Charlottesville Marathon - RunMarathon

I should be happy I completed my first marathon, but instead I'm pissed because I could have done better on a healthy knee. And I made a bunch of mistakes - picking a hilly-azz first marathon, picking a weak training program, not following my training program with the mid-week runs, running on a bum knee. But I wanted to do this and I knew I could. I'm kind of stubborn that way. And I did - I finished before the cut-off and I finished on my own two bloody feet. :) Ewww.

My thoughts were to run good but easy through half, to make the half cut-off of 3 hours. No problem. Done and dunner. 2:16 at the half aid station and feeling fine. My strategy through the first half was to have fun, run easy, and walk all the uphills. Which I did.

My pre-race strategy for the 2nd half was to keep going easy and finish strong, but then my knee crapped out. After the 1/2 mark, it hurt to run downhills, so I walked both the uphills and the downhills and jogged whenever it was relatively flat. That worked until about mile 20, when everything hurt. So I walked. I tried to walk fast, I tried to limp jog a bit, but it didn't work. So I walked to finish. I was passed by a lot of people in the last mile or so, which was all downhill. Unfortunately, by that point, the downhill hurt worse than anything so I kind of sidled down the last mile. But I finished before the cut-off of 6 hours and I finished on my feet.

Pick a flat first mary.
Pick a better training plan.
Pick a race that was more populated...the mind demons got to me around mile 23. I would have done better with someone around.

Got some food, which sucked 'cause I was BOP (but not DFL and definitely not DNF...although I considered it more than once. I only cried twice.) ;)

Got my dry bag.

Went to the med tent for ice - they were shutting down, but there was a sweet girl there who helped me anyway...and who the heck shuts down a med tent with 20 minutes left before the race clock is turned off? While the girl was putting ice on my knee, I realized my shoes were bloody, so she helped me take those off and bandaged up my feet. Thank goodness I had flipflops in my dry bag. I can't thank the girl enough for how sweet she was to me - I was a bloody nasty mess and she made me feel better.


My (&#$#r%wd(f*& KNEE.

I will strengthen my knee and I will knock out a 4:30 marathon. I will.


The course is challenging. It is hard. I should have picked a flat one, but I knew what I was getting into.

The aid stations were great. I had my own fuel, but they had plenty of water, gatorade, and later in the race Gu. The folks were cheerful and helpful, even for the BOP.

The post-race food was disappointing, but I assume that is because I was BOP, which sucks. But I wasn't that hungry, so whatever.

I should have run a more populated race, because then I wouldn't have been so BOP and alone. Also, I would have liked more spectators, more spontaneous stuff like oranges and beer on the course, etc. This is a great race to test whether I could do an ultra - because the potties were not available on the course and I was running with myself and couldn't even see anyone half the time.

Thoughts 1 day post-race...strengthen and rehab the knee and come back strong this fall. Let's see what I can do.