PR’s in St. Louis!!!!!
We trained semi-hard for St. Louis. Our training was structured, but we certainly didn’t let it rule our lives. We got a couple of good 20 milers in and consistently did some mid-distances runs throughout the week.
We started out the marathon with the 3:40 pace group, crossing the first mile around 8:17 pace. (fast for that pace group). We both felt pretty good, so just decided to go with how our bodies felt.
Around mile 8 we passed the 3:30 pace group… and I’m thinking what is going on? How crazy would that be if we broke 3:30? I knew it was early though, and I knew we were running around 7:45 pace, which was too fast for what we had trained for. As we neared the half marathon point, we could see the 3:20 pace group about 3 minutes up and I’m starting to hurt a little bit. Glenn decided he needed a bathroom stop at mile 13 and tells me to keep running and he will catch me when he’s done. I get about 1/4 mile from the port-a-potty and quickly realized I was dumb to think I didn’t need to stop too. So, I stop at the next one at mile 14…. that bathroom break necessary…. which is freaking nuts considering I had already taken 2 Imodium, and hydrated like crazy.
About a mile after our pitstops we start climbing a long, gradual hill that was around a 1/2 mile.. I had my music on really loud and Glenn had no music at all. I know I am breathing really loud and stomping my feet too. Glenn is just chillin, which kind of irritated me, and I’m sure he was irritated by how obnoxiously loud I was. So I told him to go on ahead and we will just see each other at the finish….. in 11 long miles. Bye-bye Glenn.
When you run a marathon, you have great miles and horrible miles. Mile 17 might feel really great, 18 really terrible, and then you might feel great again at mile 19. It is a constant mind battle. Needless to say mile 18 was one of those horrible miles for me. I’m climbing a hill and what do you know, here comes the 3:30 pace group. I tried to stay with them for oh about 2 minutes… yeah that wasn’t happening. At this point I am thinking ok, I went out a little too hard, just hold on and break your best time Lindsey.
The rest of the marathon was a mind battle as always. You hurt and you are going to hurt no matter how fast or slow you run so just keep moving. Miles 20-26 consisted of my calculating and re-calculating what I thought I would finish in and also thinking about how pissed I would be if that 3:40 pace group passed me.
It turns out I crossed the finish line in 3:34:34, which is a 5 minute + PR. Of course Glenn is at the finish line waiting for me. The best part about crossing the finish line is having someone to share the moment with. The first thing I say to him of course “what was you time?” He ran a 3:24 which is no kidding a 25 minute PR. Wow… looks like someone might be in the running to qualify for Boston… shave 14 minutes off that and he will be at a 3:10. No doubt if he qualifies I will go back. 