Marine Corps Marathon October 18th, 2007
Please forgive any distorted facts, loss of recollection or just plain errors of memory. This is what I remember from the weekend....
Tracy and I arrived at Reagan International early Friday afternoon to a light drizzling rain. We took a short taxi ride to the Crystal City Hilton and checked in. At check-in I arranged for a late check-out with the expectation of returning in time after the race to take a shower before eating and heading to the airport.
After settling in, we inquired from the front desk "How to get to the nearest Metro station?". "It's just 3 blocks up, behind the Marriott" we were told. So off into the rain we go. We encounter a Metro sign pointing to the right before we got to the Marriott, so I decide to disregard the instructions, and follow the sign. Then we came to a Metro sign that pointed left. So we followed it, Then one that pointed Right, Then one that pointed Left, Then that pointed Right. Then one that pointed straight ahead. Low and behold, there was the entrance to the Metro, right behind the Mariott where they said it was.
This is going to get long at this rate, I had better speed things up a bit.
Went to the expo. Got the race package. Verified the chip. Picked up the goody bag and shirt. Went shopping. Bought stuff. Bought a pair of Mizuno Wave Creations in size 12.5 (they are had to come by in this size). Navigated the Metro back to Crystal City to catch up with the other W.I.S.H.ers for out meet at Bebo Trattoria.
Instead of heading up to street level, we followed some other passengers through corridors that lead to the meeting site and also a block away from our hotel! Why the heck did we walk for blocks in the rain when we could have travelled from block to block underground instread?
We really enjoyed dinner with the group. Mike & Kathy were there when we arrived. Jodi & Bruce and Sara & Mike & DD's arrived soon after. Dave phoned the restaurant and we were given the message that he and his Father were running late. The rest of us chatted and ate while we awaited Dave's arrival. Then we chatted some more while Dave and his Dad ate. Then we chatted some more. What a great group. Sara's DD's were real troopers and a delight to have been included. The night ended for us with plans to meet at the Metro entrance Sunday Morning to ride together to the start.
Tracy and I spent Saturday visiting Monuments and Museums. The rain and grey skies cleared Saturday afternoon and yielded to clear blue skies. I wore my new shoes to see if they could possibly be raceable on Sunday. Saturday night I prepped my clothing and gear and pinned a tribute to my Dad on the back of my race shirt:
Sunday morning we all met up and headed to the Pentagon Metro station to make our way to the starting area. Dave checked in his race bag and then we headed to the potty lines. Jodi picked a line and Sara and Mike followed. Dave picked the next line over and I picked the 2nd line over. Boy, Dave and I are Amatuers. Jodi, Sara and Mike were all finished before dave was up to bat and I was still on deck. Jodi can sure pick em.
With a little reservation, I followed the group to the 4:15-4:30 starting area. My game plan called for starting in the 4:30-5:00 corral, but the temperatures were great, I felt good and I was with friends.
We started together and crossed the start about 6 minutes after the gun. Kathy and Tracy were chearing us on from the side of the first overpass. I checked with Garmin and my pace was a little over 10mpm. Heart rate was a little higher than I planned. I was running at a half-marathon target but, the temperatures were great, I felt good and I was with friends.
After a mile or so the WISHers were slowly pulling away from me which was o.k. because we each had slightly different paces in mind. And besides, the temperatures were great, I felt good and I was among 30,000 new friends.
I found near mile 10 stretching along the right side of the course and asked if she was o.k.. She replied yes, so I kept going, still at just over a 10mpm pace.
Somewhere around mile 11 I saw Dave's Dad and Mike and shared high fives. At 11.5, I got a cell call from DD asking "where the shop vac was?"
Hello..... McFly..... I'm in the middle of a race here. Look on the front porch. Tracy was near mile 13 and snapped this shot of me:
I heard Mike(Sara's DH) call out my name at 14/15. Right after, my pace started slipping as my calves started tightening up. I began slowing down to stretch them out about every 1/4 mile. Miles 16-21 were a real struggle. Besides the calves, My right hamstring was on the verge of cramping. At mile 19 I took some ibuprofen. Sara passed me around the bridge at the 20 mile mark. She was struggling too - walking some and running some. I did'nt check in on her, figuring that her struggle, like mine was best dealt with alone. We leap frogged position several times while crossing the bridge. At about mile 22 the ibuprofen must have kicked in, because I was able to pick up the pace a little stay with the flow of traffic. I moved along now with an average pace of just over 11mpm, but had a struggle up the final hill just before the finish. I was able to speed up the last 100 yards and sprint through the finish.
Clocktime = 05:01:05
Chiptime = 04:55:05
A PR by 35 minutes! Not quite the 4:30 that I envisioned during the first 15 miles, but I'm not at all dissapointed. Afterall, the temperatures were great, I felt good and I was among 30,000 new friends.
It took a loooong time to work through space blankets, finish photos, water & snacks and commemerative coin pick-up to make it to the meet-up tent area. But, when I got there Mike & Kathy, Dave & Dad and Tracy were there waiting for me. Jodi finished about a half hour earlier than me and was high tailing it back to the hotel. We tried tracking Sara to find her, but there was quite a lag with results. We waited until about 2:00pm, then decided to work our ways back. Here are the Male WISH finishers:
Chester Dave Mike
Catching the Metro was a disaster. The crowds were huge. Tracy and I finally made our way back to the Hotel around 3:30pm. The hotel allowed me to use the Health Club Showers to clean up. We grabbed a bite at Chili's, caught the shuttle to the airport, had a seemingly long flight and arrived at our house at 11:30pm.
My legs are sore, but not painfully sore. Just that good kind of soreness that reminds you that the temperatures were great, that you felt good and that you were among 30,000 new friends for a 26.2 mile run(or 26.66 if you believe in Garmin).
There's a lot that I've left out, but it was a great,well managed and staffed race, and I highly recommend it.
Chester
W.I.S.H. Half-Fast Marathon Team
Thanks for that surprise! Good luck tomorrow
, we'll really miss you this weekend
This is gonna be great!
. So, did you and Bruce make it to the airport in time? I'd consider it a minor miracle if you did. Was Bruce able to find you anywhere on the course?
). I hope you are feeling decent today. Now concentrate on getting yourself well!
I am at work today but I'm feeling pretty good. I just need to keep walking around. I sent you a PM with my e-mail address for the kids pics.
. Thanks to Chester
also for asking me if I was alright on the mall when I was popping pills (just Advil, not Vicodin!). To Mike for running the first few miles with us even though he is way fast
. To Dave for trying to talk to me at mile 4 even though I was giving him my one-word answers
I didn't get Sara's final chip time until 5 p.m.
, but all in all, still here without any serious reprecussions.
Your upbeat conversation & dispostion did wonders to offset my, uh, well, different perspective on things
Thanks for hangin' with me...hope your dad enjoyed himself.
, & there she was. TWice on the "mall". How are you feeling today? Home safe?
. It was a pleasure meeting you & Kathy. It was so cool that you found the rest of us when we got off the Metro in the am. Thanks for that. I got to see Bruce @ mile 21 in Crystal City, he handed me an ipod that was much needed those last few miles!
, but the traffic got tied up & blah blah. Bottom line, though, we made it home after only a 40 min. flight 'cause of 100 mph tailwinds
Congratulate yourself on finishing your VERY FIRST MARATHON!! Good for you! There will be times in the future for you to "push" harder...or not, if you're like me
