Green Bay Marathon

2:35:28 - 12th place.

I have yet to have a "good" marathon in 4-5 attempts. I have had to walk because of cramps at every marathon that I have run. Usually a side stitch, and they seem to pop up at different places, and there is no pattern for there appearance.

So now for the race report:

The first 11 miles were not exciting. The course is great through this section, there are plenty of people cheering, and a lot of 1/2 marathoners to run with at this point. I was running around 5:40's at this point (give or take a few seconds on each side). I hit the first aid station at 7 miles and drank my fluids, took my Gu and I was running relaxed. A few half marathoners went by around 10 miles, but I did my best to suppress the race tendencies because I knew they were getting close to the finish. I went through 10 miles in 56:40, which was on pace and felt relaxed, but I didn't feel as though I was floating. It felt like a Sunday morning long run.

The marathon and half-marathon split at 11.5 miles. The half-marathoners turn towards Lambeau Field, and the marathoners turn towards the Fox River. This is where the race took a turn for the worst for me. Once I was by myself, my pace slowed to 5:50 for the next 3-4 miles. I wasn't too worried about this since I was running into a head wind during this period. I just told myself to get back on pace when I cross the river and have the wind at my back. Looking at splits from the race, I noticed that when the split happened, I had a person about a minute ahead (who I could barely see) and there were a few guys over a minute behind. Miles 12-16 were a very lonely stretch. There were a few people working on their lawns, a few police and volunteers patrolling intersections, and that's about it for people on that stretch. It is a tough stretch to get through mentally, and when you are running alone...and I did not do a good job at that on this day.

We crossed the Fox River at mile 16, and I passed two people at this point, putting me in 13th place. I would have been excited by this, but I was really beginning to notice my developing blisters, especially on my right foot. The blisters were most painful when going around corners, which was alright since the next 5 miles had minimal corners. Now that I was on the other side of the river and didn't have to fight a head wind, I thought it was time to open up my stride and get back on pace. But then I cross mile 17...5:50...again. Ok I thought...just keep at it...just get back under 5:50, and at this point the guy in 12th was getting closer to me...I was starting to believe that I could pick some people off the final few miles. Then I get to mile 18...5:55. What?? Oh....crap? I was working harder, but I didn't think I was slowing down. At this point the race began to resemble an actual training run. Running on a bike path, running by myself, and running near 6 minute pace. Mile 19...5:55. My thought process switched to keeping it under 6 minute pace at this point. I was a bit demoralized after seeing another split like that. I knew getting under 2:30 was not going to happen.

Then it happened. I developed a stitch on my right side...felt like I was stabbed with a knife. So I stopped to massage the cramp out. That took about a minute. But nobody caught me in this time of walking. So I started running again...cross 20 miles...7:00. Wow! I had no thoughts at this point. Then just after 20 mile, the stitch came back, so I massaged it out again, then started running again...Mile 21...6:38. At this point we were now off of the bike path, which was good. But at this point I had also convinced myself to just jog into the finish. I figured I had no chance at beating my best of 2:34, I figured I would struggle to break 2:40 at this point. During the next mile I ran with my hand on my right side, massaging out the cramp. Finally...someone caught me at this point. He had a few encouraging words, and then ran past.

Just before 22 miles, on the bridge across the Fox River, I saw Jason, Nicki and Nate. While I was looking for sympathy at this point, the only thing I got was, "If you don't finish, you are not getting a ride home." Which turned out to be what I needed to hear at that point. So my jog started to turn into long run pace at this point. And my stitch had disappeared around 22-23 miles. The guy who had passed me at 21 when I was working out the cramp, appeared to slow, and I passed him at a water station at 23 miles...so I was back in 13th place. Then the guy who was a minute up on me the entire race was starting to show signs of slowing, and the racing instincts kicked in at this point. I passed him at 24 miles (now in 12th place), and I felt fast again but mile 24 was a 6:15. Not fast, but I felt good again...which was strange. Mile 25 passed by our hotel, and at this point I was starting to almost feel fast, though my pace did not increase. Just after mile 25 you join up with the half-marathoners again for the loop around Lambeau Field. And I felt like I was sprinting at this point. It is quite a mental boost to run past people at a fast clip, and before I knew it, I was across the finish line. It didn't feel like marathons of the past...I had the feeling of just completing a long run. The only part of me that is in pain right now, is the right foot.

So hopefully there is a good marathon in my body, but for now I am going to focus on shorter distances, and try to get faster.