Marine Corps Marathon - RunMarathon

Got to my corral (3:30 - 3:50) about 10 minutes before the start. I was (aggressively) shooting for 3:45 (8:30/mi pace). At the expo I had picked up a 3:50 pace wristband as they didn't have a leader for the 3:45 group. It didn't make a difference as I never saw a leader for my group anyway. I was happy to have the bracelet though as it had all the slpits on it.

It took about 3 minutes to get to the actual start after the gun sounded. As expected, it was crowded and difficult to find an even pace. No matter, it as all part of the first time experience for me. I shed my throwaway long sleeve T about 1/2 mile in, then my gloves about 1/2 mile later. I was real glad I had worn them though as it was chilly before the start.

The first 2 miles took roughly 18 minutes. That was my normal warmup pace in training so it didn't feel that slow to me. It opened up after that and it coincided with the first hill, if you call it that. I decided to make up some time here. And I did. I covered the next two miles in about 16 minutes and then I settled in.

Miles 5-11 were really uneventful for me which is what I had hoped for. The crowds were great and after another incline, at mile 6, we hit a beautiful secion along the Potamac River. I had a "this is why I'm here moment". I felt great and the weather was perfect. I shared my thoughts w/ a women who said she had sufferred through Chicago so obviously, she agreed.

Miles 11-15 had to be my favorite part of the course. Along Constitution Ave the monuments, and all the sites of D.C. I sucked it all in. The crowds were awesome and I, of course, engaged many spectators. My splits were ahead of the wrist band pace, I was drinking both water and powerade at every stop w/o slowing much and eating my gels every 45 minutes. I reloaded my gels at mile 14 and I was feeling great. I was having the run of my life at this point.

Miles 16-19 were very different. We left the city and headed to East Potamac Park and Haines Point. Basically, and out and back around a golf course and surrounded by water. The wind picked up a but but I was on cruise control. Given how remote it was, there were virtually no spectators. It was eerily silent. I sensed everyone was concentrating and just trying to hold form. At Mile 19 I passed on the Jelly Belly's but there was the cutest little boy, looking bored holding a bag of sliced grapefruit. I don't even like grapefruit. I grabbed one, patted him on the head, thanked him and resumed. I like grapefruit at mile 19 of a marathon :)

Mile 20-21 - "Beat the Bridge" - Well "THEY" say this is where a marathon starts and, having only 1 twenty miler under my belt, I guess "THEY" are right. My legs started to tighten but I still was able to maintain a decent pace. I beat the brdige but it had taken it's toll.

Miles 22- 26.2. I hit Crystal City and the 22 mile marker at 3:07, well ahead of the pace on my wrist band and, I knew, much closer to a sub 3:45 pace. If I could hold on. It wasn't meant to be. I was starting to hurt, bad. Just an overall tighness, no cramping, no "real" pain. I had said all along to myself, "I will not walk". I didn't care how slow I was going. Unless I cramped, severely, I would not give in. Slow I was. I stopped looking at my splits. One focus, run to the finish. It took all I had. I dug deep: long hard bike rides, running up Hook Mountain etc. But it was the personal stuff, family that have really suffered with illness that pulled me through this part. This is self- inflicted I thought, it's temporary and I control it, it doesn't control me. It's nothing copmared to what they have had to endure.

I passed my hotel - mile 23- then the Pentagon, up a ramp and back onto a highway. Every step hurt. C'mon Mark, I thought, it's just a 5K. It was, by far, the hardest 3 miles of my life. Thankfully the crowd was HUGE for the last 3/4 of a mile and that really helped get me to the finish line. Those last three miles took me more than half an hour. I saw 3:45 slip away but I didn't really care. I didn't bonk, I can't say that the wheels fell off. It was just hard, plain and simple. This was the best I could do. I left it all on the course. I'm thrilled to have done it. It was an awesome day! One step closer to Ironman.

Run, not hobble the last the 3 miles!

Waited around for the BTer's but never saw them. Stumbled upon a Chipolte and woofed down a burrito, Yum. As luck would have it the beer tent was right outside. FREE BEER! Silliest question ever : "Would you like 1 or 2/?" Fortunately they only marked my left hand, so of course I went back for 2 more.


Age,genetics, and 5 pounds. I do this stuff so the young, athletic, skinny people can feel good about themsleves ;)


MCM is awesome. The scenery, the crowds and of course the Marines are all incredible. My only real knock is that the steepest hill is the last 1/10 of a mile to the finish. Then again, this is the Marine Corps I guess they figure a little extra pain at the end is a good thing.