I am .... a five-time marathoner
This past weekend, I ran my fifth marathon, this time in Philadelphia, PA, on a beautiful (if chilly) Sunday morning. I can't say enough about the course and the organization of the race - both were terrific, and I would recommend this race to anyone who was considering a local marathon.
The course began with a few miles through downtown Philly, along the Delaware River, and across Chestnut Street, essentially part of a nice shopping district. After about 5 miles, we went through University Hill, home of Drexel University and UPenn. After that, the course moved out of the city and into some nicer (to me) country runnning, to round out the first half. After a run down the Schuylkill River (pronounced like "Scu-kill"), we touched on the city to drop off the half-marathoners, and start the second half. It's always interesting to hear the change in the tenor of a race when you drop off half the field - those who finished at the half were more talkative and excited; those of us who continued were much quieter, especially after the start of mile 14.
The second half was great - an out and back along the river again, with a turnaround in Manyunk, a town about 6.5 miles north of the Philadelphia Art Museum. Roads were closed, but crowds were strong in lots of places, and everyone on the sidelines was enthusiastic. At this point, the course was largely flat, with an occasional rise, but nothing too significant, and not really noticeable unless you were looking for it.
My run went well - I had the right nutrition, with a Clif bar before the race, and 4 doses of 3 Clif Shot Blocks, and two PowerGels during. I hydrated with water for most of the run, with 2-3 gatorades added during the last several miles, mainly to keep my stomach from getting tied up.
In addition to that, my race strategy was the right one for the day. I was planning to use a run/walk pattern, holding 10 minutes run / 1 minute walk for the first half, then drop to 7/1 through 20, and 5/1 for the finish. That didn't work out as planned - the first three miles were really far slower than I expected due to the crowded field, so I didn't take my first break until mile 4, and then only for 30 seconds. By this time, I had decided not to push for my goal time, but rather to enjoy this race a bit more, which was a good choice for the day. Through the rest of the race, I tried to walk for about 30 seconds every mile. At the half, I was feeling very strong and ahead of my modified target pace, so I held to this rhythm. By about mile 21, I dropped back and walked a little more often, but never felt like I was running out - I didn't have to walk, but tended to choose to.
As always, the last six miles are the toughest, but I felt good right through the finish. This was my first time with a strategic run/walk plan, and I have to agree that it kept my legs fresher than straight running would have. I managed to finish in 4:17:10, which for me is pretty good - my second best marathon, and only 5 minutes off my PR from March of this year. Could I have done better? Maybe, but I really enjoyed the run rather than pushing really hard, and I need to start pushing the pure enjoyment of running and racing more. Maybe a PR in the spring.
Some highlights:
Best supporter sign: "Chuck Norris never ran a marathon"
Best Runner t-Shirt slogan: "This was such a good idea 16 weeks ago"
Best Pre-race nicety: PLENTY of porta-potties at the start - lines were only 2 runners deep
Good idea: Wave start based on projected finishing time to help limit the pack size
Bad idea: Spectators coming off the sidewalks at mile 5 and narrowing the race course (maybe some barriers next year).
Overall, a great time at a really good regional marathon. I would recommend this one to anyone, and I may be back next year to trim down that PR.
(P.S.: I did manage to run this race "with" my wife, in that we both ran the same course, only I was a few miles behind her for the entire length. To hear her story (a very different one from mine), you'll have to get her to start a blog).
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