And It All Fell Apart: Philly Marathon 2009

Race day conditions were PERFECT... 42 degrees and only a few clouds hanging over the Philly skyline for the start. The only thing that would have made the whole day PERFECT is if my marathon had gone better than it did.

There is really not much to report on this race. The first half was slower than I wanted but at least it was near decent. Running through downtown Philly was amazing. The crowds came out and it was loud... just how I like it. I came to the halfway point at around a 1:56... slow but I made it through the first half fine.

It was then that my race fell apart. For nutrition during the race I eat Gu Chomps... only because they digest well and don't cause any problems. Well... not this time. Miles 14 through 18 were awful becuase the Chomps didn't digest well and for that whole period of time I felt nausiated while running... not fun. I thought that was the end of the rough times... yeah right. From mile 18 to the very end... my knees and ankles were killing me. It hurt to run... but even more to walk... so I ran. The crowd support was again amazing! The last mile or so... the street was lined with crowds cheering us the rest of the way home.

As I approached the finish line... I was crying... not becuase of my dissapointment in my time... but because I finally finished a marathon after it all went down in Dallas last year.

I plan on running Philly next year... hoping to get revenge on what this year caused.

More to come...

Philly Rocked...

Somewhat! Ran the 16th annual Philadelphia Marathon today in a not so stellar 4:35! Had a tough second half... so I'll take it! Pics and a race report to come soon!

More to come...

Dedicating the Miles

On Sunday Nov 22... when running the Philadelphia Marathon... I have decided to dedicate each mile of the race to those who have helped me reach my goals for this marathon! Without further ado... here's who each mile will go out to...

Mile 1 Julie Goldberg
Mile 2 Jane Ingles
Mile 3 Josh Becker
Mile 4 Brian Brode
Mile 5 Shelley McKee
Mile 6 Matt Fullenbaum
Mile 7 Cortney Phillips and Rebecca Feinberg
Mile 8 Bruce and Dorothy Goldberg
Mile 9 Alan Goldberg
Mile 10 Ruth Goldberg
Mile 11 Bessie Roth
Mile 12 Gerald Jackson
Mile 13 Dave Young
Mile 14 Ken Pipkin
Mile 15 Pacers Running Store (Silver Spring)
Mile 16 Montogomery County Road Runners Club
Mile 17 Negative Split Racing
Mile 18 Mary Green
Mile 19 Chris Fominaya and Amy Reinink
Mile 20 Anne Adelman
Mile 21 Rachel Ritvo
Mile 22 Rona Hart
Mile 23 Andrea Longini
Mile 24 Tasha Fitzgibbons
Mile 25 All my Twitter Tweeps
Mile 26 All my Blogger Peeps
Mile 26.2 ME

More to come...

Confident

After my last longish run of my Philly trainig... 8 miles to be exact... I'm that much more confident I can finish this marathon. I don't know how long or how short that marathon will take me... but I can finish it. This time i'll be coming home with a finisher medal wrapped around my neck for sure.

I can't believe this journey is almost over. I signed up back in June... started training back in July... and BAM the next thing I knew I had 6 days till race day. Since IM CDA... I have fallen in love with these "athletic" journies. Even if no one else around you understands... to you it's a meaningful and powerful thing in your life no one can take away.

What has been your most memorable "athletic" journey and why?

More to come...

The Excuse...

All throughout this crazy training I've been making up this one darn excuse when the weather gets cold and even rainy to go out for a run. My family wonders why I'd go out when it's only 45 degrees in pouring rain to go run and I'd tell them "it might be like this in Philly on race day". Good enough excuse... I think so. I'm hoping this proves not to be true of the weather on Nov 22 in Philly but just in case... I'm ready for it.

Just got my bib assignment from the marathon people... 3596... hope it's lucky!

More to come...

Candy Cane City 5k Results

23:43

7:34 min/mile pace

5/20 girls 25-29

23/125 girls overall

The girls race was won by some girl named Desiree Ficker in 18 and some change... pretty cool... huh?

Oh and Dad RAN his first and last ever 5k in just over 32 minutes... way to go Dad

More to come...

I LOVE this comment...

So here is today's article from yours truely on the DC Endurance Sports Examiner...

Want to start running? This is for you! Out of all the endurance sports out there, running is a simple discipline when it comes to apparel and equipment.

To get started you will definitely need a good pair of running shoes. When getting a pair of shoes don’t go to a department store, but rather a specialty running store like Pacers Running Store conveniently located in both Maryland and Virginia. Running shoes aren’t cheap so expect to spend anywhere from $80 to $100 on them. When you go to a store like Pacers, the staff there will evaluate your running and choose a shoe category that fits your needs. The three categories that running shoes fit under are neutral, stability, and motion control. When fitting for a shoe, choose the one that feels most snug to your feet.

Besides running shoes, it’s very important to have a good running shirt and a pair of running shorts. The fabric of the shirt and shorts should be one that wicks the sweat away, to help you keep you cool while running in the hot or cool weather. In warmer weather a bright color shirt or singlet, which looks like a tank top, can be worn. The shorts that are made for running have a key pocket or a mesh pocket in the back for storing energy gels or bars. For cooler weather you have the option of buying long sleeve running shirts, running capris or tights.

Being seen is a very important factor when running, especially in the dark. Your running shoes come with reflective material on it already. You can also find reflective vests or a belt with a flashing light so you can be seen at night.

All you have to do now is throw on your shoes, singlet, and shorts and you are ready to run.

And here is a comment I saw pop up on the page...

Bruce says:
I'm doing my first competitive running tomorrow. I'm running the Candy Cane City 5K in Silver Spring. Just like the advice under cycling, I'm not going to go out and buy running shoes for my first attempt (I'm a 59 year old cyclist who has no idea if he can actually run 5K!). We'll see what happens and then I'll decide. Thanks for the advice.

Just to let you know... that comment was from my dad... who is attempting his first 5k run tomorrow at the Candy Cane City 5k in Chevy Chase. So wish him some blogger love and luck. I'm racing too and will let you know how it goes!

More to come...