Rock ‘n’ Roll St. Louis Marathon - RunMarathon


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St. Louis, Missouri
United States
70F / 21C
Overcast
 		Total Time = 5h 06m 22s
Overall Rank = 2529/3354
Age Group = 34
Age Group Rank = 300/356
Pre-race routine:

Oatmeal at the Hotel, walked down and used the Potty like a Rock Star
Event warmup:

Did not really do a warm up, walked a fast mile from the hotel... But had to stand in the corral for 30 minutes so warm up was kind of pointless. Actually made my way the the port a potty while I was in the corral. I think I may have over hydrated
Run
  • 5h 06m 22s
  • 26.2 miles
  • 11m 41s  min/mile
Comments:

At mile 13 my right calf cramped up like a stone, I managed to find some salt and keep up with the 5 hour group for 3 more miles.I started off with the 5 hour group and hung with them through mile 16, right when the hills start. A few others that were in the group fell back as well we stuck together for a while. After my calf cramps I took salt every chance I got, it seemed to give me a boost.. I forced down gels every mile after mile 16, just wanted some real food... Next time I am packing sandwiches.. Mile 16 - 20 hurt bad... was was starting to slow to a walk right when my buddy Curtis Blackwell caught up with me. I had told him I was with the 5 hour group and really wanted a sub 5 finish... He advised me that I could still make it... Sure enough I looked down at my watch and saw that I was .1 miles ahead of the 5 hour pace. When crossing the mile 20 marker I yelled out "DOES ANYONE SEE A WALL HERE? I DON"T SEE ANY WALL LETS GO!" At that point I took off. I gritted my teeth and from that point on it was a mental battle to the finish. I ran that last 10K with every thing that I had... I ran it like it was the last run I would ever make... I passed so many walkers keeping an eye on my watch.. Up the hills I would loose ground but gave it hell on the way back down to catch up.. At mile 25 I was .1 miles behind the pace. Normally at this point on shorter races I light up the jets and run like hell.. I tried this and my legs would not allow it... Immediately I started to cramp... I backed off and went back to pace... When I saw the finish line it was very emotional, it had been a long day and 3 years in the making...Finally my first marathon... I told several people I would never do another Marathon... WRONG.. I had a blast the most fun I have ever had in a race... I can't wait to run the next one, the next one I will break 5 hours.
What would you do differently?:

Pack some salt, do not over hydrate the night before (3 pee breaks). Do a long run that is greater than 14 miles... I really was not prepared for this race... I can't wait to see what I can do when properly trained.
Post race
Warm down:

Walked around had a beer talked with the family took pictures

What limited your ability to perform faster:

Lack of long runs

Event comments:

Quiet finish line for a "Rock and Roll" Marathon but the bands are nice at each mile...


Profile Album


Last updated: 2011-03-09 12:00 AM
Running
05:06:22 | 26.2 miles | 11m 41s  min/mile
Age Group: 0/356
Overall: 0/3354
Performance: Good
Course: The course was relatively flat for the first 16 miles, then the hills start.
Keeping cool Good Drinking Too much
Post race
Weight change: %
Overall: Good
Mental exertion [1-5] 4
Physical exertion [1-5] 5
Good race? Yes
Evaluation
Course challenge Just right
Organized? Yes
Events on-time? No
Lots of volunteers? Yes
Plenty of drinks? Yes
Post race activities: Average
Race evaluation [1-5] 4