Twin Cities Marathon Race Report

I want to start by saying I am absolutely thrilled with what I accomplished yesterday.  I really thought it was going to be huge let-down if I didn't break 3 hours.  There was a pang of melancholy just before the finish as I was passing the cathedral and the finish line was in sight from the top of the hill.  Just the last two tenths of a mile down the hill and I would be done.  Right then the church bells started to ring; signifying 11:00. (3 hours from the start) I could see the finish, but knew I would need to settle for a 3:02.  I finished strong and crossed the finish line and saw my wife and daughter waiting.  Okay, not to get too overly dramatic about this, but for the first time after finishing a marathon I started to cry.  Felt kinda silly, but I couldn't help it.  Thanks Kristen and Malena for coming out once again and seeing the old man give this marathon thing another try.  I have to say, it is very satisfying to be setting PR's at age 50!   Here is a quick race report:

It was a near perfect morning; about 45 degrees at the start.  It would warm up a lot during the morning, but I never felt like heat was a factor.  My Garmin was acting weird for the first mile or so as we winded our way from the Metrodome through downtown.  I thought I was on 7:00 pace, but it was close to 7:20.  Not to worry, I wanted to go out slow.  Garmin continued to give me bad readings through mile 2 and 3, so I fell behind a little bit more than I wanted and by the time I locked into marathon pace at mile 4, I had a minute and half deficit, I set out to knock off as many 6:48 miles as possible.  This was going to be the day.  I felt strong through the chain of lakes and down Minnehaha Parkway, then hit a bit of a snag at mile 12 though.  I decided to take a Gu and made the mistake of taking water at the last available spot at the aid station.  I was 30 or 40 feet past the stop when I realized that the cup was about a quarter full.  Not nearly enough to wash down all the Gu deliciousness.  I suffered a bit of a side ache about a mile after that stop, but managed to work through it.  I hit the halfway mark, still down a minute, so got back to business.  Mile 13 was 6:48 and mile 14 was 6:46.  A running buddy met up with me at 14 and offered just the right balance of cheerleading and support.  (Thanks again, Kurt)  Made it down the river road, not making up as much time as I would have liked, but was still feeling good.  Just before we crossed the river, I felt it.  I was convinced this was the day.  I was really cruising across the Franklin Avenue bridge and and I felt as strong as I did all day.  My Garmin shows a 6:42 mile and a matching mile 20.  All I had to do was work up the hill past 22 and I would be home free.  We ran with a college kid from Iowa State, I think his name was Kyle.  To be honest it seems like kind of a dream at this point.  We struggled up the hill together and it took a ton out of me.  I took a Gu at 22, Kurt sent me on my way solo and I gave it one last shot.  Looking back at my official splits, I really needed  closer to a 6:30ish pace to even come close, but my brain function was off and I really thought a 6:40 pace would get me there.  Its just as well because if the reality of it all set in I probably would have let up.  Mile 22 was 6:42 and I was still holding out hope.  Mile 23 was 6:59 and mile 24 was 6:46.  It wasn't until mile 25 that I realized that my math was off.  The clock at mile 25 showed 2:53:30.  There was no way I was going to run 1.2 miles in 6:30; besides my legs were gone so I only managed (according to my Garmin) a 7:10 mile 26. 

It was a great experience and I think I might have done it on a flatter course.  Thanks to everyone who offered me their advice and words of encouragement.  It was by far one of the most memorable and satisfying runs of my life; with or without a sub-3 finish.  Here are some happy pictures to prove it!