Waddell & Reed Kansas City Marathon - RunMarathon


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Kansas City, Missouri
United States
Sunny
Total Time = 3h 42m 3s
Overall Rank = 222/1423
Age Group = M35-39
Age Group Rank = 34/143
Pre-race routine:

Like all my races, it begins the day before. Had lunch with my wife at Shanghaii Inn. Had the Schezwan Pork. Good stuff.

After she got off of work, we dropped the kids (and dogs) at mom and dads in Marysville. From there continued to Kansas City for packet pick-up. At packet pick-up, we bumped into Ron G. and Jodi O. It was great seeing some M-ville people there.

Afterwards, we scouted out the location of our hotel and drove to a nearby Chilis to eat a late supper (8:30 p.m.). Dina and myself had Chips and Salsa as an appetizer, then Cajun chicken pasta. That stuff was good. After eating, we checked into our hotel and got our race stuff ready.

Next morning, we woke up at 5 a.m. We ate Honey Nut Cheerios and began loading up on Gatorade. I also made coffee for myself, Dina doesn't like coffee to much.

Going to the race, we were caught up in traffic along I-35. It took us 45 minutes to drive maybe 2 miles and find a parking spot. Crazy. After finding a spot, we hustled to the race area because it was already 7:15 a.m. Once there, we waited in line for the Porta Potties and did light stretching. Afterwards, we hurried to the starting point to begin racing. We made it just a couple minutes before the race started, but we were clear in the back.
Event warmup:

Our walk from the vehicle to the Porta Potties. Maybe 1/2 mile.
Run
  • 3h 42m 3s
  • 26.2 miles
  • 08m 29s  min/mile
Comments:

The first couple of miles were slow and difficult. Since we began at the back of the pack, I did a lot of weaving in and out to pass slower runners and walkers. Around mile 2, I saw Deb P. (M-ville) cheering on runners as they passed. Nice to see familiar faces. Anyway, even through the congestion I was knocking off the pace groups left and right. My first one was "12+ minute miles" and the final one was "3:50 marathon".

My run didn't start opening up until the marathoners split from the 1/2 marathoners. At that point, I threw on my headphones and cruised. I was suprised at how well my legs felt. My only concern was my upset stomach I had through the race. I think it was caused from the generic Nyquil I took all week to battle a cold. Through this I kept a good consistent pace and continued passing other marathoners.

At mile 20 I hit the wall. However, I think it was mostly mental. Twenty miles was my longest training run and I kept reminding myself of that. As a result, my legs were getting heavy and my pace was slower. That last 10k was the hardest thing I have ever done. But like I said, it was mental.

Splits
Start to 3.3 miles-29:22 (8:49 min/mile pace)
3.3 to 9.2 miles-49:41 (8:21 min/mile pace)
9.2 to 13.1 miles-31:38 (8:17 min/mile pace)
13.1 to 19.8 miles-54:15 (8:06 min/mile pace)
19.9 to 26.2 miles-57:08 (8:55 min/mile pace)

Nutrition
Gatorade/water-every aid station (except one)
Gels-6 miles, 12 miles, 16 miles, and 22 miles.
Salt Tablets-2 and I couldn't tell you where.
What would you do differently?:

-Definately begin closer to the Starting Line.
-Train with and have better plan on Salt Tablets.
-Try not to have a cold or consume anything that would give me an upset stomach.
-Train more specifically for a marathon. I trained mostly for triathlon and just did the Speedwork and Distance runs from the marathon training plan I was using. I missed all the Tempo runs and some Speedwork runs.
Post race
Warm down:

Walked a bit. Talked with my cousin, Jeremy F. He stopped by to catch the finish. It was great to see him.

Afterwards, grabbed a beer from the Boulevard tent, soaked my feet in one of the fountains, and talked with Deener.

What limited your ability to perform faster:

Beginning at the back of the pack and hitting my mental wall at mile 20.

Event comments:

Race was awesome. Everything flowed smoothly. Lots of volunteers, police officers, and quite a few bands. I love this race. I'm so glad I picked this place to run my first marathon.

DEVOTIONAL MOMENT
I have a lot of ties to this city. In 1981, I was burned by fire. I spent a considerable amount of time at the burn unit at the KU Medical Center. After being released, my family and I made weekly trips for doctor visits. The trips finally turned into monthly and then yearly, but this lasted until my teenage years (I was burned when I was in 2nd grade). At first, the doctors said I wouldn't be able to swim or wrestle. Ummmmmmm, since that time I have by God's grace and strength played football, baseball, basketball, swam, wrestled, ran, done triathlon, and now ran a marathon. Considering what I have been through and what God has done for me, this was a perfect place to run my first marathon. I'm thankful I could share this moment with my wife, but also the M-ville people I saw: Jeremy F., Jodi O., Deb P., and especially Ron G (Mr. Marathoner himself).




Last updated: 2010-05-15 12:00 AM
Running
03:42:03 | 26.2 miles | 08m 29s  min/mile
Age Group: 34/143
Overall: 222/1423
Performance: Good
Course: Nice hilly course in downtown Kansas City. The course went by many of the downtown attractions.
Keeping cool Good Drinking Just right
Post race
Weight change: %
Overall: Good
Mental exertion [1-5] 3
Physical exertion [1-5] 4
Good race? Yes
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