Based on my last race which didn't go well at all, my goal today was to run 3:25, or better. My average time over my last 3 TCM's is around 3:15, but having run just one other long distance race this year, a race in which I bombed over the last 5 miles, I'm not coming into this one with a ton of confidence. But the great race weather this morning inspired me to go out at a 3:15 marathon pace anyway and see what happens. In last month's Bear Water 20 mile race I hit the wall at the 15 mile mark and faded badly with calf cramping issues in both legs. Something I haven't struggled with in years. However, in addition to the good racing conditions, I figured I would benefit from the great atmosphere and adrenaline this race provides and I'm coming into this race injury free - knock on wood regarding my calf muscles. But I could be in for a long, rough morning if I hit the wall at the 15 mile mark again. The thought of trying to cover the final 11.2 miles on an empty tank scares me to death.
The first 10 miles of this race is actually a lot of fun. I suppose that's mostly because your tank is still full, so the first 10 is of course the easiest 10. There is great crowd support in large numbers, leaving downtown Minneapolis toward the lakes. Winding through the beautiful lake parkways (Lake of the Isles, Lake Calhoun, Lake Harriet and Minnehaha Creek) provide a fun backdrop of great scenery, with loud and boisterous supporters lining the roads. In some areas, the crowds are 5 rows deep on both sides of the road. Almost every year I encounter someone I know from my past that sees me run by and shouts out a much appreciated word of encouragement. This year is was a former neighbor. One year it was an old running buddy from high school I hadn't seen in years. You never know who you will see along the way, but when you do, it provides a momentary shot of adrenaline to help get you through the next mile.
My cheering section (my wife, all 4 children and 3 grandchildren) did an outstanding job tracking me throughout the race. I think they identified at least 7 or more locations along the route to stop and cheer me on. This isn't easy to do - particularly with 3 young children in and out of car seats. There is a lot of marathon traffic all trying to follow runners along the route, but my son-in-law always seems to have a great plan that allows them to arrive at the next destination just before I pass by. They cheer so loud, everyone around them turns and smiles. Their support is a huge help to me along the way. I even heard my 3 year old granddaughter cheering "Go Papa!" during one of their stops. They all seem to love to watch the marathon and it shows in their enthusiasm. This year my son and daughter-in-law were my official photographers, taking pictures and video clips each time they stopped. At mile 18, my family didn't have time to get out of the car because I was already passing by, but they found an opening where they could drive on a road that paralleled the course to hang out of the car windows and cheer me on for about two blocks. I noticed other runners wondering who they were cheering for, so I proudly claimed them as my supporters.
The course rounds Lake Nokomis counterclockwise to the east side of the lake, where I reached the midway point of the race in 1:36:04. Last year I reached the midway point in 1:36:21, while two year's ago I clocked 1:36:14. Almost identical times the past 3 years. Now the preliminaries are over and the real racing begins. I was still feeling okay midway through the race, but by mile 15, my right calf muscle began to tighten up. Over the next two miles I had difficulty fully extending my stride and noticed my pace was slowing. Then my left calf began to tighten as well, but not as bad. I tried to keep my mind away from the discomfort and focus on other thoughts, as panic was beginning to set in. Maybe it was the extra swig of water I took in at the next two water stations, but by mile 18, the pain was gone, other than the normal fatigue one feels after 18 miles of running.
Even better news. Crossing over to the St. Paul side on the Franklin Avenue Bridge (mile 19), my pace was still holding true. Fatigue was definitely setting in like always at this point in the race, but I was still rolling along. I passed the 20 mile mark almost 5 minutes faster than I ran last month's 20 mile race. Now the race becomes as much a mental battle as it is a physical battle. 6 miles to go, but two of those miles (22/23) are tough uphill miles heading east from the river. I try not to think about them as they approach, but it's kind of like the elephant in the room. You know it's there and it's unpleasant, but you try to avoid it as long as you can until that dreaded left hand turn on the Mississippi River Boulevard where the climb up to Summit Avenue begins.
Being my 5th Twin Cities Marathon, I probably know this course all too well by now. I know what's coming, when it will come and exactly how it will feel. Although in great shape time-wise, the two hill miles took a toll on me. I ran mile 22 about 30 seconds slower than my overall pace, while mile 23 was not as bad, but still 20 seconds slower than my pace over the first 21 miles. But the real test is trying to get back on race pace after completing these two uphill miles. Although I ran a very solid race today, better than I expected, my needle was now registering below the empty mark and I was not having success getting back on race pace over the final 3 miles. I did regain some speed and tempo after the hill miles, but ran the final 3 miles about 15 seconds/mile slower than my race pace prior to the hills.
Like last year, I decided not to reference my Garmin over the final 6 miles for fear that the slower mile splits might have an even greater adverse affect on my mental psyche, causing me to lose heart and slow even further. There are sections of Summit Avenue over the final miles that create an optical illusion, where it looks like a slight hill up ahead when actually the course (miles 24/25) is flat to mildly downhill. I've learned to not focus on these illusions from a distance, as they can be mentally depressing at this stage of the race - particularly when they aren't what they appear to be. The mind can play some bad tricks on you when in 100% fatigue sets in.
My favorite mile of the race (the last mile) was finally here, as Summit Avenue bends northeast and and turns into John Ireland Boulevard for the final 800 meters. That's about the distance remaining once the St. Paul Cathedral comes into view. The Cathedral also represents the beginning of my favorite marathon finish. As you pass the Cathedral you look down upon the State Capitol grounds and the finish line from above. The next 400 meters bends downhill from the Cathedral and then straightens and levels out for the last 400 meters. Spectators line both sides of the boulevard, cheering you home. I don't hear much of the cheering, but I do focus on the public address announcer's voice (wish I knew his name). You begin to hear his voice with 800 meters to go. He's been the voice of the marathon for years and I love the sound of his voice, because the louder his voice becomes, the closer I am to the finish line.
I finished with a time of 3:14:59, good for 506th place among 8,543 finishers and 10th in my age group of 296. Although I was 3rd among Minnesotan's, as 6 of the age group runners that beat me were from elsewhere in the country, including one Canadian. I ran the last half of the race 2.5 minutes slower than the first half, but still very happy with my overall time, considering my doubts entering the race. I also discovered that only 4% of the race finishers are older than me, so finishing in the top 6% overall isn't too shabby. Today's time was within 1:40 of my best Twin Cities time and represents my 4th best marathon time among the 14 I've finished. The marathon is always the highlight of my race season. I have two races remaining this year. The Monster Dash half marathon in St. Paul later this month and the Lifetime Turkey Day 5k Thanksgiving morning.
Race Results:
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