lfm 26.2
briefly put – we had brutal conditions. record temperatures plus a 70 degree dewpoint made for a long day. i ran with my friend dana for the first 2.5 miles at just over 7:00 pace to help him avoid a "jackrabbit" start. i then backed off the pace and tried to use my HRM to keep me effort in check with the intent of just recording a finish. by 13.1, i made it through in 1:45 which put me onto a 3:30-ish finish projection, which i thought was reasonable. shortly thereafter the wheels began falling off and i dropped into a "run-walk" mode while taking in as much fluids as my gut could take. by 20 miles i was in full walk mode with my calves, feet and back spasming on and off.
admittedly, i wished that i could just drop out but my wife & kids were waiting at the finish and i couldn’t bear to explain to my 6 & 4 year old that dad had to quit. therefore, i soldiered on and kept moving toward the finish. with 3/4 of a mile to go, i started a slow jog and spotted my family shortly after 26 miles. i stopped to give each of them a kiss then headed for the finish line.
after grabbing a water, i was sitting on the grass with my family waiting for my dad to finish while my 4 year old bent over and wagged a finger in my face saying…"daddy, next time you’ve got to run faster…ok?" unreal.
my dad arrived about 45 minutes later. both of us recorded "PWs" – personal worsts – but tallied finishes nonetheless. (him #11 – me #19)
it’s been said that the marathon can be a humbling experience…to which i wholeheartedly agree.