3:43:05 – Santa Rosa Marathon

3:43:05 – Santa Rosa Marathon

Perfect was the preparation, equipment, course, nutrition.  Perfect was the rest, support, temperature, humidity and atmosphere.  This was the perfect day to run 26.2.  This was a perfect day for preparation to meet opportunity.  This is the day I will make a run at my Boston qualifying time.

Why the long face?   

I have trained to run sub 3:30 for the past year or so.  I also have learned that although 3:30 is my Boston qualifying time, it would not guarantee me a chance to run the 2012 Boston Marathon.   I need to do better than 3:30, in fact next year they are dropping my time to 3:25.

I had seen indications during some of my later training that I might be able to run a 3:20.  I had carried a 7 minute 30 second per mile (7:30/mi) pace for 15 mile and still felt pretty fresh afterwards.  The days leading up to the Santa Rosa marathon I started thinking I would go for it.  I knew I was taking a huge chance. This “gutsy move” could put me in a position where I may not even be able to finish the race.   And that is exactly what happened.

I ran the first half of the race in about an hour and 40 minutes, feeling like this was going to be a day to remember.  I was floating along listening to other runners breathing hard, some talking.  I tagged up with a small group after hearing they were going to run 7:30’s, so they could alleviate some of my timekeeping workload and allow me to sightsee more.  It wasn’t long and the group began to fall apart, I stayed with the guys running 7:30s.

Pretty soon they started pulling away and I just let them go deciding I would drop to 8:00 and still make a nice Boston time.  Then it was 8:30, and then I would barely hold 9:00.  Pretty soon there was no hope and with only 5 miles to go I wondered if I would finish.  There was no “wall.”  I just felt heavier and heavier with each mile, and at mile 21 I could barely carry my own weight. 

I found relief in watching a couple of other runners stop in agony.  Watching them try to run repeatedly not wanting another runner to pass them. They were worse off than me and somehow that gave me strength.   I just kept moving, “no matter what happens keep moving” I told myself.

 It was all I could do to not collapse at the finish and horrify my family; I didn’t want that.  We left the park and went home.

The marathon distance is easily accomplished, but when you try to race this distance you better respect it.  My decision to attempt a 3:20 was bad and I paid the price, pain.