Aftermath

I haven't posted anything since the marathon, so I figured I better get cracking again.

Yes, I finished my first marathon. And despite the leg cramps, it wasn't too bad. I knew right away that I would race another one. I've heard many people say that as they finish a marathon, they vow not to do another one, and then days or weeks later change their mind. I had no such thoughts. I knew I would be doing another one and would be looking forward to it.

Ah, the official race splits (from the official results).

Leg Time Pace Split Time Pace
8.1 1:06:45 8:14 8.1 1:06:45 8:14
5.5 0:48:22 8:48 13.6 1:55:07 8:28
6.3 0:49:53 7:55 19.9 2:45:00 8:17
6.3 1:15:01 11:54 26.2 4:00:01 9:10

As Anja would say, "Holy crap!". The last 10K was a killer. Of course if you had read my previous posts, you'd see why I dropped from an average 8:17 pace to almost a 12 minute pace (the cramps). Now, readers with an eye for detail will notice a discrepency in the times between the above chart and what I reported in the previous post. Two possible explanations: either I was delirious during the race and was not reading (or remembering) accurately, or the 19.9 mile marker was misplaced. In the end, it doesn't matter.

Next time WILL be different though.

Yes, I am in training for another marathon. This time its Rock N Roll in San Diego on June 5th! I feel faster and more fit than I did last December. Let's hope it stays that way.