Two Marathon reports
Athens Classic Marathon - November 13, 2011
3:19:59 @ 7:38
466/6142, 140/1499 <35M
This morning I ran from Marathon to Athens, Greece in 3:20 flat. The barrel drums under the overpass at mile 23 were the most amazing thing in the world, and the crowds shouting “Bravo!” every 4 kilometers were fantastic.
This morning’s weather is worth writing about - it was 48-50 degrees with full cloud cover and consistent 30mph winds. I wore both sets of running clothes and still froze my ass off. The wind was helpfully at our back until mile 10, where it betrayed us and became a crosswind immediately prior to an 8 mile stretch of serious hills.
Once we entered the city at 32K the wind was mostly blocked and the course was downhill. I maintained a deceptive 7:37 pace for the entire race even though my legs were dead. I feel pretty good after an ice bath at least.
Dallas White Rock Marathon - December 4, 2011
3:21:52 @ 7:42
228/4572, 25/312 25-29M
The race was wet and cold and my thighs were numb for most of it. The rain started before we hit the first mile marker and didn’t let up all day despite variations in intensity. Just like in Athens I wore 2 layers, but unlike Athens I wasn’t in a foreign country enjoying the sights - I’ve been to White Rock before, and my only goal here is to complete my third marathon in 70 days to meet the Marathon Maniacs entrance requirements.
My long-term goal is to run a 3:05 and qualify for Boston, and despite only having 3 weeks rest from the last race I gave it a shot here by running with the 3:05 pacers at a 7:00 clip for 16 miles. At this point I hit the wall - quite a bit earlier than on my previous two races, and decided to just relax the rest of the way. I spent about 10 minutes total walking and stopped at the Hash House Harriers tent for a quick beer after the Dolly Parton hills.
Despite the race having a shaky history with reports of hour-long waits to cross the starting line, I don’t have any complaints for the organizers. The race went off without a hitch and the volunteers and fans were amazing despite the poor weather. The finishing tent was fun with unlimited free beer and guys walking around with cell phones available for calls to family and friends. The medal, bib, and technical finishers shirt look great as well, but they weren’t worth the high $125 price for a late entry.
