Cleveland Marathon '08: Part I

My day had come. I was going to take my first shot at Boston.

I awoke around 5:00am after a restless night of tossing and turning (nerves), noticed it was raining and hoped as usual that it would STOP!

The walrus drove me down to the race and we parked in our usual lot right at the start. I managed to get in 2 bathroom trips, body glide my feet, find my family and line up with the 3:40 pace group in less than 40 mins.

We stood in the coral for what seemed like forever. It was so crowded. I usually start near the back so this was just weird, but today I was going for Boston and the pacer was part of the plan.

Like many of my running friends I like to start a race a little faster than I ought to, so the pacer was there to keep me in check (at least for the first 1/2).

The race started a little after 7:00am and I was ready. I crossed the starting mats and hit my watch. I saw Twizzle a few hundreds yards down and she yelled "Go Beth." (thanks running buddy). Mile 1 went by so fast....and ....I felt pretty good. 8:13. A bit fast, but 11 seconds in the bank. I saw trisaratops in my group and was elated to hear she was going for her goal time!

Mile 2 8:07 saw the best, most obnoxious cheerleaders of the entire race at this time, there were only 2 but you would have thought there were 20!! Thanks e-speed and solar squirrel.

Mile 3 8:53 my frickin' shoe came untied, aarrgghhh, of course today :)
I lost the pace group as it took me about 20-30 seconds or so. I could see them up ahead, but I didn't want to sprint up to them, so I picked up the pace and slowly worked my way back up. Unfortunately, this was on the shoreway and there was a headwind. It was weird there was my pace group and no man's land and then more runners. I was in no man's land trying to get back up with the group...blah. I could see trisaratop's hat and she is a really smart runner. She was tucked right in there behind the pacers.

Mile 4 7:57 was working my way back up

Mile 5 7:47 apparently thought I was trying to catch the 3:30 pacer (Idiot)...slow down

Mile 6 8:30 Finally where i need to be..sheesh. 6 miles of goofing around and only 20 to go.

**me and trisaratops get monster PR's for 10k at this point.

Mile 7 8:16 on cruise control just happy to be in the groove finally. I had a few minor aches and pains that just come with the marathon. I was in check and running strong.

Mile 8 8:34 I think our pacer realized we were about 1 minute up so he was slowing us down.

Mile 9 8:39, yep definately slowing us. Fine by me. I knew I would need all the energy I could get later and the bridge was just ahead.

Mile 10 8:48, that was the bridge...

Mile 11 8:22, close enough for government work. I began thinking trisaratops is still here running strong in the 3:40...she is so close to the finish. Yesssss! I was excited for her. I knew she would get it.

Mile 12 8:10, had to say bye to trisaratops as her race was ending and the hard part for me lay ahead. I was looking for my sign too, but I couldn't see it. I had missed my family. My heart dropped. and then I saw it my sign and my family, screaming and jumping around like little kids. My dad trying to whip out the camera and get a picture, my mom waving shot bloks and my sister-in-law with my sign. I never had a sign before. It was touching. I couldn't get emotional though, so I smiled and waved. I was on my way.

Mile 13/half marathon 8:22 and .1 1:21...hit it in 1:50:06. Yeah, I am right on although in on the Cleveland Marathon website I am at 1:56:xx at the half. I think it is wrong.

I had run the 1/2 I had wanted. I was a little achy and felt tight at this point, but figured as it was okay. I had run like this before. I had trained appropriately, rested, and dropped weight. I had felt a bit yucky in the past week, but figured it was taper madness. I had taken my iron pills regularly and I was okay or so I thought....