It was the best of times. It was the worst of times. Apart from being inside the porta potty when the gun went off (I should know better!), the race got under way just fine, with a little extra bobbing and weaving through the 8,000 marathoners and 1/2 marathoners. About mile 9 my left buttock and hammy started to irritate me and change my gait a bit, feeling a little weak. This was weird because I've never had hamstring issues. I pressed through it. My goal for the day was a 3:14 which required a 7:25 pace. It was fun to see my family at mile 13, but my hammy was still kind of nagging me. Through mile 19 I was at a 7:15 average pace and still feeling fairly strong. Somewhere in mile 20, however, my hamstring tightened up and forced me to walk for a few seconds. I restarted and the hammy was not happy. I felt a tear sort of like sinews pulling apart or stretching. I knew I was finished and even considered dropping out, but figured I could still finish in under four hours even if I had to walk the last 6 miles. This was a very humbling experience. I hated having people tell me, you can do it and thinking to myself, I know I can if my stupid leg wasn't so stupid (the rated "G" version). After a while I began to pay more attention to the people around me thanking the voluteers, the police and encouraging other runners around me. I mostly walked, in some section when I felt able and until the hammy shut me down. I was able to jog the last mile so I didn't feel like a complete idiot walking down the finisher's chute. I ended up with a 3:43. I calculated that I would have needed to run the last 7.2 miles with an average 7:57 pace in order to get my desired 3:14. Definately possible, but nothing's a gimmy at the end of a marathon.
Anyway, I thought the day had great potential and I really liked the course. It was really well laid out and there were plenty of aid stations. The uphills were mild and not very long. The second half is mostly down or flat until you get to the approach to the Beehive House on State Street. Then it's a decent climb before the last mile of the race. I recommend this marathon and may try it again depending on my future goals. | 