On Monday, April 15, the day of the bombing at the Boston Marathon, I ran 5 miles at an 8:55 pace that evening. On Wednesday, I ran 6 miles at a 9:13 pace. Finally, the weather is getting to where I don't mind trying to run regularly. I don't remember why, but I missed Thursday's run.
On Saturday, April 20, I ran 10 miles. Well, I actually walked a few hills. It was only 36 degrees when I started and just at 48 when I finished. However, the sunshine once again made the air and my desire to run warmer. My pace was 10:07. The rest of the day I had ITB problems in my left knee. The opposite leg of a couple of years ago, when I had to miss a few months. It hurt to walk, especially to step upwards. It was better the next day, as long as I was going up steps. Monday, I thought it was all better. I planned on running 5 easy miles, then 4 on Tuesday, and 3 on Wednesday, before taking Thursday and Friday off for Saturday's marathon/half marathon. About half-mile into the run, I thought my knee was going to give out. I regained my balance and did some walking. I tried running again, but felt some pain. I walked some more. The I tried to run again, but once again stopped. I didn't stop because the pain was unbearable, but because I didn't want to go months without being able to run. Plus, the marathon/half marathon was in a few days. I got in 2.2 miles at a 14:37 pace. No more running until race day.
The weather forecasters had been predicting rain for the marathon all week. For once, they were correct. I thought about backing out for about 10 seconds. I never really gave it much thought after that. I was running. I was just hoping my leg would cooperate. I didn't want to have to walk for 10 miles in the rain.
I had a garbage bag jacket and a Foodlion bag cap cover to wear before the race started. The rain poured down off and on as I drove about 60 miles to Nashville. Before I got into the parking lot at LP Field, the rain had stopped. I had the feeling that it wouldn't start back up until the race started (and hoped it wouldn't rain again until after I had finished). The trash bag jacket was mainly for waiting in line to board the bus to carry me across town to the start line, to wait in the port-a-toilet line once I got there, and for the start of the race. I was to take it off right before the race began. Since it was raining when I got parked, I didn't wear it. While standing in line to pee, the rain began again. It felt cold. Once inside a port-a-potty, I could hear the rain pounding the top of it. I hated to go back out into it, but I did. I headed to the starting area and made my way into a corral. I'm not sure what number, because they had been moving up for about 15 minutes, and the markers were no longer useful. Finally, I got to start running. Somewhere between miles 5 and 6, my watch went blank. I had noticed that it was flashing (something it usually does not do) "hold to shut off". I didn't want to shut it off, and I couldn't get any of the buttons to work. About a year ago, I replaced the battery and lost a screw. Since I didn't think I would ever need the 50 meter water resistance depth, I didn't worry about it. I have ran in the rain before without any problems, but today, I guess it was too much rain for it to take. I was running naked the rest of the race.
Running in the rain was not all that bad. It was a lot better than just standing in it. My left knee began hurting before I hit the first half-mile. I was thinking, "Oh, no, not already." It lasted about another half-mile, and seldom bothered me again. The leg issue, the rain, and how I felt overall were to be the barometer to decide if I ran the full or half marathon. The whole week I considered the full or half debate as a "game time decision". To upgrade from the half to full marathon, a runner had to register and pay an upgrade fee. To change from the full to half, all a person had to do was run the half - it didn't matter what the bib had printed on it, what corral, or anything. When I got to the point of where the half and full split, I was to make the decision. Around Mile 11, I passed the 4:15 pace group. I was feeling good - no ITB problems, didn't feel depleted. Mostly, because of having to run slower that what I would have tried to do, because of all the runners/walkers in the way. When I got to the split, I went the way of the half. I didn't want to run 13 more miles than I had to. I wasn't trained for it, and it was raining! It had rained so much that the garbage bags people took off on the course, along with empty cups from water stations, and other miscellany were flowing down the side of the streets at a faster pace than I could run. There were two points that I had to slosh through water that was over ankle deep. And I don't mean because I was trying to go around someone or through a puddle - I mean it was across the whole street!
I hated that I didn't run the full marathon, but was relieved when I had finished the half. Once I had finished, I realized how wet I was. Then I got cold. I worked through the maze of people and tents to head straight to my vehicle. I opened the back of the Xterra to use as a roof and changed clothes. Even though I dried off the best I could, it still took a long time to warm up.
My time was 2:02:44, for a 9:22 pace. I was 347 of 923 in the Male Age Group of 40-44, 2,569 out of 6,506 males (over 11,000 more females ran it than males! I guess the males ran the full), and 4,536 out of 17,829 overall. After the first 5k, I was at 30:28 (9:50 pace). At the 10k mark, I was 1:00:06 (9:42 pace). At 9.9 miles, I was at 1:34:57 (a 9:35 pace). I ran the last 3.2 miles at an 8:40 pace. I was getting faster at each marker, which I'm happy about. I usually falter in the middle.
UPDATE: May 14, 2013: I noticed Athlinks.com had my time as 2:03:19 instead of 2:02:44. I checked the Country Music Marathon website to see that my time had indeed been adjusted to 2:03:19. The 5k, 10k, and 9.9 times were exactly the same, but 35 seconds had been added to the last 3.2 miles. There were other changes, too. I was 353 of 932 in the Male Age Group of 40-44; 2,614 of 6,567 males; and 4,612 of 18,019 overall. My revised pace 9:25.
This was number 11 for half marathons for me. Time-wise, it ranks number 9. The third time I've been over 2 hours, and the third time in-a-row!
My Rain Gear
