The forecast leading up to the marathon was indicating perfect running conditions for the race and this time they were right. Clear skies, relatively calm winds, and 40 degrees at the start (about 50 at the finish). I couldn't have ordered better weather for a marathon. This was my 9th marathon and far and away the best weather conditions I have encountered so far.
I was feeling run down and weak the days leading up to the race which was a real concern, but I was able to get a good nights sleep both Friday and Saturday which seemed to help me overcome whatever was ailing me. The marathon started on 6th street right outside the Metrodome, the pre-race meeting area for runners. The Metrodome may not be a great sports stadium but it does a nice job hosting 10,000 marathon runners on a cool race morning.
Starting in the first corral I made a point of moving up near the front to reduce runner congestion early in the race. I came into this race with no real time goal or objective. I decided to wait and see what the weather conditions were going to be like and how I felt the morning of the race. As I waited in the starting corral I decided to go for it despite how I had been feeling leading up to the race. The weather was perfect and my competitive nature took over. The cool weather made the decision easy as pushing the pace was also a good way to stay warm.
I ran the first 5k in 23:15 which put me at a comfortable (7:29) pace. As we ran past Lake of the Isles and Lake Calhoun, the sun was low on the horizon causing a glare that made it difficult to see the immediate road surface ahead of me, particularly with the early race congestion. I inadvertently stepped in a couple small potholes twisting my ankle a bit, but nothing severe enough to hinder my run or cause lingering pain.
I reached the 10k mark in 46:34 maintaining a (7:30) pace for the race. Runner traffic was starting to thin out at this point making it easier to run from a visibility and congestion standpoint. Temps remained cool and the wind was a non-factor. I thought I would be shedding my gloves and ear band by now, but the trees were still leaf covered and with the sun low in the morning sky, much of the first half of the race was run in the shade.
As we headed south on Cedar Ave. past Lake Nokomis I felt a slight headwind for the first and only time in the race. Sunlight was beginning to replace shade but it still felt nice and cool, although I decided it was time to shed the gloves and ear coverings next time I ran passed my family. I reached the halfway point in 1:37:35 which was slightly faster than my previous best mid race split. My race pace also improved to (7:27) at the halfway point.
My biggest concern was my health coming into the race and if I would tire more quickly than normal, but I felt strong with no indication of a problem, so I set this concern aside and pushed forward. Running this marathon for a second time gave me periodic flashbacks from my first race Twin Cities marathon 3 years ago. In my first Twin Cities I was simply trying to finish the race regardless of my time and it was at the midway point when I realized I may actually finish my first marathon - a real accomplishment for me at the time. I also remembered the heat and humidity we were dealing with in that race. What a change 3 years has made! As the miles continued to roll by I was surprised by the spring in my step as my race pace continued to improve. I attributed it to the perfect weather conditions.
As we ran north on West River Parkway, we were closing in on mile 19 and the Franklin Avenue Bridge which connects Minneapolis to St Paul and the final miles of the race. I reached the 30k mark in 2:17:34 and noticed my race pace (7:23) was still improving which was very exciting. I have always slowed about 5 minutes or more in the 2nd half of all my prior marathons. However I also knew I had 8 miles to go including the most difficult miles still ahead of me.
I crossed the Franklin Avenue Bridge into St Paul and headed south on East River Road toward the 20 mile mark. This was my final downhill stretch of the race until mile 26, so I tried to take advantage as best I could. I reached the 20 mile mark in 2:27:18 and my race pace was still improving (7:22). The Twin Cities marathon has a large inflatable 'castle wall' over the road at mile 20 signifying the point at which most runners 'hit the wall' from an endurance standpoint. I think it's intended to be motivational, but the last thing I wanted to be reminded about at that point was the possibility of hitting the wall with the most difficult uphill sections of the race just ahead.
The next 3 miles represented the most difficult 3 miles of the race as the course leaves the river heading east to Summit Avenue and the eventual finish at the State Capitol. What makes these 3 miles difficult (aside from the obvious) is the steady incline as you climb 150 feet from mile 21 to mile 24. I remember having no legs as all during this stretch 3 years ago and walking periodically just to get to the finish. However this year things were much different. I kept pushing through these miles thinking positive thoughts to keep me strong mentally.
At this point in any marathon, I rely more on mental strength than physical strength. The physical strength is all but gone and your body is telling you to stop this madness. I often try to think of my short 5 mile training runs and how easy they are and that the remaining distance to the finish is shorter than one of those runs. I try to convince myself that I will be crossing the finish line in less than 20 minutes. My mental game works better sometimes than others and this time I had the benefit of great weather to keep my body temperature cool and the knowledge that I was on a RP pace.
My per mile pace had slowed a bit as expected, but not much at all despite the hill climbing. I was now about 2 miles shy of the finish line as I reached the peak of the hill climbing. I mentally relaxed when I realized I was at the top of the hills and almost forgot I still had 2 miles to go. Mile 25 was my slowest mile of the race but still ran a strong mile compared to my other marathons. With just 1 mile to go I tried to regain my mental strength for the final push to the finish. I tried to feed off the cheering supporters lining both sides of Summit as I wrapped around the back side of St Paul Cathedral and saw the State Capitol for the first time with just a half mile to go.
The view looking down on the Capitol and finish area is one of the most breathtaking finishes among the marathons I have run. For one thing it's downhill which looks and feels great, but you have a great view of the finish from the Cathedral and can hear the excitement below from a half mile away. When I saw the finish I was immediately filled with emotion and got a huge lump in my throat. I wasn't expecting that. The realization that my physical pain was almost over was part of it, but even more I was trying not to think about a possible PR during the race in case the Summit Avenue hills beat me and my PR dissolves right before my eyes at the finish leaving me disappointed with the outcome. But at this point I realized I was not only going to set a new PR, but my time was going to be much faster than I had dreamed of running heading into the race.
I pushed onto John Ireland Blvd several hundred yards from the finish running directly toward the Capitol and the finish line. There was a gap between myself and the runners ahead which made me feel as though I was running the race all by myself. I saw the race clock above the finish line and couldn't believe it. I crossed the finish line in 3:14:00 flat, shaving almost 6 minutes off my personal best with an average pace of (7:24/mile). I ran the 2nd half of the marathon 1 minute 10 seconds faster than the first, something I am very proud of as I was able to stay strong for the first time from start to finish.
Overall I finished 541 among 8,212 finishers and 24 of 433 in my age group. With one Grand Prix event remaining in the season I earned 688 points in this race for a total of 6,837 points for the season moving me up one spot to 6th place overall and first place in my age group. The last Grand Prix event is November 7th - a 5k cross country race on the U of M golf course.
http://www.mtecresults.com/runner/show?rid=255&race=177
