USAF Marathon - Wright Patterson AFB - Run

I didn't get the chance to run any of this course beforehand, but did arrive a day early to check it out. I was concerned about the beginning hill which was a long 2.5 mile climb. I honestly didn't know what to expect time-wise for this race. My longest run previously was 10 miles, but my 14 minute pace included a potty break. My goal was to finish at 2:45, so I'm thrilled with a 2:35 finish, an 11:50 pace. I started out very strong - finished the first three miles in 33 minutes, which immediatly got me worried about pacing too fast and not being able to finish at that pace. I slowed slightly, but felt really good until the 5 mile point, where I started getting sluggish. I had a gel and got a surge of energy to get me up a decent-sized hill leading to highway 844 and the entrance to Wright Patt. I had my second gel at the 6.5 turnaround. I felt pretty good until the 8 mile mark when the first full marathoner passed me heading for the finish. That really gave me a nice surge of energy. The final four miles were really tough on me. I started to walk short periods, but found that it was getting tougher and tougher to begin running again. My knees and feet were really beginning to make themselves known at this point, and I started singing to myself to forget about them. I was surprised to find that I ran better on the uphill sections and had more trouble on the downhill sections. I made it to the final turn off the road and onto the runway when I saw my husband with the video camera. Only about a half a mile to go at this point - Woo hoo! I made the turn to run through the airplane-lined finish stretch and the adrenelaine just took over. I must have passed a dozen people on the final stretch. Running through the airplanes, seeing the finish line, and hearing the cheering people was just an amazing experience.

I need to take a hard look at my hydration and nutrition before running any more distance races. I had a very difficult time drinking during the run and I'm guessing I took in less than 16 oz of water, 4 oz of gatorade, and 3 gel packs. Not too great for a 2:35 run. If the weather conditions were sunny and hot, rather than cloudy, I would have been in serious trouble.

After crossing the finish line, my knees felt as though they were going to explode. They felt like giant balloons that wanted to pop! I walked slowly holding onto a fence until the pain subsided, about 5 minutes. I walked around another 10 minutes or so and then did a full stretch, which made everything feel better!


Experience - I ran at a pace I was comfortable with. I ran faster than I thought I would be able to, but I listened to my body through the race and tried to make pacing adjustments.


The course was probably a little beyond my comfort level, which made completing it feel even better. It's incredible what power your mind has over your body! Back in December 2004, I couldn't run 1/10 of a mile. How amazing is it that I have progressed to the point I can run 13.1 miles?!?! What a great summer and racing season it has been. It seems fitting to end the season with this long race and look forward to longer and stronger races for next year!