Time: 5:45 AM
Place: MKT-Forum
Distance: 12 miles
Route: Country Dozen
El Presidente has been sick the last two weeks. If he shows, he may opt for only 10.
October 22, 2011 - Capitol to Courthouse
Time: 7:00 AM
Place: Jefferson City (Capitol Building)
Distance: 39.3 miles
Place: Jefferson City (Capitol Building)
Distance: 39.3 miles
October 15, 2011
Time: 5:30 AM
Place: Forum-MKT Parking Lot
Distance: 10+ miles
Route: Country Dozen
Place: Forum-MKT Parking Lot
Distance: 10+ miles
Route: Country Dozen
2007 St. Louis Marathon
I ran the Spirit of St. Louis Marathon this morning. I had one goal in running it and that was to run a Boston-qualifying time of sub-3:16. I felt like my training had me well-prepared. I tapered nicely and carbo-loaded leading up to the race. There were three concerns however: (1) the hills on the course and (2) the weather (in particular, the wind) and (3) my health.
I had heard conflicting reports on the difficulty of the course. Nearly every report on MarathonGuide.com mentioned “numerous hills”, while some friends of mine who have run it said that there’s not much to worry about. Considering my two previous marathons were Chicago and Marine Corps (the flatest marathons around), I was ever so slightly worried about the hills.
A huge winter storm just blew through Missouri (yes, I said “winter”) and what it left was a nice strong breeze out of the northwest. The forecast was calling for winds at around 15-17 mph, which is no fun when you are running into the teeth of it and there were several miles in the race which had us running directly into it. I still blame the wind for keeping me from a Boston-qualifying time in my last marathon. So this was definitely a concern.
I have been fighting a chest/throat/head cold which has had me coughing up phlegm for over a week now. Though it hasn’t made me feel all that bad, I had no idea how this would affect me when running for over three hours.
Unfortunately, there was nothing much I could do about these three concerns. I just had to go out and run. One thing that had me hopeful was that a running friend (Darrin) was going to join me for “as long as he could hang with me.” This was a luxury I haven’t really had in previous marathons as I’ve pretty much run them solo. Darrin assured me that he would be able to make it 20 miles with me, but he had no idea how things would go from there. (Hmmm...that’s pretty much how I feel, too.)
Mile 1: 7:37
My goal pace for the first two miles was 7:45 as I hoped to ease into things. However, this first mile is downhill and I found myself going out a little too fast. So I eased back and found a pace fairly comfortable. But even then, I was a little disappointed with the time because this really was a downhill mile and I knew that what goes down must at some point go up and I wanted to bank some time on these easy miles.
Mile 2: 7:30
This was perhaps one of the flattest miles of the race and also the moment at which I felt the best. Usually, it takes me 8-10 miles before catching my groove. But as things would turn out, I never found a groove today and this was as good as things were going to get.
Mile 3: 7:39
Uh oh, this was the first bad sign as there is a significant climb during this mile as the course begins to loop around the Anheuser-Busch Brewery. I was breathing very hard and I haven’t even complete a 5K at this point. Darrin’s probably thinking that I’m going to die any moment with my breathing so out of control. Hopefully, I’ll be able to catch my breath on the back side of this hill.
Mile 4: 7:14
After cresting the hill in the last mile, I was able to catch my breath and bank some time on this downhill mile. In retrospect, I think this was the best way to run this course. This portion of the course now heads back in the direction of the start, so we are now seeing the runners behind us as they approach the Brewery.
Mile 5: 7:39
Darrin and I tried to steady our pace on this flat stretch of the course. We were a bit surprised to see our split though as we were planning on keeping a 7:25 pace for the remainder of the race. I knew that the next mile was going to be uphill, so I was slightly discouraged at this point.
Mile 6: 7:36
Most of this mile was a gradual incline and I start having my first doubts as to whether I can pull off the necessary time as I’m just not feeling well at all. My breathing seems to be way too labored for being so early in the race. I still have over 20 miles to go.
Mile 7: 7:08 (adjusted from 6:49)
Whoa! This is the fastest mile split I’ve ever had in a marathon. Now I’m worried that the mile markers are off. Just what I need...something else to worry about!
Mile 8: 7:14 (adjusted from 6:54)
Darrin and I are both convinced that the last two mile markers were short as it sure didn’t seem like we were running this fast through these miles. I notice my calves feeling a little tender at this point. Perhaps the early hills are already taking their toll. Ugh! I took my first Gu (Strawberry-Banana) during this mile.
Mile 9: 7:16 (adjusted from 7:55)
I guess the last two miles were a bit short which explains this slower split. The inconsistent splits are frustrating and I now have no idea if I’m even on pace. I think I’m still pretty close but I’m still not feeling well. I seem to be working a lot harder than I should to be staying on pace.
Mile 10: 7:14
The half-marathoners have turned off and we now have the street all to ourselves. We had some wind bother us during this mile, but Darrin drafted for me and we had an encouraging split.
Mile 11: 7:25
I took over drafting duties for a portion of this mile as we ran through some buildings which created a wind tunnel effect. The end of this mile turns into Forest Park and the terrain is now gently rolling through here. We finally nail a 7:25 and hope that we can keep things right around that mark for the rest of the way.
Mile 12: 7:24
I’m feeling tired but the splits are encouraging. This is what I was hoping for from the very beginning. The scenery through the park is nice though we do have some gradual hills to climb and the wind is into our faces during this stretch.
Mile 13: 7:30
Darrin did some more wind-blocking for me through here and another runner tucks in right behind me. We begin heading up a gradual incline which continues for almost two miles.
Mile 14: 7:38
This is perhaps the toughest terrain on the entire course as this whole mile is uphill as we run right through Washington University. Darrin and I are passing runners continually through here as we try our best to stay on pace. Once again, my breathing is labored as I plod up the hill.
Mile 15: 7:26
This mile is a roller coaster as we go up and down, up and down through Clayton. Darrin and I continue to pick off runners and though I am starting to feel fatigue in my lower legs, we are back on pace and I’m encouraged that we continue to pass people.
Mile 16: 7:30
My calves are very sore now and my hamstrings are starting to hurt as well. Mile 16 is gradually uphill, but I know that once this mile is over the next few miles are gradually downhill and we head back east, having the wind at our back.
Mile 17: 7:20
We turn east and instantly are encouraged as the wind is no longer a factor and the terrain gets much easier. We are also encouraged with the fact that we have less than 10 miles to go. Darrin tells me during this mile that this is the farthest that he has run in 12 years. As great as he appears to be running right now, I am now concerned with how he is going to finish this race. I took another Gu (Strawberry-Banana) at the beginning of this mile.
Mile 18: 7:21
Darrin tells me that my breathing sounds better now than it did three miles ago. While that was encouraging to hear, I was getting very worried about my calves as they are starting to really hurt. It looks like there is going to be plenty of pain in this race if I am going to stay on pace.
Mile 19: 7:25
We are keeping things pretty even during this flat stretch. We see some rolling hills ahead though.
Mile 20: 7:19
While my breathing is starting to sound like a freight train, Darrin keeps motoring along looking as comfortable as can be. It’s nice to know that as the pain sets in, I am able to stay on pace. I did get a nice boost when I saw my wife and sister during this mile.
Mile 21: 7:22
The pain is mounting in my calves and I am thinking I may not be able to hold it together. Darrin, who made me think that he was going to turn into a pumpkin after 20 miles, is still right by my side and running strong. In fact, I’m worried that I am holding him back. Our splits are still right on the money though. I just keep putting one foot in front of the other.
Mile 22: 7:25
My calves are screaming at this point. This mile finishes on a pretty significant uphill which leaves me completely out of breath. I have no choice but to keep going. I’m too close to let things fall apart here. Hopefully I can catch my breath at the top of the hill. It didn’t help matters that I had my third Gu (Vanilla Bean w/caffeine) while making the climb up the hill.
Mile 23: 7:26
I’m in a considerable amount of pain and I encourage Darrin to go on without me, but he’s not budging. We only have a 5k to go and I’m playing all of the usual mind games at this point to keep on moving. Once again, our split is encouraging. Though the pain mounts, we are still in striking distance.
Mile 24: 7:15
At this point, I’m wanting this run to be over. So I turn up the intensity knowing that I should be able to survive for the last three miles. Though I have my doubts, I’m starting to think I might actually be able to pull this thing off after all. This is where I started to fall apart in my last marathon so I was quite pleased when I saw my split through here.
Mile 25: 7:16
I am trying my best to ignore the pain in my calves and hamstrings as I continue to keep the pressure on. I notice towards the end of this mile that Darrin is no longer by my side. I’m just trying to finish this thing. When I see my time at the 25 mile mark, I realize that I can coast into the finish and still get my goal time.
Mile 26: 6:54
Now that I know that I am going to make it, I find some extra energy and am able to run as strong as I’ve been running all day. This is how I have dreamed of finishing a marathon.
26.2 miles: 3:13:33
I poured on the speed for the final 385 yards and was thrilled to be able to finally stop running and then I reveled in the fact that despite all my concerns, I just qualified for the world’s greatest marathon. Darrin also finished strong 19 seconds behind me. He ran an amazing race on very limited training. He was a huge support and I’m not sure how I would have fared today without him. It was a very gratifying experience. I never thought I would be able to pull off a time like that.
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| Mile 26 |
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| Me • Darrin |
2005 Chicago Marathon (October 9, 2005)
WARNING: this report is very detailed and if you want to skip to the race itself, just scroll down to where it says “THE RACE”.
I ran my first marathon this weekend at the ridiculously large event known as the Chicago Marathon. I went there with my wife (Elly), my sister (Jaira) and my wife’s sister (Audrey). Elly had been training for this race but all of a sudden was having severe IT Band (knee) problems. She did not run at all last week and received some pretty drastic treatment on Friday in hopes that her knee would be able to perform on Sunday.
As it turned out, her knee problems may have been a slight blessing in disguise. Because while the rest of us were all nervous and freaking out about running our first marathon, she was just thinking she would start the race and drop out as soon as her knee would no longer work. She was hoping to get to run 5 miles.
We arrived in Chicago at 4:30 P.M. on Saturday afternoon. We were quickly overwhelmed with the size of the event while wandering around the Fitness Expo at the McCormick Place. We picked up our packets and headed for our hotel. We stayed at the Hard Rock Hotel and paid the highest hotel rates I ever hope to pay in my life. But at least we were within walking distance of the start/finish of the marathon.
After “carbo loading” at Baja Fresh that evening, we retired to our hotel room to hydrate and rest before our big day. We unwound by watching a cute romantic comedy (A Lot Like Love with Ashton Kutcher and Amanda Peet). The movie ended at 9:30 P.M. which was the time we were hoping to get to bed. Elly seemed a little down as she iced her IT Band and the rest of us were just giddy knowing that all of our training was for this one event early the next morning. We set all the alarms for 5:30 AM and turned the lights off.
Elly slept great. Audrey slept well. Jaira slept okay. I (Brett) did not sleep. I literally lay awake all night. I don’t know if I was trying too hard to sleep or if I was too excited/nervous about what seemed to be the most ambitious undertaking of my life. But I did not fall asleep at all the whole night. Neither did I yawn at any point in time. But I was not that worried since I had heard that this was very common for first-timers and that it is still possible to run a marathon even without getting any sleep the night before. I just hoped that my nervous energy would continue for the rest of that Sunday morning.
I finally got up at 5:00 and ate a breakfast of a banana and a pop-tart and had a big glass of water. I took a shower to relax my muscles and to clear out my sinuses. Elly was loose and seemed to be upbeat after a good night’s sleep. She said she was going to give it her best, though I was doubtful she would be able to get very far. Jaira and I were both excited and Audrey was a bit reserved because she was experiencing some pain in her left ankle. We left our hotel at 7:00 to head over to Grant Park where the race was to begin (and end).
I had three goals for this race:
1) To finish the marathon.
2) To finish the marathon in under 4 hours.
3) To finish the marathon in under 3:45.
I felt that these were achievable with my level of training. I would be pleased with (1), very pleased with (2) and absolutely thrilled with (3).
THE RACE
Oh my gosh! Do you have any idea what over 35,000 runners looks like? Those of you who have run this race know exactly the overwhelming feeling as you pack yourself into the start of this marathon. For a first-timer who had bonked on his last long run and who didn’t get a wink of sleep the night before, I was thinking to myself “What in the world are you doing?”
The race began. The sky was overcast and temperatures were in the low 50s. There was very little sign of wind at this point. I guess you couldn’t ask for better running conditions. As I was bunched in the back of the pack, I walked toward the start line as the crowd would allow. At the start gate, I began running.
Mile 1: 8:56
If you have run the Chicago Marathon, you know exactly what this first mile is like. You have no control of pace as there is absolutely no room to maneuver. So you just move with the pack and hope to find some space at some point. There are thousands of screaming people all around as we head into downtown Chicago, but all I’m concerned about is not tripping the person directly in front of me and not elbowing the ribs of the people to my left and right.
Mile 2: 8:45
See Mile 1.
Mile 3: 8:27
See Miles 1 and 2 with this addendum: I almost stepped on a dead sewer rat during this mile. I’m feeling pretty good and would love to be able to keep this pace for the rest of the race.
Mile 4: 8:17
I am picking up a little speed as I am able to dart through pockets of people.
Mile 5: 8:21
Gatorade/Water station was pretty tricky to navigate, but I made it through safely.
Mile 6: 8:12
Almost ten kilometers are completed and I’m feeling great.
Mile 7: 8:13
Lake Michigan is off to the right as the sun pops through the clouds for the first time.
Mile 8: 8:10
My hamstrings are starting to feel a little tight. Uh oh...there’s a long way to go.
Mile 9: 8:23
There are still people everywhere. No telling how far I’ve run laterally at this point.
Mile 10: 8:12
My hamstrings are definitely getting tighter and my right groin is all of a sudden noticeable. It’s time to start playing some mind games: only a 5k to the half-way point!
Mile 11: 8:07
I am very pleased with my time at this point, but in the back of my mind I am wondering if I am going to be regretting these sub-8:30 miles.
Mile 12: 8:26
Overall, I am still feeling great as I am getting closer to the half-way point. The time has flown by compared to my training runs of this distance.
Mile 13: 8:16
Half-way to the Promised Land!
Mile 14: 8:23
My hamstrings are getting tighter with each mile.
Mile 15: 8:08
Wow! That was a fast mile. Let’s keep them coming!
Mile 16: 8:14
The mind games aren’t working for me anymore. My hamstrings are starting to worry me knowing that I still have 10 miles to go. Will they hold up?
Mile 17: 8:21
I’m starting to hurt. Let’s see...what can I think about that will cheer me up? It’s only an easy 5K to the 20-mile mark.
Mile 18: 8:35
My pace is slowing and my body is hurting. The bottoms of my feet are starting to hurt. My hamstrings are very tight and each step is hard work. Time to start taking more gatorade at the drink stations.
Mile 19: 8:28
Someone handed me a banana and I wolfed it down as I tried to hold my pace. I think the banana helped a lot because I felt better almost instantly.
Mile 20: 8:36
Just about everything is hurting at this point and I still have six miles to go. I’ll just concentrate on these next three miles. I just need to put two 5Ks together to finish this thing.
Mile 21: 8:41
In case you can’t tell by the increasing splits, I am struggling. I would love to stop and walk, but then I might not be able to get running again. I have to keep going.
Mile 22: 8:39
My legs feel like a bag of rocks and there is no spring in my step. My breathing is more labored. I am now thinking about how many more minutes I have to continue this agony if I can keep this pace: 35 minutes. I don’t know if I can do that, but I’m going to keep going for now.
Mile 23: 8:38
See Mile 22 and change “35 minutes” to 26 minutes. Only a 5K left. Surely I can do this!
Mile 24: 9:08
I’m just trying to hang on. I poured a cup of water over my head and that seemed to wake me up a bit.
Mile 25: 9:02
See Mile 24.
Mile 26: 8:47
This mile ends at the top of the steepest hill of the course, but to be honest...it really isn’t steep. But it looks awfully scary when you feel as bad as I did at that point. But I knew the end was just around the corner. I could hear the roar of the crowd and I started to believe that I could actually finish this thing.
.2: 1:45
I coasted into the finish with tears in my eyes. This was a dream come true for me and I am in disbelief that I was able to pull it off. The crowd at the end was unbelievable. What a dramatic finish!
Post-Race Thoughts
If you would have asked me during miles 19-25 if I would ever want to run another marathon, I would have responded with an emphatic “NO!” However, the euphoric feeling you have from completing such a monumental feat lasts a lot longer than the agony of those six miles. And much to my surprise, Elly was able to complete the whole marathon despite her injury. So we all had something to celebrate!
Summary
Brett Barton (Bib #30749)
Time: 3:42:21
Pace: 8:29
Fastest Mile: 8:07 (Mile 11)
Slowest Mile: 9:08 (Mile 24)
I ran my first marathon this weekend at the ridiculously large event known as the Chicago Marathon. I went there with my wife (Elly), my sister (Jaira) and my wife’s sister (Audrey). Elly had been training for this race but all of a sudden was having severe IT Band (knee) problems. She did not run at all last week and received some pretty drastic treatment on Friday in hopes that her knee would be able to perform on Sunday.
As it turned out, her knee problems may have been a slight blessing in disguise. Because while the rest of us were all nervous and freaking out about running our first marathon, she was just thinking she would start the race and drop out as soon as her knee would no longer work. She was hoping to get to run 5 miles.
We arrived in Chicago at 4:30 P.M. on Saturday afternoon. We were quickly overwhelmed with the size of the event while wandering around the Fitness Expo at the McCormick Place. We picked up our packets and headed for our hotel. We stayed at the Hard Rock Hotel and paid the highest hotel rates I ever hope to pay in my life. But at least we were within walking distance of the start/finish of the marathon.
After “carbo loading” at Baja Fresh that evening, we retired to our hotel room to hydrate and rest before our big day. We unwound by watching a cute romantic comedy (A Lot Like Love with Ashton Kutcher and Amanda Peet). The movie ended at 9:30 P.M. which was the time we were hoping to get to bed. Elly seemed a little down as she iced her IT Band and the rest of us were just giddy knowing that all of our training was for this one event early the next morning. We set all the alarms for 5:30 AM and turned the lights off.
Elly slept great. Audrey slept well. Jaira slept okay. I (Brett) did not sleep. I literally lay awake all night. I don’t know if I was trying too hard to sleep or if I was too excited/nervous about what seemed to be the most ambitious undertaking of my life. But I did not fall asleep at all the whole night. Neither did I yawn at any point in time. But I was not that worried since I had heard that this was very common for first-timers and that it is still possible to run a marathon even without getting any sleep the night before. I just hoped that my nervous energy would continue for the rest of that Sunday morning.
I finally got up at 5:00 and ate a breakfast of a banana and a pop-tart and had a big glass of water. I took a shower to relax my muscles and to clear out my sinuses. Elly was loose and seemed to be upbeat after a good night’s sleep. She said she was going to give it her best, though I was doubtful she would be able to get very far. Jaira and I were both excited and Audrey was a bit reserved because she was experiencing some pain in her left ankle. We left our hotel at 7:00 to head over to Grant Park where the race was to begin (and end).
I had three goals for this race:
1) To finish the marathon.
2) To finish the marathon in under 4 hours.
3) To finish the marathon in under 3:45.
I felt that these were achievable with my level of training. I would be pleased with (1), very pleased with (2) and absolutely thrilled with (3).
THE RACE
Oh my gosh! Do you have any idea what over 35,000 runners looks like? Those of you who have run this race know exactly the overwhelming feeling as you pack yourself into the start of this marathon. For a first-timer who had bonked on his last long run and who didn’t get a wink of sleep the night before, I was thinking to myself “What in the world are you doing?”
The race began. The sky was overcast and temperatures were in the low 50s. There was very little sign of wind at this point. I guess you couldn’t ask for better running conditions. As I was bunched in the back of the pack, I walked toward the start line as the crowd would allow. At the start gate, I began running.
Mile 1: 8:56
If you have run the Chicago Marathon, you know exactly what this first mile is like. You have no control of pace as there is absolutely no room to maneuver. So you just move with the pack and hope to find some space at some point. There are thousands of screaming people all around as we head into downtown Chicago, but all I’m concerned about is not tripping the person directly in front of me and not elbowing the ribs of the people to my left and right.
Mile 2: 8:45
See Mile 1.
Mile 3: 8:27
See Miles 1 and 2 with this addendum: I almost stepped on a dead sewer rat during this mile. I’m feeling pretty good and would love to be able to keep this pace for the rest of the race.
Mile 4: 8:17
I am picking up a little speed as I am able to dart through pockets of people.
Mile 5: 8:21
Gatorade/Water station was pretty tricky to navigate, but I made it through safely.
Mile 6: 8:12
Almost ten kilometers are completed and I’m feeling great.
Mile 7: 8:13
Lake Michigan is off to the right as the sun pops through the clouds for the first time.
Mile 8: 8:10
My hamstrings are starting to feel a little tight. Uh oh...there’s a long way to go.
Mile 9: 8:23
There are still people everywhere. No telling how far I’ve run laterally at this point.
Mile 10: 8:12
My hamstrings are definitely getting tighter and my right groin is all of a sudden noticeable. It’s time to start playing some mind games: only a 5k to the half-way point!
Mile 11: 8:07
I am very pleased with my time at this point, but in the back of my mind I am wondering if I am going to be regretting these sub-8:30 miles.
Mile 12: 8:26
Overall, I am still feeling great as I am getting closer to the half-way point. The time has flown by compared to my training runs of this distance.
Mile 13: 8:16
Half-way to the Promised Land!
Mile 14: 8:23
My hamstrings are getting tighter with each mile.
Mile 15: 8:08
Wow! That was a fast mile. Let’s keep them coming!
Mile 16: 8:14
The mind games aren’t working for me anymore. My hamstrings are starting to worry me knowing that I still have 10 miles to go. Will they hold up?
Mile 17: 8:21
I’m starting to hurt. Let’s see...what can I think about that will cheer me up? It’s only an easy 5K to the 20-mile mark.
Mile 18: 8:35
My pace is slowing and my body is hurting. The bottoms of my feet are starting to hurt. My hamstrings are very tight and each step is hard work. Time to start taking more gatorade at the drink stations.
Mile 19: 8:28
Someone handed me a banana and I wolfed it down as I tried to hold my pace. I think the banana helped a lot because I felt better almost instantly.
Mile 20: 8:36
Just about everything is hurting at this point and I still have six miles to go. I’ll just concentrate on these next three miles. I just need to put two 5Ks together to finish this thing.
Mile 21: 8:41
In case you can’t tell by the increasing splits, I am struggling. I would love to stop and walk, but then I might not be able to get running again. I have to keep going.
Mile 22: 8:39
My legs feel like a bag of rocks and there is no spring in my step. My breathing is more labored. I am now thinking about how many more minutes I have to continue this agony if I can keep this pace: 35 minutes. I don’t know if I can do that, but I’m going to keep going for now.
Mile 23: 8:38
See Mile 22 and change “35 minutes” to 26 minutes. Only a 5K left. Surely I can do this!
Mile 24: 9:08
I’m just trying to hang on. I poured a cup of water over my head and that seemed to wake me up a bit.
Mile 25: 9:02
See Mile 24.
Mile 26: 8:47
This mile ends at the top of the steepest hill of the course, but to be honest...it really isn’t steep. But it looks awfully scary when you feel as bad as I did at that point. But I knew the end was just around the corner. I could hear the roar of the crowd and I started to believe that I could actually finish this thing.
.2: 1:45
I coasted into the finish with tears in my eyes. This was a dream come true for me and I am in disbelief that I was able to pull it off. The crowd at the end was unbelievable. What a dramatic finish!
Post-Race Thoughts
If you would have asked me during miles 19-25 if I would ever want to run another marathon, I would have responded with an emphatic “NO!” However, the euphoric feeling you have from completing such a monumental feat lasts a lot longer than the agony of those six miles. And much to my surprise, Elly was able to complete the whole marathon despite her injury. So we all had something to celebrate!
Summary
Brett Barton (Bib #30749)
Time: 3:42:21
Pace: 8:29
Fastest Mile: 8:07 (Mile 11)
Slowest Mile: 9:08 (Mile 24)
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| Audrey • Elly • Me • Jaira |
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