Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon - RunMarathon

Holy crap this was the worst I have ever felt in my life. The tempretures were in the low 40's the whole race. When you added the even colder rain, and 19mph winds it was COLD very COLD! I took off from the starting line felt great. I didn't take off like a bat out of hell but stuck with my plan to be between 9 and 9:30 min miles. Somewhere between mile 1 and 2 I stumbled tweeking my left knee a little nothing bad no pain initially. Between mile 2-3 I started feeling my left calf starting to cramp up and a slight pain in my left knee. None of the pain was too bad and decided to press on. I continued to keep my planned pace till mile 8 when the pain in my left leg seriously began to bother me. I slowed down to about 10 minute miles. At mile thirteen I could not keep my left calf from cramping up and the knee was getting progressively worse. I every mile i was getting slower and slower finishing the final mile at an 18 minute mile pace. Because I wasn't running anymore and everything that I was wearing was sopping wet and the wind continues blowing I got colder and colder. I was pretty bad off. I was limping and was shivering uncontrolably. I couldn't feel my fingers or heck most of my body. I really can't remember several miles of the end of the race. I recall somewhere around the 23-24 mile mark being approached by a paramedic who was trying to get me to get in the ambulance golfcart. I didn't want to stop this close so i told him I was fine and kept walking. Finally I got to the finish line and crossed it and set a personal worst.

First I would have been a little better prepared an had a trashbag or something to wear to keep me dry. Second I should have warmed back up before taking off especially in such cold weather.

Once I was crossed the finish line I got my medal and wondered around the food tents which were outside got some cookies and a Carls Jr. Burger. I held it for a little while enjoying the warmth. I was delerious by this point and wondered into the massage tent. There I think I scared one of the ladies when she saw me. I remember her having a look of oh crap on her face when she first saw me. She came over asked me if she could get me into something dry so I could warm up. I was kinda embarrassed as I couldn't even get my hydration belt, jacket or shirts off by myself. She took my jacket and shirts off and put a dry shirt on me. She and a couple other girls then wrapped me up in several of the mylar blankets. The lady then helped me call my wife who was amazingly about 100 yards from where I was and I stumbled to the car.


I pretty sure I had a sound base, but with the cold and premature warmup I think I started the race cold. Add too that a minor injury early in the race snowballed to the end and hellish cold didn't help anything.


Overall with the 40 degree temps, rain, lighting, wind, hail, injuries and becoming hypothermic, this was an awesome race. People running the race were great. The course itself was good too there was nothing to complain about. The volunteers were the best I have ever seen. They were all out there for the entire time in the miserable weather conditions getting soaked. I never went by one who was not smiling or giving some words of encouragement. They were super!!!! The ladies in the massage tent I just cant say enough. I didn't see one of them doing a massage but were assisting people ensuring they okay. If I had to complain about anything about the race would be the finish line. With the weather being like it was I wish they would have taken everything inside somewhere so people could get out of the rain and thaw out.