured. Left knee was a big problem from maybe 18. The next day, we climbed a mountain to Mannefossen (sp)? It was just fine.
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Time: 4:46:28
Pace per mile: 10:56
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Place
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| Overall
| Men
45-49
| Men
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| 35 of 38
| 6 of 6
| 31 of 34
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"Short Races"
5 Sep '04 to 10 Aug '05:
I started running in mid-August of 2004 while on vacation in Bethany Beach, Delaware. Upon our return, I ran my very first race -- the little 3K 'fun run' associated with the Larry Noel 15K. In the next 11 months, I did 27 races ranging in distance from a mile to 25 K (15.5 miles).
| Miles
| 1
| 1.9
| 3.1
| 4
| 4.97
| 5
| 6.2
| 9.3
| 10
| 13.1
| 15.5
| 16.3
|
| Kilometers
| .
| 3
| 5
| .
| 8
| .
| 10
| 15
| .
| .
| 25
| 26.2
|
| Pre-'thon "short" races
| 1
| 3
| 8
| 1
| 1
| 1
| 5
| 1
| 4
| 1
| 1
| .
|
| Post-'thon "short" races
| .
| .
| 4
| .
| .
| .
| 2
| .
| 2
| .
| .
| 2
|
Cruel irony: When I returned, victoriously, from Norway with finisher's medal in had, I went immediately (the next week) to the Larry Noel event -- the scene of my racing debut the prior year. But this time to do the full 15K, not the wimpy 3K. That was the only time I've ever been a "DNF" (did not finish). I twisted my ankle after about 2 miles & had to do the "walk of shame" back toward the finish.
| Slow & steady
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Spreadsheet with all results
Average pace: 9:56 U.S. (10:02 all)
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