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Comments: With things changing so quickly, I had to readjust what pace I was going to run on the fly. Settled on 8:30's, but started out way too fast. I have read way too many race reports of people saying that it felt good so I ran over my planned race pace, and paid later. Should have known, but that trap is too easy, ran the first two under 8mm and then settled into about 8:10's. Felt great, but the urge to run faster (because I could) was just barely restrained by the realization that it was really hot and I was going to run 26.2 not 13.1 - like that guy passing you that you so want to keep up with.... Tried to hydrate off the course. Had planned on taking my bottle belt to run the marathon, but with the original (2nd) plan of running the HM I was just going to live off the course. They provided GU products and had said salt tablets were available. The GU brew was too dilute to provide mush benefit and when I asked one of the EMT's for the salt tablets (hoping for endurolytes or something comparable) all he found were some salt packets. Took them, but knew I could be in for some trouble later. Also took a couple of gels and blocks, but after reading the ingredients saw that did very little for salt replenishment (2% sodium and less potassium), so just stuck with the drink and hoped for the best. I also thought that I would be finisheing the 1/2 and would be able to grab some full strength stuff at the end, and run with that for the second 13.1. The last about 4 miles of the half you are coming mostly south right into the 10-20 mph wind: a real strength sucker and fairly demoralizing. Anyway, I finished the half slower than last year, but feeling great and well within my comfort zone. Saw my Mom and Wyatt and Dalton, as I ran through the chute. Adam handed me a water and said he'd meet me at the other end. Quickly hugged the boys and told them I was going to keep going. Grabbed a sport drink, and then saw Adam and he said he'd run the 2nd half with me! Incredible! I was thankful, but didn't know what to say. Knew in this heat I needed the support. I had taken my shirt off earlier and also knew I needed sunscreen, so that was in my mind. Went to the bathroom (hey dummy, you're on the clock), and then set off. Started back out trying to maintain 8:30's. We talked for a while and saw three or four others. One guy stayed with us until about mile 20. We got to the first abandoned water station at 16.5 and helped a couple of others pour water from the 5 gallon jugs into cups. I started dumping water on my head at every water station as the heat was really starting to wear me down. At about 18.5 Kenny, Christy, Nikki, and Blake came by in the truck to check on us. They luckily had some sunscreen, water, and Gatorade so that was great. They then continued to drive ahead scavenging water and gels from the now abandoned water stations on the course and helping out everyone that was still running. I would estimate that at least thirty other people were on the course: a few in front of us but quite a few behind. Besides our support crew there were several others out there giving out water and gels, including one guy in a Purdue shirt hand-pouring water into bottles and cheering everyone on to finish strong. My mile times started dropping at about 20 miles into the 9's, but I still felt pretty good. At this time my "crew" gave me several bottles of scrounged water that I later found out contained caffine. Don't know if that was the reason but at about mile 22-23 as we turned back into a much stronger headwind, my heartrate started to climb and I had trouble holding pace. At 24 the wheels really fell off, and I got a crampy feeling in my abdomen. Felt like it was under my ribcage and I HAD to walk. When I would start running again, my chest started to hurt, and I told Adam that I had to walk for a bit. During this time, we saw a lady in front of us miss a turn on the course and so Adam ran ahead to redirect her while I trudged. Had sometime alone to think. I was really kind of scared of what was going on with my body, as there wasn't any support out there, and to me, it just wasn't worth the risk of pushing any harder. Jogged off and on until about 25.5 and then ran it in. My Garmin said 26.48 in 3:54. While my ego would have liked a faster time, by the Grace of God and good friends, I had finished a marathon. As we went through the chute, an announcer said my name and after a small delay Adam's name, so that was pretty cool. What would you do differently?: Nutrition/hydration.  Post race
Warm down: Was really hot and thirsty, but couldn't really find anything to drink: lots to eat but only one small sport's drink. We were walking away from the chute when a guy walked up beside me and said, "Psst, did you just run the full marathon distance. Good, well follow me." He ended up giving me a marathon medal and recording the finishing time. Really nice "unofficial" touch, he formally put the ribbon on me and then said the time would be posted somewhere. He didn't know where, but it would be! What limited your ability to perform faster: Nutrition. Legs felt okay even at the very end, but I was worried about seizing up with cramps. Event comments: What started as a little bit of a dissappointing day turned out to be a great experience. Thanks so much to my wife and great friends! Christy, supported by Kenny, finished the HM in 2:01, 9th in her AG! By God's grace, He has taken me from a hopeless alcoholic barely able to walk and allowed me to run again. Step by step and day by day. Last updated: 2011-03-14 12:00 AM
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90F / 32C
Sunny
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Bagel, peanut butter and jam. Drank a Gatorade and 2 cups of coffee.
The marathon was officially cancelled on Saturday afternoon due to a high predicted heat index. When my wife found out, we were just preparing to go to bed. We were staying at my in-laws, and I got on the web to confirm: I thought she was joking. Sure enough all marathon participants were to run the half. All kinds of thoughts and emotions circulated through my brain: I'll admit some relief, I could just run a half at my wife's pace and support her, I could run it out and beat my half time from last year, I could run 13.1 on the way to the race site and then do the HM for the full marathon distance, I could quit the whole thing and just do a training run out in the country by myself. I checked the Louisville Derby marathon site and as I thought they were full, so that wasn't an option. I wanted and needed this marathon to give me confidence to move forward in training for IMKY. I was trained, I had tapered (sort of), but most of all I had messed up a whole week of training to fit this event in, and if I really had to admit it to myself I had told other people that I was going to run a marathon. What would it look like if I came back empty-handed. Pride and ego are terrible things.
Christy and I got to the site, and I had resigned myself to running a fast HM. I was really kind of excited by the challenge, I would be running well within my comfort zone, and I had a chance to maybe put up a fairly decent time. Plus, I'd be finished in plenty of time to watch and cheer for Christy!
When we got out of the car, Kenny (one of my Sunday running partners and friend from Floyds Knobs) taps me on the shoulder, he is there to cheer us on as well as Adam and Nikki and Blake, who then come running up. What a suprise, I had no idea: they had texted support the night before, but I had no idea that they would drive over... amazing. Anyway, they had heard that the marathon was cancelled and asked what I was going to do. Adam basically said that there were people doing the marathon unsupported and set out to find out what was going on, and sure enough we saw a group of about 12 people take off on the course as Christy and I headed to the corrals at the start. Adam ran back to tell me that there was a "list" of people running and that I should sign it and they would support us. Christy said that she would miss me on the run, but God had provided and to go and do it. Kenny also agreed to run the half with her as an unofficial entrant and pace coach (she finished the half at 2:01 just over her stretch goal). Without too much time left I found the list and signed my name to do the unofficial marathon (there were about 10 people on that list at that time, but I think about 30-40 people continued onto run the full).