2009 Two Cities Marathon - All the Gory Details

I really enjoy reading and writing race reports, but I understand if it isn't your thing. You are under no obligation to read this.

Race day started bright and early at 4:00 A.M. Yawn... I caught a ride to Fresno with my running friend David. Andy and the kids had plans to come later. I rode with David, his wife Leona, his three teenage kids, and his son's friend. E. and his friend P. were running the 1/2 marathon. David and I were signed up for the full marathon. It was a fun ride. They are all such great kids. It was fun to listen to them talk and joke.

We arrived at the start about 30 minutes before the 1/2 marathon started (7:00). I was surprisingly not too nervous. E. and P. put their timing chips on, and got ready to start. They are both 17-years-old, and used to running cross-country in high school. Having them around, and being excited for them gave me something else to focus on, so I never really got very nervous.

After the 1/2 marathon started, we started lining up for the full marathon. I stretched a bit. My foot felt great. I really stretched out my toes. The week leading up to the marathon, my PF has been flaring a bit (do I sound old?), so I was a little nervous. On race day it was no problem which was a relief.

My strategy was to find the 4 hour pacer, and stick with her like glue for as long as possible. David had plans to stay between the 3:45 pacer and the 4:00 pacer. We got all our gear set. I gave David a high five, and race began. We were off! I didn't see David again until a few hours later.

I stayed about 100 feet behind the 4 hour pacer. I was very comfortable for a good long while. What I didn't plan on was the fact that she was running conservatively for the first 1/2. I think that in the long run, it was good for me, but I should have known that I wasn't going to be able to hang in there for the long haul. I listened to music, and enjoyed the new route. The route this year was fantastic. It was so much better than last year. We wound through normally busy intersections (closed off to traffic), old town Clovis, and some nice neighborhoods. There were plenty of cheering people which I love.

I took drinks through every aid station. I religiously took my accel gels and electrolyte tabs. When I got a little "sloshy" from water, I took a salt tablet. I concentrated on my form, posture, and foot placement. I thought a lot about the Tarahumara from Mexico, who regularly run 30, 50, 100 miles at a time. I felt fantastic.

At the 1/2 marathon mark, I was under two hours (a personal record). Perfect! This was when our pacer picked up the tempo, and I pretty much waved her goodbye. I kept her in sight for awhile, but it was clear I wasn't going to catch her. So, I settled in for the second half still feeling great.

At mile 16, I reset my garmin to count down the last 10 miles. For some reason I thought that would help me if I could "start over". Instead it was just confusing, and I really didn't look at the garmin much after that. By mile 21, I was slowing down. By mile 22, I was having my cathartic crying spell. That lasted for two miles. It makes me laugh today. Crying seems to be my way of getting over myself when the going gets tough.

Overall, I was doing great. I had some crummy mile splits, but I was feeling good. My body just naturally slowed down. My muscles felt strong. My lungs were still breathing quite easily, and I was having a good time. It was nothing like last year, where I couldn't wait for it to be over. I was just at my maximum without being miserable, and I went with that. Some people might say that I didn't want that 4 hour time finish enough, and maybe they are right. It's a process, and I'll get there in time.

At mile 25, I saw my friend David. I didn't catch on that he had hurt himself a little. I thought he was just taking a walk break so I kept going. I motioned for him to come on. I thought we could finish together. However, I knew I couldn't stop because my legs would never start again if I did. I kept going, and he didn't end up beside me.

I rounded the finish, and saw Andy and the kids. They were all cheering. It was so exciting. I felt so great physically, and I really enjoyed the cheers and clapping. I turned on some speed, and saw the time clock at 4:10. I knew I could live with that, so I sped up even more, and crossed the finish line with a smile on my face. I crossed in 4:10:10 which is a new personal record, and 20 minutes faster than last year.

I wound my way through the finisher's area feeling a little confused about the set-up and happy to be done. Then, I remembered David, so I turned around to see him cross. Still a bit disoriented by the crowd, I missed seeing him cross the finish line. He was less than a minute behind me. He did great for his first marathon!

He and I wound our way through the finishers area, and got our medals and jackets. It was then that he told me that he'd hurt his toe on his right foot. He'd been screaming along at a sub-4-hour pace, when at mile 21 or so, he had felt a horrible "pop" in his toe which resulted in a great deal of pain in the last few miles. However, he finished, which was exactly what he wanted to do on his first marathon.

Here is all the "official" information:

Chip time: 4:10:10
Overall Place: 258/683
Gender Place: 58/253
Division Place (35-39): 15/53
Total pace: 9:33/mile

David and I at the finish:


Walking slowly, very slowly:


And yes...I'm ready to do it again.