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CVS Marathon
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Event name:
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CVS Marathon
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Date:
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April 28, 2002
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Location:
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Cleveland, OH
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Distance:
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Marathon
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 Dean
and I both finished the marathon, and in a related story Hell
froze. Anyway, I'll let Dean tell his story later, but he
indicated that the wheels started coming off his truck at
about mile 19 or so, he suffered for a bit, and then got a
second wind at about mile 24. He finished in 3:50! Man he
is just superhuman. I finished in 4.45 or so, I'll check my
official time today.
I was running fairly well, if but about 30 seconds slower
per mile than the pace I wanted to hold for the whole marathon,
until about mile 20. It was uncharacteristically humid for
the race. While that shouldn't have been an issue, this was
only the third of fourth run this year I did in shorts and
one of those was in Washington, D.C. Well, at mile 20 I felt
a ripple go through both my calves and run up the back of
my legs. I figured I was close to cramping in both calves,
and stopped to stretch them out. I walked for a minute, and
then started running again, but this time much slower.
 In
addition to the early signs of cramping it was becoming pretty
clear to me that I was running out of gas. Clearly, when you
feel that your batteries are about to go dead, it is really
too late to replenish them. All the lights on the board had
instantly switch from a flickering green to a bright RED!
I ran to the 21 mile marker and my legs began grabbing harder.
By mile 22 I was running a few minutes, and walking for a
minute. I couldn't run up any kind of incline, and couldn't
run above much more than a shuffle.
I suspect you guys have seen people like that in the crowd
on your way by them. Well, the last few miles played out that
way. I lost huge chunks of time, suffered, but finished.
Aside from normal muscle soreness and a very sore IT band,
I am hobbling around today, going about my business--just
slower. I have learned that 3 months is hardly enough time
to train properly for a marathon.
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