Jefferson Hospital Philadelphia Distance Run - RunHalf Marathon

First 5K

I was in the 15th (last) corral based on my estimated finishing time of 3:02. I figured there was no possible way I could average slower than 14 minute miles unless I walked. Slowly.
Which is how it started. We did a group walk to the starting line jogged through the starting banner. What a fun moment! I was in a race with 12,500 other people on my favorite street in the city. As I passed 19th street the Kenyans came running back up the Parkway, which put them at mile 4. They were pursued by a pack of non-Kenyans who looked like they were in considerable pain. I still can’t belive how fast they were all going. Incredible.
The tension in my shins was getting bad. I concentrated on relaxing everything that wasn’t running but it was no good. The shins were starting to really hurt. At about the one mile mark I had to stop and stretch them out and walk/hobble for a minute. Then run a half mile. Lather, rinse, repeat. The tibialis was a solid rocklike band from the shin down into the tendons of the upper foot. The left foot again, like always. Power walkers passed me every time I stopped. This was the lowest point of the whole experience, visions of DNF going through my head. One homeless guy jogged by on the sidewalk as I hugged a streetlamp and tried to massage out the muscle. I think I stopped 5 or 6 times in that first 5K.

My time in this segment was 43.6 minutes for a pace of 14.1 min/mile.

5K to 10K

But it loosened after 5K. I didn’t have to stop again after turning north on 16th street. Gradually it eased from real pain, to ache, to discomfort. I left behind some of the walkers with whom I’d been playing leapfrog and at about 4.5 miles I passed Paula on the Parkway. My dad and stepmom were both with her, having driven the 200 miles to come see me race. I was pretty glad I was actually running again at this point so they didn’t see me walking. They had to know something was wrong from my time but at least I was running again. Paula raced along the sideline with me for a hundred yards and took some pictures.

The second 5 K was all about waiting to see if the shin splints came back. Mental recovery. I ran my normal slow jog pace mile on this section, which went north along West River Drive from the Art Museum, the water works, opposite boathouse row. Dad had told me my aunt Ann might come to see the race. Perhaps she’d bring a rowing scull and help me make up some time. Hey! I felt ok, was enjoying myself, the weather, the scenery. Still a long way to go but I was steadily passing walkers. My mood improved immensely.
After mile 5 I began to push the pace a bit more. Still felt ok. And then it happened: sometime before mile 6 I actually passed another runner. This was a new experience for me, something I’d always wanted to do but never did. I think this runner, he was about eighty and had a prosthetic leg and an eyepatch but he was using a running gait and I passed him! Woot.
That set the the tone for the rest of the race.
I ran this section in 39.7 min at 12.8 min/mile.

10K to 10 Miles

This was my favorite part of the race. I still had lots of energy and my brain pretty much turned off. I just remember using everyone I saw to pull me along. I was past most of the walkers. Each person I saw running up ahead of me I mentally latched onto them and used them to haul me up foot by foot till I passed them. I pressed the pace more. Every person I passed was a victory.

I came into the race thinking the usual thing about just wanting to finish, competing against yourself, etc. I think the way I’m wired it’s just more fun competing against others.

I say my brain shut down because all I remember thinking as I reeled each person in was, “I’m going to eat your lunch, eat your lunch! Hah, ate your lunch, see ya!” Odd but fun. I had dropped so far back in the first 5K I was passing all the people who had gotten out ahead of me and were slower than I am normally.

The high point of this part was the falls bridge at mile 9. There’s a short little uphill to the bridge and a lot of people kind of crapped out here. They started walking or slowed down a lot. I had energy to put on a burst of speed and passed 3 or 4 runners who had stayed out of reach till then. When I hit the other side and started downhill I slowed up a little bit and one of them passed me back. No way, I had to get past him. That’s MY lunch. And I surprised myself and did just that. Never saw him again.

This part took 45.3 minutes at 11.9 min/mile, a much better than average pace for any of my training runs.

Final 5K
This part went south along Kelly drive on the east bank of the river. The sun was in my eyes. I was running out of energy. All of us moved from side to side of the road to follow the shade. The elation from the last segment began to go down in fatigue. This was as far as I’d ever run before, and that time was an accident because I got lost in the park after dark.

Mostly the last 5K was about hanging on, trying to keep some mental energy up. Don’t slow down. Don’t slow down. Got a stich but breathed it out. Just counting down the mile markers. Trying to keep pushing, mouth hanging open.

The other runners were just as tired. Lots were walking now, maybe having started out too strong – not a problem here. I knew I couldn’t slow down because I’d be done soon, I’d see my Paula and my family and rest. But not now. Even if you’re tired and out of energy you can keep going. You can feel your body and push it just hard enough that you don’t quite get a cramp, don’t fall. I tried to stay on that line. It hurt.


Then there was the Art Museum and the crowd. People were cheering and yelling at us to keep going. I saw Paula and my Aunt and tried to speed up. Then it was over.

The last 5K took 34.48 minutes at 11.1 min/mile, which is better than any pace I maintained for any distance in training.

Over all, I'm pretty thrilled.

Drink less coffee. Not do a long run for 2 weeks prior. Get up earlier...not.

Walked around looking for bananas.


I've only been training since June, my leg muscles aren't used to distance yet.


Great race, do it.