This was my eigth consecutive Marine Corps Marahon marathon, 15th overall since October 2000. The weather was close to perfect for a marathon. The weather was sunny and cool with a nice breeze.
My goal was to aim for another PR with a target of 3:10 completion, or roughly a 7:15 pace.
As is customary for me, almost a tradition for the MCM, I began the race with a light run to the starting line. Consequently, I had to spend a lot of time weaving through the thousands that had gotten a timely start. The first 6 miles of the course have some respectable hills. After that, it's pretty much flat.
Between the crowds and the hills, I wasn't hitting my target pace. Fortunately, the downhills allowed me to make up my time. After the hills, I kept a solid 7:10 pace and was staying constant. I got to Haines Point and was still going strong but after I passed Mile 19 and was hit by stomach cramps. That was it. As painful a choice it was for me, I decided it was best not to go on.
My first DNF ever. If I didn't have the recent Baltimore Marathon experience as consolation, it would have been a much bigger let down. Because my legs still felt strong, I entertained the notion of finding another marathon to accomplish the following weekend. Instead, I'll defer to Boston 2008 in April and leave myself plenty of room for improvement.
Friday, November 2, 2007
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
