MCM Oct 25, 2009
What a fantastic high point to my first year of running and running with the WRFB. It was such a wonderful experience for my first marathon. Just the thought of you all getting the alerts was a good motivator.
Saturday night Steve and I prepared our gear and he told me he taped his name to his shirt. So I thought I might do it to. this would turn out to be a great decision.
During the race day, in the race, I say the devil, george washington, a cow, a man running barefoot, and a blind runner. I wondered if he was the same runner from the move 'Spirit of the Marathon.'
On of my biggest concerns of the day was immediately taken care of as we entered porta pot heaven. We checked our gear and headed to the start line. Now I was really getting nervous. Some how Steve talked me into joining him in his coral. I thought this might be a mistake but it turned out to be a good move. I tried to keep my pace slow, but this would prove to be a challenge all day long.
the first 3 miles when a little fast, 8:30 pace. then we headed down hill and I was running with gravity so my pace was quick again. then we leveled out and went uphill. this helped me get to the 8:45-9:00 pace I decided to run. by mile 9 I was still running 8:40 miles and decided to make an effort to slow do, but this would prove difficult. Every thing was feeling good and the highlight was everyone yelling my name. "GO Dave" "Go Beer" "Go Dave Beer" "Dave there is beer at the finish". I heard this 1000 times during the day. Every time I heard this I would pick up the pace. throw in a little gel and some powerade and I was picking up the pace. Mile 9 was a huge high point. We hit the largest crowd yet (I think it was Georgetown). People were screaming my name and a flood of emotion rolled over me like a tidal wave. It was at that point I realized I was running a marathon and I WAS GOING TO FINISH. At that point I finally settled into 8:45 miles.
I was stopped and stretched for a minute around mile 13 just to do a quick check. Everything is feeling great. Around mile 16 I slowed the pace a little to save some for the end. Around 20.6 mile I was heading up and over the final bridge and realized I was now in new un chartered waters. I was paced by a woman trying for Boston and a 3:50 PR (we had talked back around mile ten) I told her she was on pace and that seemed to motivate her and I never saw her again. I am sure she made her time. Mile 22 through Crystal City was the turning point. These would prove to be the longest 4 miles of my life (I would loose over 4 minutes total time). I could start to fell the wall closing in. I slowed a little more but kept pushing on, random cramps started in the legs. I started taking 2-3 cups of liquid per water stop. By mile 24 we are out of Crystal City and on the highway heading for home with little to no fan support. I fought cramps in calves, hams, hips, firing at random. I felt good and had energy in the legs, but these cramps kept slowing my pace. By mile 25 I was cursing every last one of you. If I new the "cut" sign I would have had Keith take me out. 1 mile to go. I never stopped or walked, I kept pushing through the longest mile of my life. As we approached the finish some kind woman helped me focus and got up the hill the last .2 miles.
I did it in under my 4 hour mark and I completed it in 3:54. But I ran further than the 26.2. My Garmin indicated I ran 26.6, WTF! Got my massage, which was a great, great thing to do. I felt so much better. Today I have some sore muscles, mostly the quads. Other that that I feel better than after some of my training runs.
The WRFB next mission, if you choose to accept it, train me for 3:30. That's only 55 seconds per mile faster.
David Smith
Book Recap
1st Marathon - Marine Corp 10/25/09
June 15, 2009 I started my official 18 week marathon training program. I was excited after completing my first half marathon in May and now my first week of training would include my second half marathon. I had the conditioning to run the distance. I had been keeping my mileage up and I even did a 14 mile run with 2 friends. I felt good about the start this new type of training and anxious to start building the long run. Maybe I was a little too excited. I would begin to add mileage over the next few weeks taking me to that one dreaded run. That one moment in life you could ask for a do over. This was a mistake that would carry with me through my entire training. Looking back through history I would find that this was something I may have been carrying with me since I was a teenager.
July 12, 2009 was the hot July morning I told you about in the half marathon section. I was using that half marathon as part of my training for this marathon. July 12 was the day I strained my ham string. I researched some exercises I could perform at home to strengthen the hammy. I followed the RICE regimen and took 72 hours off running. I was worried something fierce that I would not be able to complete my first marathon. How long would this injury take to heal? How would if affect my training? Having the encouragement of the WRFB was extremely positive and helpful. Everyone provided words of encouragement and regaled me with tails of their own mishaps. After resting the leg I began to run. I would feel twinges when I would push the pace too fast or run too long. The leg would let me know how fast and how far it wanted to go. Could this be what listening to your body is all about? I think I am starting to understand the concept of listening to your body.
As I look back through history I recall 2 previous times I have had the same injury to the same leg. The first ham string strain was back in high school while on the track team. I remember having to shave my leg in order for it to be taped. The person doing the taping indicated that applying the tape directly to the skin would provide the best support. So imagine my mother’s shock when I asked for a razor to shave my leg. The hammy at that time was not that bad. I am sure sprinting on an injured hammy is not something that can be done if the damage is more than a slight strain. I know this for a fact from the second time I injured the hammy and tried to sprint. That original strain was in 1981 and I am sure taping technology has changed with all the new tapes and devices for providing support. I do recall when the tape was removed it was rather sticky and was hard on the skin. That is also when I realized I did not shave the back to the leg complete. Of course the tape took care of that patch of missed hair quite nicely. That was also quit painful.
The second incident occurred roughly ten years later. I worked for an organization that participated in the ‘Corporate Challenge’. This was a sporting event for local business to compete against one another. I was training and doing some running with a few of my co-workers for this event. I was a sprinter so I was preparing to run a relay. My good friend Tom Beck was my training partner and he organized some of the team practices. We did this for several years. On one particular year we were at the track for our final training practice. I was practicing the exchange and as I began to take off at top speed, ZAP! That was it! I could feel the pull in the hamstring and that was the end of my running. I could walk fine and jog, but any speed request from my legs were not answered. I tried some creams and a neoprene sleeve, but nothing worked. A few days to race day and all I could do was rest and see what would happen. Come race day, nothing is what happened. Any speed attempts were met with pain and agony. So on that particular day I would take the side line and cheer on my fellow teammates.
Now that this strained hammy resurfaced for my marathon training, I continued to train on the edge of recovery and injury. I would push just enough to improve my running, but not too much to cause further injury. By August my training was back on track and I was hitting my targeted long runs. I had an 18 and 20 miler now under my belt. I had 2 more 20 milers schedule after my September half marathon. You recall the results of that half marathon. I pushed too hard and re-injured the hammy. The next weekend, the scheduled 20 miler was reduced to 15 miles, followed by 12 the next weekend. I had one more 20 scheduled 3 weeks prior to my marathon, but was only able to run 18 without stressing the hamstring too much. That was it. The training was done. I was now into my taper with 14 miles the next weekend and 10 miles the weekend before my first marathon. It was a long hard road, but I had done it. I fought through injury and endured the heat of summer. It was not the best training, but the best I could do considering the injury.
For my last 10 mile run, one week before the marathon, I invited the WRFB to my place for the last 10 miler. It was less than ideal weather conditions. One thing I learned running with this group is they will run in all kinds of weather. This was a particular nasty day, it was cold and rainy. On a clear day and nicer weather conditions, the running route I had scheduled is quite scenic and enjoyable. Today it would be a day to endure and finish as quickly as possible. The run was just the prelude to the post run celebration. I had a few beers on hand as well as some bagels and muffins. Mark, our local brew master, had a few of his creations on hand. When we returned from the run everyone was cold and wet. Most of us changed into warm dry clothing to keep the chill away. The post run beers helped warm the inner runner and the bagels and muffins helped with the hunger and post run re-fueling. It was a great celebration. Everyone wished Steve and I good luck at the Marine Corp Marathon next weekend. It was truly a wonderful celebration. This was only the beginning of the garage parties. There would be a few other times when these events would just spontaneously happen.
Below is my first training plan. This was combined with the running I did with the WRFB Tuesdays and Thursdays. Coach Bob put together the weekend plan. I added the Wednesday runs to help get the mileage up to build endurance. This was a good first plan and worked well for me. I had a good base of 25-30 miles and this was not too much of a stretch for me. This is something each individual must decide before beginning a marathon training program. Make sure you have the base miles to match the training program you choose.
Training Plan June 22 – October 25, 2009
Weeks to go
|
M
|
T
|
W
|
T
|
F
|
Sa
|
Su
|
Miles
|
Week begin Date
|
18
|
6
|
5
|
7
|
8
|
10
|
36
|
6/22/2009
| ||
17
|
6
|
6
|
7
|
8
|
12
|
39
|
6/29/2009
| ||
16
|
6
|
6
|
7
|
6
|
14
|
39
|
7/6/2009
| ||
15
|
7
|
6
|
6
|
10
|
29
|
7/13/2009
| |||
14
|
7
|
5
|
7
|
8
|
14
|
41
|
7/20/2009
| ||
13
|
7
|
5
|
7
|
8
|
16
|
43
|
7/27/2009
| ||
12
|
7
|
5
|
7
|
6
|
18
|
43
|
8/3/2009
| ||
11
|
7
|
7
|
8
|
12
|
34
|
8/10/2009
| |||
10
|
6
|
5
|
7
|
8
|
18
|
44
|
8/17/2009
| ||
9
|
7
|
5
|
6
|
6
|
20
|
44
|
8/24/2009
| ||
8
|
6
|
5
|
7
|
8
|
12
|
38
|
8/31/2009
| ||
7
|
6
|
7
|
5
|
13.1
|
31.1
|
9/7/2009
| |||
6
|
6
|
5
|
6
|
5
|
20
|
44
|
9/14/2009
| ||
5
|
6
|
5
|
6
|
8
|
12
|
37
|
9/21/2009
| ||
4
|
6
|
5
|
5
|
8
|
20
|
44
|
9/28/2009
| ||
3
|
5
|
6
|
14
|
5
|
30
|
10/5/2009
| |||
2
|
6
|
6
|
10
|
22
|
10/12/2009
| ||||
1
|
6
|
5
|
26.2
|
37.2
|
10/19/2009
|
When I first started planning my marathon I was the only one from the WRFB heading to this marathon. Then at the last minute my friend Steve Horning surprised me with the announcement that he would run the MCM. He purchased a transfer and we were both scheduled to run the race together. Now Steve was much more experienced than myself. He had several more marathons under his belt and he was training to qualify for Boston. This put him around an 8 minute per mile pace. He trained hard and was ready for this pace. My goal was simply to finish. This should be the primary goal of any first time marathoner. My secondary goal was to break 4 hours. This would be a 9:09 per mile pace. This was the plan and now it was simply a matter of execution. Of course sticking to the plan would be easier said than done.
After the garage celebration Monday was a rest day and Tuesday and Thursday would be quick easy runs. I kept the pace up so the legs would still have the reminder of the pace I wanted to run. This would be a long week as the anticipation grew each day. By Friday it was all I could think about. That day at work I was constantly distracted by the thoughts of the marathon on Sunday. Steve and I were planning to travel to DC together, but those plans changed at the last minute. Steve had to take care of some things Saturday and would not be able to leave until later. So the new plan was for me to head to DC early and retrieve our race packets from the expo and he would arrive early evening. This was an easy change of plans and I was more than glad to accommodate.
Friday evening I gathered all my gear and food supplies and made sure the items needed for travel were ready to go. Saturday morning I quadruple checked everything and wanted to leave nothing to chance. Check out the gear section for the check list I use for gear needed for a marathon. I was staying with friends in Vienna, VA and they lived 5 minutes from the Metro, so this was a perfect location to stay. My friends offered to assist me with finding my way to the Metro and where to depart the Metro at the designated stop. The Metro is rather friendly and purchasing passes and finding my way around was relatively simple. We had an uneventful ride to the expo center where I retrieved my and Steve’s race packets and shirts. It was early afternoon and I was all set to go. I looked around the expo for a short period of time. This was my first marathon expo. There were all sorts of vendors with gear, apparel, food and drink, and all kinds of other marathon related gadgetry.
At the expo was the vendor Aetrex, whose Lynco inserts I use in my running shoes. It has been 2 years since I was using their product and just as long since I was last fitted. So I went to their booth to get my feet checked. According to their analysis of my feet, they had changed. I was using the 405 which had some metatarsal support. The new analysis indicated that I no longer needed the metatarsal support, but required a slight side to side tilt to accommodate my low arches and slight over-pronation. As a thank you for being a customer they gave me a pair of the new 420’s. I was quite pleased to receive such a gift. I did not wear them for the race. You should never ever try anything new the day of the race. No new shoes, shirts, shorts, food, or drink. Everything should be tested before race day. This eliminates any possible negative affects these items may have on you during the race.
So after touring the expo for a short period it was back to the Metro for the ride to Vienna. Then off the legs to give them as much rest as possible. When we returned it was early evening and Steve arrived shortly after. We each had our own food that we prepared and ate. Our hosts offered us dinner, but we gratefully declined. We did not want to leave anything to chance. My dinner was some simple pasta with marinara sauce. For desert some trail mix. We chatted with our friends just relaxing and enjoying the evening. I brought along the movie ‘Spirit of the Marathon’, which we watched that evening. This was sort of a motivational thing for me. It got my pumped up and ready to conquer my first marathon. Now for one final check on gear. Steve indicated he put his name on his shirt. After a short discussion I thought this was a good idea and used white medical tape to tape my name to the front of my WRFB shirt. Taping my name to the shirt would prove to be an excellent idea. So now my official WRFB shirt read Dave Will Run for Beer. Shortly afterward we retired to bed around 10 that evening, but extremely little sleep came my way. That was okay, because I slept well the night before at home. They say that the sleep you get 2 days before the race is better than the night before the race.
October 25, 2009, 4:00 am rolled around soon enough. Steve and I were both awake and getting ready for the day ahead. This marathon was a fantastic high point to my first year of running with the WRFB. It was such wonderful experience training with this group for my first marathon. Just the thought of my splits being sent as alerts to the WRFB would be a strong motivating factor all day long. During the race I encountered all sorts of folks. I saw the devil, George Washington, a cow, a man running barefoot, and a blind runner. I wondered if he was the same runner from the move 'Spirit of the Marathon.'
One of my biggest concerns of the day was immediately taken care of as we entered porta pot heaven. It is funny how the small things can weigh heavily on the mind, but once taken care of it is such a relief. We checked our gear and headed to the start line. Now I was starting to really getting nervous. Somehow Steve talked me into joining him in his coral. I thought this might be a mistake but it turned out to be a good move. I tried to keep my pace slow, but this would prove to be a challenge all day long.
The first 3 miles went a little fast, 8:30 pace. Then we headed down hill and I was running with gravity so my pace was quick again. Then we leveled out and went uphill. This helped me get to the 8:45-9:00 pace I decided to run. By mile 9 I was still running 8:40 miles and decided to make an effort to slow do, but this would prove difficult. Everything was feeling good and the highlight was everyone yelling my name. "GO Dave" "Go Beer" "Go Dave Beer" "Dave there is beer at the finish". I heard this 1000 times during the day. Every time I heard this I would get a jolt of adrenaline and pick up the pace. Throw in a little gel and some Powerade and I was picking up the pace again.
Mile 9 was a huge high point. We hit the largest crowd yet (I think it was Georgetown). People were screaming my name and a flood of emotion rolled over me like a tidal wave. It was at that point I realized I was running a marathon and I WAS GOING TO FINISH. At that point I finally settled into 8:45 per mile pace. Would it be too late to slow down? Did I exhaust my energy to early? Only time would tell. It was in Georgetown where a woman pulled up alongside of me as we went through the aid station. She heard people yelling at the beer man and wondered who it was. It was at this point she must have seen my shirt and she indicated she wondered who everyone was yelling at. We chatted shortly and she dropped back as I continued on.
Around mile 10 ½ we were behind the Lincoln Memory. Behind the Lincoln memorial are concrete stairs leading up from the highway to the memorial on the runners left side. As I approached the area I heard this loud noise. I could see 2 over passes with a few people but not enough to make all the noise I heard. As I approached the first overpass I noticed it was lined with people cheering. As I crossed under I found out were the noise was coming from. The sound of people cheering and screaming was deafening. Both sides of the road were lined with people. The stairs to the left were packed with spectators. There was another over pass ahead lined with people. The crowds pushed in on both sides and the path was no winder than the width of one car. This was a surreal experience. You could feel the energy of the crowd. I feed off this energy and began to increase pace unintentionally. This was a feeling I will not soon forget.
I stopped and stretched for a minute around mile 13 just to do a quick check. Everything is feeling great. Around mile 16 I slowed the pace a little to save some for the end. Around 20.6 mile I was heading up and over the final bridge and realized I was now in new unchartered waters. This was now the longest distance I had ever run. Every step was a new distance record. As we crossed up and over the bridge, I was passed by a woman trying to quality for Boston and set a 3:50 PR. This is the same woman I spoke with back in Georgetown. I looked at my watched and I told her she was on pace to PR and qualify for Boston. That seemed to motivate her and she pressed on leaving me in her dust. I never saw her again and wondered if she qualified for Boston. I guess if I never passed her or saw her that she made her time.
Mile 22 through Crystal City was the turning point. This is the point I passed Steve, he was having some leg pain issue. I asked if he was okay and he signaled me on. These next miles would prove to be the longest 4 miles of my life. I would lose over 4 minute’s total time in these final miles. I could start to feel the wall closing in. I slowed a little more but kept pushing on, random cramps started in the legs. I started taking 2-3 cups of liquid at every water stop. By mile 24 we are out of Crystal City and on the highway heading for home with little to no fan support. I fought cramps in calves, hams, and hips, the cramps were firing at random. I felt good and had energy in the legs, but these cramps kept slowing my pace. By mile 25 I was cursing every last one of the WRFB. If I knew the "cut" sign I would have had one of the roof top snipers take me out. By now people were dropping like flies. It seemed everyone was having problems with legs and cramps. Folks would stop and begin to stretch. I knew stopping was not an option. I feared I would never start again. Not completing the marathon was not an option. I had come this far and I was not about to stop now. So I dug deep and persevered.
It was somewhere on the lone stretch of this vacant bridge that I had some flatulence and just let it roll. I was too tired to care if anyone was nearby or cared what they thought. As this passed a runner came up alongside me and said let it fly. With one mile to go I was running on empty and really beginning to struggle. I never stopped or walked, I kept pushing through the longest mile of my life. With a half mile or so to go the crowd support picked up. This was a much needed boost to my failing body. As we approached the finish some kind woman helped me focus and got me up the hill the last .2 miles. I was completely shot, thoroughly exhausted, and never so happy to complete my first marathon. When you cross that finish line you will know you can do anything. There was never a more satisfying feeling than to complete this task.
I had completed my first marathon under my 4 hour mark. My actual time to complete it was 3:54:56. I was quite pleased with this time for my first marathon. I came I saw I conquered. I think the highlight was receiving my finisher medal at the end of the race. This was placed around my neck by a Marine. A great solider protecting our freedoms was actually honoring me with this medal. I am sure to him it was just a duty for the day and after serving thousands of runners it was pretty mundane. For me it was a great honor to be decorated by one of this Country’s finest.
I moved to an open area to begin stretching my aching muscles. This was a difficult task because my legs wanted to cramp as I tried to stretch. Eventually I was able to stretch and get rid of some of the cramping. I began to review the data in my Garmin. I noticed that I had not run 26.2 miles, but according to my Garmin I had actually run 26.6 miles, WTF! How could this be? I stayed in the course the entire way. My best guess was at the beginning of the course the road split in 2 directions. I can only assume that the path I took was slightly longer. Add in some turns that I probably took wide and figure some inaccuracy in the Garmin tracking my course. Oh well, I was done and no use worrying about the extra distance, it was time to look for my friend Steve.
Steve and I hooked up in the finish area. We retrieved some need nutrition and drink to replenish our bodies. We then headed to the massage area. This was one of the nicest benefits of this race, a free massage for all runners. Steve and I stood in line and completed the necessary paperwork. It wasn’t long until they took each of us to a table. It was pure heaven as the massage therapist worked their magic on our tired, strained, aching muscles. They worked my legs over really well and after the massage was complete I could actually walk again, and do it without pain. After our massage it was off to find food and our complementary beers. There is nothing better than a hot meal and a cold beer after a long hard run. We were now satisfied and it was time to make our way to the Metro for our return back to Vienna, cleanup and head home. The ride back on the Metro was unusually ripe. Imagine a train car full of sweaty smell runners filled to capacity, there was standing room only. I don’t think the stench was as bad as having to stand for half the ride home. As folks departed at their stops, Steve and I finally were able to find seats for the remainder of the ride.
When we arrived our hosts were gone but allowed us to use their home to clean up. We showered and packed and headed home. It was getting late in the day and we were both tired and anxious to get the 2 hour drive behind us. The hardest part of the drive home was driving my manual shift car. I would not recommend this after your first marathon. My legs were so tired that lifting my leg to push the clutch was quite a chore. Once I was on the interstate it was fine, but those few miles to get there were a real challenge.
The next day I felt relatively good. That massage must have really worked my legs and made me feel much better than I anticipated. Don’t get me wrong my muscles were still sore, particularly the quads. Overall I felt no worse than after some of my long hard training runs. As I reviewed the events in my head I was on cloud 9. I have my finisher medal and bib hung up in my cubical at work. It is a constant reminder of my accomplishment. Enjoy your marathon completion. Share your stories with others. None runners will marvel at your accomplishment, but will not fully understand. Only those individuals that have walked your walked will understand the complete satisfaction you feel after your achievement. I felt so good I started to think about my next marathon and ultimately qualifying for Boston. This is the pinnacle for many runners and an accomplishment not to be taken lightly. I know several runners that have qualified and run Boston. Some of these runners have completed Boston more than once. Only time will tell if I have what it takes to qualify and complete the coveted Boston marathon. Just to put this in perspective, I will need to run 55 seconds faster per mile than the pace I ran for the marathon I just completed.
Steve’s recap
From: Steve Horning [mailto:steve.horning.stzm@statefarm.com]
Sent: Monday, October 26, 2009 10:07 AM
To: Amy O'Neil; Bob.Wilt@marquipwardunited.com; Breighner, Robert; Chris Brockway; David Smith; Doug Barnett; Friedland, Brian; Mark Casteel; Rocco Arcieri
Cc: Steve Horning; landist33@aol.com; Greg Horning; Jeff Winslow
Subject:
Here’s my recap:
I arrived @ Jodi & Mike’s house outside of DC around 5:30pm. They were awesome hosts. As a result of my last race experience, for dinner I had a banana, bagel, peanut butter, a Sweet n Salty Bar and water. We watched some marathon movie and called it a night @ 10pm.
I slept like a rock until my alarms went off @ 4:20am. Ran down to 7 Eleven for a coffee. My bowels woke up the minute I pulled into the convenience store parking lot (hallelujah). Back to the house to find Dave awake and making his breakfast in the kitchen. I had a banana, ½ a bagel, some Gatorade and a Sweet n Salty Bar between 5am and 7:30am…did not eat it all @ once, rather ate gradually along the commute to the start and @ the start while waiting in the corral.
We planned to catch the 5:29am light rail into the Pentagon as Mark told tales of being the first person @ the start the time he arrived 2 hrs early. With each stop, the rail cars filled with another 5,000 people. By the time our train pulled up to the Pentagon, we were in a line with about 18,000 in front of us.
We proceeded right to the UPS baggage drop-off and found a BEAUTIFUL sight. A sea of port-a-pots. At that time, the ratio was 10 porta-pots for each runner. AWESOME! By this time, Dave and I were really pumped. All was going as planned. Our bowels were cooperating, our transportation went smoothly (thanks to Dave’s scouting report from Saturday), our accommodations were great and we both felt prepared to have a wonderful run.
I talked Dave into joining me @ the 3:20 corral. As we proceeded up the four-lane highway to get to the start, we climbed over some guard rails at which time I hit my right knee. It hurt but was not a big deal. When we arrived @ the corral, there was only one other runner there before us…my buddy Dan Byard, who ran Chicago with me a few years back. He a needed 3:15 to qualify which was his goal. Dave, Dan and I had about an hour to kill before the start. Dave and Dan hit the shrubs along the highway one last time prior to the start and we were off.
STEVEN HORNING @ 5K in 00:23:29 (NET). Pace: 7:33. Predicted: 3:18:02 – So my intention for this race was to run the first 13 miles @ a 7:45 pace and see if I could cut that back to a 7:30 pace @ the halfway point. As you can see, I had trouble holding back to the 7:45 pace. I was constantly checking my watch, slowing to stay as close to 7:45 as I could.
STEVEN HORNING @ 10K in 00:47:26 (NET). Pace: 7:37. Predicted: 3:20:08 – The next 5k I got my pace down with the help of a few hills. I was enjoying the run, maintaining a great “whatever happens, happens” attitude. Crowd support was fantastic.
STEVEN HORNING @ 15K in 01:11:21 (NET). Pace: 7:39. Predicted: 3:20:39 – Again, still feeling great, staying as close to 7:45 pace as I could. And, having a good day.
STEVEN HORNING @ 20K in 01:35:44 (NET). Pace: 7:42. Predicted: 3:21:58. – During this leg (at mile 11, my hamstrings and calves start to tighten. I was able to run through it with little effort but I knew I would not be cutting my pace down to a 7:30 @ the halfway mark.) So, my plan had changed to holding 7:45 to mile 20, which I still thought was manageable.
STEVEN HORNING @ Half in 01:41:11 (NET). Pace: 7:43. Predicted: 3:22:22. – Somewhere in or around mile 13 I felt a sharp pain on the outside (posterior) of my right knee. It felt much like my IT Band issue, which I had in my left leg when I ran Chicago and Harrisburg. As soon as this pain started, it became a painful struggle to run more than 100 yards without walking. My mind wondered to walking off the course…not finishing to avoid serious injury, only to come across a sign reading “Pain is temporary. Pride is forever”.
STEVEN HORNING @ 25K in 02:01:55 (NET). Pace: 7:50. Predicted: 3:25:45. – Pride Sucks! I am sick of watching one pace group after another pass me. Bail, save my knee and deal with Brian’s harassment the rest of my life for being the only WRFB member to walk off a course or stick it out and hope to rehab my knee in time to support Jeff during his 1st marathon @ Harrisburg. I chose to avoid Brian’s torment @ all cost. I don’t care if they have to saw my leg off @ the finish line.
STEVEN HORNING @ 30K in 02:31:02 (NET). Pace: 8:16. Predicted: 3:37:04. – Ok, I was just passed by a guy in a cow costume. WTF! By now, the only bright spot left in my day is waiting for Dave to pass me so I can cheer him on. It’s amazing how poor my memory is, but I believe Dave came by in Crystal City. He was looking good, smiling and feeling strong! Go, Dave, go!
STEVEN HORNING @ Finish in 04:03:13 (NET). Pace: 9:16. – My experience from Crystal City to the finish is XXX-rated. It was a dark place. I mostly hobbled and limped with intermittent shuffling which barely resembled jogging. Satin passed me. I begged him to take my soul as he passed. He didn’t even look over his shoulder @ me. Wow! As I got my finishers medal (not feeling very deserving) I heard a woman declare “that was worse than child birth”. I wanted to turn to her and say “No Shit!”
So there you have it. Of my 6 marathons it was my 3rd worst. The worst two were run injured from the start line. At least I had a healthy ½ of a race.
The post race celebration with Dave made it worth the pain. Beer, pulled pork, beer, a massage from Rosie O’Donnell, beer and a darn good friend. Dave is on his way, folks! He is looking strong and driven. I begged him not to use the words: marathon, race, run, train or Boston in the presence of his wife for the next 2 weeks (of course he won’t comply, like the rest of us and he’ll learn the hard way don’t talk running with a non-runner).
Sorry I don’t have better news from the day. Thanks for everyone’s support! I won’t be running tomorrow morning. I may try a couple miles from my house, Thursday.
Steve Horning, CPCU
