Philadelphia Marathon - RunMarathon


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Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
United States
Philadelphia Marathon
40F / 4C
Sunny
Total Time = 2h 59m 1s
Overall Rank = 356/11585
Age Group = 20-24
Age Group Rank = 45/399
Pre-race routine:

My hotel was in King of Prussia, which was about a 20 minute ride from center city. I woke up around 4:30 and ate a plain bagel and some gatorade and was out the door by 5:00am. Got to the parking lot and headed to the starting line after a pit stop to the porta-pots.
Run
  • 2h 59m 1s
  • 26.2 miles
  • 06m 50s  min/mile
Comments:

I had two goals going into this race. The first one was to qualify for Boston with a 3:05 and the second was to break 3 hours in the marathon. I knew to break 3 hours I would need to average about a 6:52/mile. This pace worked for the first 20 miles. In fact, up until that point I felt great! I took in some gatorade at each aid station and took in a gel every 5 miles. After mile 20, my legs started to feel heavy and I could tell cramping was about to occur. I did everything I could to keep my mind off my cramping legs and on getting under 3 hours. After mile 23, I had to start walking. I would walk about 100 feet then run until my Garmin got me to the halfway point of that mile. I did this for miles 23 and 24. At mile 25, I finally was able to get myself in the right place mentally to get my run back. Looking down at my watch I knew I had about 15 minutes to run the last 2 miles. The crowds definitely helped me push through the pain to achieve my goal and go under 3 hours!
What would you do differently?:

Looking back at my splits I noticed I went out a bit too fast. (about 10 - 20 seconds too fast). I need more self control in the beginning miles so I don't hit the wall at mile 20, which sets you up for a miserable last 10K. I would also wear warmer clothes. The race start was about 35 degrees and I wore only a shirt and shorts. Maybe gloves and a hat would be better for next time.
Post race
Warm down:

After the race I sat in the grass and stretched. The car was about a mile away, which helped to keep my legs moving and keep them from cramping too much. When I got home, I got on my bike and spun my legs in the easiest gear to get some of the junk out.

What limited your ability to perform faster:

My inability to hold back in the beginning of the race.

Event comments:

I absolutely loved this race! Philly is an amazing city and the course takes you through history as you run past all several monuments and museums. The support on the course was spectacular and there were very rarely sections of the course where there were no spectators cheering you on. Parking was easy for the most part and the expo was awesome.




Last updated: 2012-10-30 12:00 AM
Running
02:59:01 | 26.2 miles | 06m 50s  min/mile
Age Group: 45/399
Overall: 356/11585
Performance: Good
Mile 1 6:54.0 Mile 2 6:43.9 Mile 3 6:30.0 Mile 4 6:37.7 Mile 5 6:35.5 Mile 6 6:31.4 Mile 7 6:26.8 Mile 8 6:34.1 Mile 9 6:29.7 Mile 10 6:39.4 Mile 11 6:34.1 Mile 12 6:38.7 Mile 13 6:37.9 Mile 14 6:31.9 Mile 15 6:33.2 Mile 16 6:38.3 Mile 17 6:42.5 Mile 18 6:55.9 Mile 19 6:41.3 Mile 20 6:49.8 Mile 21 6:56.7 Mile 22 7:10.6 Mile 23 7:13.4 Mile 24 8:01.0 Mile 25 7:50.8 Mile 26 7:04.8
Course: The course was flat and fast for the most part with only two "major" hills at miles 7 and 9 and a few rollers around Manyunk. There was a decent amount of on course support and the crowds were amazing!
Keeping cool Good Drinking Just right
Post race
Weight change: %
Overall: Average
Mental exertion [1-5] 4
Physical exertion [1-5] 5
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: Average
Race evaluation [1-5] 5