The all or nothing nature of a full effort marathon is one of its attractions. The training cycle for one is six to twelve months. Full recovery for the event takes one is one to three months. There are no second chances for a peak effort in the fall. For this reason, a fall marathon is likened to a report card on one's life for the year.
I arrived at the MCM starting line having run over 1,300 miles in 2009, two dozen long runs in excess of 20 miles, and with a peak of two months of tempo runs with total mileages hovering around 55 miles per weeks. This certainly represents the best running fitness in my life. I joined the 9:10 pace group, shooting for a four hour marathon. My PR was 4:16:22. The pacer took us through the hilly first eight miles at well below a nine minute pace. While I knew that the pace was too fast, my year's training and the fact that I was running with the "four hour" pacer made me complacent as I out ran my legs.
The 4:00 hour group has a very atmosphere than the 4:30 group I ran with in 2006. The latter's pacer chatted on running, nutrition, and health topics throughout the 26 miles. The group itself was chatty as humor slowly gave way to encouragement while the miles ticked by. The 4:00 hour group, on the other hand, was focused and quiet. The group glided through the cheering crowds while the pace occasionally let out a military-style chant of encouragement. I enjoyed being part of the visibly fit half dozen runners clustered around him. However, his surges eventually took their toll and I fell behind somewhere around mile 15.
At mile 21, my left hamstring was caught in an iron claw. I suddenly slowed with a yelp of pain and surprise which even brought glances from the EMTs on the other side of the road. The last 5.2 miles became a balancing act of running, walking, pain, and near exhaustion. I persevered in this final exam for 2009.
I crossed the finish line at 4:15:47, a PR, while not my goal PR.
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