The Marathon

Back in January, I announced to our blog readership that my goal for the year was to run in the Baltimore Marathon.  I firmly believe that with a goal like this you have to tell as many people as possible, so that you know you will look foolish if you back out.  I feel it was a great motivating factor.  Here is the play by play of the marathon:

5 am: Wake up with severe pain in my knee.  I can barely walk on it.  The pain does go away after a while though.  It was like my knee was asleep, but more painful than usual.  I spent the night in Baltimore, and the rest of the family came up that morning.

7:30 am: Line up at the starting line.  It is cold and windy.  Fortunately they have included gloves in the goodie bag for the race, as I will wear them almost the entire race.

8:00 am: Start of the race.  It is pretty crowded for the first several miles.  I am running with the 4:00 pace group.  I notice a runner with a serious mullet.

8:30 am: Feeling good.  I decide to leave the 4:00 pace group behind and try to find some running room.  It is nice and cool.

9:00 am: Feeling very good.  This marathon running thing is a breeze.  I spot a juggler on the course.  Fortunately, I see him running the opposite way on the course (meaning he is a couple miles behind me).

10:00 am: Pass the halfway mark at 1:57:26, just under a 9-minute pace, which is where I want to be.  Several years ago, I ran a half-marathon and was woefully under-prepared and finished in 2:31, so this is a big improvement.  Feeling good, though the wind is picking up.  The runners have started to spread out more.

10:45 am: Not feeling good.  Just after the halfway point, the elevation started a slow and steady rise (from mile 16 to 22), which is painful.  The wind is now a beast (or do I just notice it more now because I am slowing down?).  Also, at mile 16 we join up with the half-marathon, which makes the road thick again with runners.  Psychologically, I am not happy to be with these runners who have only been running a few miles after I have already knocked out so many.

11:15 am: Coming to the end of the rise in elevation (mercifully!) I can see runners running on a street perpendicular to ours and heading back in the direction of Camden Yards (the end of the race).  However, upon reaching these runners, we turn to the right (they are running to my left) and find that before I can join the runners on the road home, I have to circle a 2-mile lake!  At least the lake is level and it kind of feels like a track since it goes in a circle.

12:00 pm: What am I still doing running after four hours?!  Legs are aching.  I am starting to hear several songs on my playlist for the second time.

12:20 pm:  Slow and steady to the finish line.  Just keep running.  I pass my fantastic cheering squad on the last half mile.  Kudos to Sheralie for hauling four kids all the way out there.  They snapped a picture of me running away:

12:30 pm:  It was great to finish running through Camden Yards.  I was also motivated to keep my legs moving to get under 4 1/2 hours, which I did with a time of 4:29:03.  Very happy to finish!  And very hungry  as well.

Overall, it was a great experience, and a great motivation to keep training all year.  It was definitely long.  I will probably do another one, though I will take a little break before I start thinking about it again.  Thanks for all the well wishers and encouragement.

After the race next to Camden Yards

Relaxing with the finisher's medal.

Note: You may not be able to see it, but it is a number "10" to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the Baltimore Marathon.  Jeffrey saw a different runner with it and thought it meant that he got 10th place in the marathon.  

Final stats: overall #1892 out of 3359, for men: #1317 out of 2124, and for M 30-34, #201 out of 328