Marine Corps Mrathon - Run


View Member's Race Log View other race reports
Washington, D.C., Washington, D.C.
United States
53F / 12C
Overcast
 		Total Time = 4h 38m
Overall Rank = 11030/23532
Age Group = F 30-34
Age Group Rank = 686/1751
Pre-race routine:

We stayed in DC and I was worried that my husband would have a hard time getting me close to runners village with the road closures so my day started at 0445. I ate a banana and Rise bar with coffee and and a liter of smart water. Also had a few swigs of Gatorade.
Event warmup:

Zero issues getting dropped of at the Pentagon parking lot, so I arrived earlier than I planned. It just started to lightly rain so I grabbed my throwaway jacket and gave my pup and hubby a kiss goodbye. It was at least a mile walk to the start, but I took the time to wake up and get my mind right for the day. This was my first full and I was a little nervous with my longest run being a 20 miler. I waited, no exaggeration, 45 min to use the potty. Thank goodness I left early and the rain stopped at the start of the race.
Run
  • 4h 38m
  • 26.2 miles
  • 10m 37s  min/mile
Comments:

This was a challenging race for me, I really wanted to run a 4:30 but am happy with my 4:38 for my first marathon. The Marines make this race.

This is a great first timers race, the crowds are really hyped and the Marines are the best cheerers. It is a very spectator friendly race. I saw my girlfriends 3 times and my husband 5 times and it is such a great boost to have along the way.
What would you do differently?:

Run More Hills.
No get a cold, followed by a sinus infection (that required antibiotics) the 2.5 weeks leading up to the race.
Enjoy the sights more.
Post race
Warm down:

The way the Marines present the runners their finishers medal is so special. The lines were a little crazy at the finish but the Marines did such a great job with crowd control. A nice young Marine opened the metal fence for me to slip out of the finishers shoot. I was spent and just wanted to sit. After sitting for a few min. We walked to the car, just in time for Hurricane Sandy to rear her ugly head.

What limited your ability to perform faster:

Def the lack of hills in my long training runs. This was my first full and I learned a lot, so I was happy with my overall performance.

Event comments:

I will be back for another have at it in 2013!




Last updated: 2012-03-12 12:00 AM
Running
04:38:00 | 26.2 miles | 10m 37s  min/mile
Age Group: 0/1751
Overall: 0/23532
Performance: Good
Course: Ok, I was totally unprepared for the hill sitch. I thought there would be a few hills to conquer but really I felt like the majority of the race I was running up or down a hill. I was running with the 4:30 pace group up until mile 18ish and it was really crowded, I am hoping it was b/c it is a popular pace group but I was elbow to elbow all the was through mile 20. Thinned out big time on 110 but I also could not hang with the 4:30's any longer. Water stating were spaced out nicely and they were well staffed so you never had to slow to get a drink.
Keeping cool Average Drinking Just right
Post race
Weight change: %
Overall: Average
Mental exertion [1-5] 4
Physical exertion [1-5] 4
Good race? Yes
Evaluation
Course challenge Too hard
Organized? Yes
Events on-time? Yes
Lots of volunteers? Yes
Plenty of drinks? Yes
Post race activities:
Race evaluation [1-5] 5