3:52! That was my finishing time at the Marathon on October 16th. The goal I had was a 3:35 so initially I was disappointed in my time. However, there were many factors that contributed to my poor showing (in my mind) and when I look back at my race (a few weeks removed) I can smile.
The day started out pretty cold and that certainly didn't help. I had trained mostly in warm and hot weather throughout the summer months. I actually prefer running in hot temperatures. There is nothing to compare to the start of a race. Thousands of runners all with their own goals and pre-race rituals.
I told myself to start off slow but I wasn't wearing a watch (my first race without one) and I was pleased with how effortless the run was during the beginning. Of course adrenaline had lots to do with that I'm sure. I hit the 10K mark at roughly where I wanted to be (51 minutes) and was even on pace by the 1/2 way mark (1:43). At 27 K, however, things took a turn for the worse. Both quads started cramping really badly and I had to run/walk the remaining 15.2 KM's.
It's amazing the kind of talking that went on inside my head as I fought through the pain to finish. I knew that even if I had to walk to the finish line I was going to finish somehow. I was able to recall the many tough runs I had had during the past 5 months and that helped me to finish.
As I crossed the finish line I swored I would never run another Marathon again....of course 2 weeks later and I'm already thinking about what I should attempt next :)
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