Denver Marathon - RunMarathon


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Denver, Colorado
United States
54F / 12C
Sunny
Total Time = 3h 30m 6s
Overall Rank = 174/1924
Age Group = 30-34
Age Group Rank = 34/202
Pre-race routine:

Got up at 4am and the race started at 7am. Did the usual shower and shave. Had coffee, Uncle Sams cereal with strawberries for breakfast and then a Clif Bar (peanutbutter crunch) 30 minutes before the race. Had 16 oz of H2O as well.

Event warmup:

Rode the bike to the race this time from home in Wheat Ridge. 7.25 miles nice and easy... won't do this next time. Got pretty cold and tired out my legs a bit...
Run
  • 3h 30m 6s
  • 26.2 miles
  • 08m 01s  min/mile
Comments:

Well, the morning started off well enough and I started right up front on the starting line. I was going to shoot for a 7:15 per mile pace and that would put me right at a 3:10 BQ Marathon for the race!

The horn blew and we were off... I felt FANTASTIC and looked at my GARMIN... I know I had run at least a quarter mile by this point and it read that I was going on 15 ft in distance. Uh-oh... looks like a technical screw up! "Oh well", I thought, "at least I can look at the mile markers and try and pace myself that way!"

I hit mile one and I was at 6:40! Whoa... SLOW down! So I thought I’d lie back a bit and then hit 6:30... "What the hell is going on?!" I tried to slow down more and then hit a 6:00 mile on mile 3! I busted out a 20:08 around 5K and then I said this is CRAZY! I HAVE to slow down! So I did... then I was averaging about a 7:08 pace per mile up to 8 miles or so.

Then I hit the half way point (13 miles or so) and I was still feeling good and was finally right on target with 1 hour and 34 minutes in... just about 12 seconds under. Not bad! Let's do this thing!

I looked down at my watch at mile 18 and I was at 2:10:50 and that was only 24 second over where I needed to be at for that mile. I carried on...

Then at mile 19 looked down at the watch and then the wheels had come off! I should have been at 2:17:41 and I was at 2:22:06. I had lost 5 minutes in one mile... I knew I was in trouble.

Each step was getting harder and harder and each mile seemed longer and longer... I hit the wall! I had gone out way too fast and hit that darn wall! Then I went into survival mode! I just wanted to finish now...

I got to about mile 23 and was thinking about walking or even giving up... I was cramping bad in my calves and in my hamstrings. I kept on going and then... I heard one of the spectators say, "GO Fil!"

I looked over to my right and there was my best buddy FIL!!! He said "What the hell are you doing?!" I told him I hit the wall and was cramping bad. I ran with Fil the rest of the race! I ran with him like I have for so many hundreds of miles in the past! He has always been a great friend, supported me as an athlete, and inspired me to become a better person. I was SO happy that I could run with him at the end. I even gave it a little kick at the end to beat him at the finish line! I was cramping SO BAD and it hurt like hell but I had try and beat Fil at the end! As Dick Dime always says, “When your legs give out, race with your heart!”

His official time was 3:29:39 seconds! 27 seconds faster than me! He had an AMAZING 1st marathon and I’m SUPER proud of him! I didn’t get a Boston Qualify this year but I know I am capable and learned a great lesson! This was a new PR by 11 minutes though... Plus, I got to finish a great race with my best buddy Fil in honor of Dick Dime!!!

What would you do differently?:

Not go out so damn fast, not ride my bike to the race, not break my tailbone 2 weeks ago when mountain biking, and not get the flu a week ago! Other than all that crap... I wouldn't change a thing!!!
Post race
Warm down:

Walked around with my best buddy Fil and my pals Brad & Chris.

What limited your ability to perform faster:

My GARMIN and my Nike+ iPod were all jacked up... I'm SO guilty of going out too damn fast, riding my bike to the race, breaking my tailbone 2 weeks ago when mountain biking, and getting the flu a week ago! This was a tough training season for me and went to crap all at the end... Boston Next year for sure!

Event comments:

Over all this race was a new Marathon PR for me by 11 minutes but I could have pulled out a 3:10 BQ if I just had a done a few things differently. People always say that a Marathon is all about strategy and proper planning... THEY ARE VERY RIGHT!!! I blew up and could have had a great race if I had planned it right! Lesson learned... I should have listened to FF Stock!


Profile Album


Last updated: 2009-08-04 12:00 AM
Running
03:30:06 | 26.2 miles | 08m 01s  min/mile
Age Group: 34/202
Overall: 174/1924
Performance: Below average
Course: All over Denver! Lots of rolling hills! The start and finish was downtown in front of the State Capitol, a travel past many of Denver's major landmarks such as the Denver Public Library and the Denver Art Museum, loops its way through "LoDo" highlighting Larimer Square, Pepsi Center, Union Station, and Coors Field, then winds through City Park, Cheesman Park, and Washington Park and their neighborhoods creating a community-wide celebration throughout the city. The final stretch of the marathon took you down Denver's art district on Santa Fe Drive past the Museo de las Americas to the finish line and a post-race festival in Civic Center Park.
Keeping cool Good Drinking Not enough
Post race
Weight change: %1.5
Overall: Below average
Mental exertion [1-5] 2
Physical exertion [1-5] 2
Good race? No
Evaluation
Course challenge Just right
Organized? Yes
Events on-time? Yes
Lots of volunteers? Yes
Plenty of drinks? Yes
Post race activities: Good
Race evaluation [1-5] 5