Marine Corps Marathon - Run


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Washington, D.C., Washington, D.C.
United States
U.S. Marines
68F / 20C
Sunny
Total Time = 4h 55m 54s
Overall Rank = 10986/
Age Group = 50-54
Age Group Rank = 632/
Pre-race routine:

Woke up after a good sleep, had a bowl of oatmeal, drove into city with my friend Paul, parked, and planned to take metro to Runners Village. We got to Metro and someone told us there were delays due to an accident, so we ended up walking the 2 miles or so to the event. Got there just in time to drop off our stuff at UPS truck, use the porta-john, and get to the start.
Event warmup:

I guess our walk pretty much served as the warmup.
Run
  • 4h 55m 54s
  • 26.2 miles
  • 11m 17s  min/mile
Comments:

My right calf cramped from miles 9-13. I stopped frequently to massage it, and that seemed to help. I also consumed more gels and Powerade. It was a bit stiff for the second half of the race but didn't really bother me and did not affect my stride. I felt good throughout the race and from miles 18-23 felt very strong. However, on the way out of Crystal City, with only two miles to go, I felt nauseated and overwhelming fatigue. I managed to suck it up though and still got across the finish in my goal of sub 5 hours.
What would you do differently?:

Perhaps carry a small regular food source of carbohydrate other than relying only on gels. My hydration was good. Wished I had arrived a little earlier to afford more time to warm up.
Post race
Warm down:

Just walked around a bit. Got pretzels, Powerade, and an apple at the food tent. Drove home and went to the pool where I took a hot shower, sat in the hot tub for 30 minutes, took another hot shower, sat in the sauna for 10 minutes, and topped it off with another hot shower! Then home to indulge in a piece of my son's birthday cake that I did not eat the night before!

What limited your ability to perform faster:

I think I gave it my all. I did well in staying hydrated and was successful in picking up the pace to turn in a negative split. I actually thought around mile 22 that I might get a better time by 5 or 10 minutes than I did. But I really slowed toward the last two miles and that killed me. I wonder if that might have been averted by consuming the cookie and more gels, or stashing hard food for a carbo boost earlier in the race. I could also improve by getting in more long runs in training. But, as for race day, I was pleased with my performance.

Event comments:

Now for my critique. There should be sricter enforcement of the rule that prohibits wearing walkman/ipod devices. Some of these people were an obstacle to runners trying to pass as they could not hear calls of "on your left." It also posed an inconvenience bordering on danger to the wheel chair athletes who often had to slow down preciptiously when these runners could not hear the multiple shouts of runners from behind to clear a way for the wheel chair. This is also a reason to start the wheel chair athletes well ahead of the bulk of the runners rather than between the scarlet and gold waves as was the case this year.

Overall, I think the Marines did an excellent job on this event. The newspaper reported that about 27,000 competed, which makes more sense than the 20,000 Championchip listed on the results page. Regardless of one's politics, the Marines are a great group of guys. I'll never forget when I was assigned to U.S. Embassy Caracas in the 1990s, how these young men, just in there 20s, seemingly so young and boyish, and with whom we often joked, took such authoritative and life-saving command of our safety when the Embassy was threatened by an unfolding coup attempt. They're the best and can be counted on when the chips are down.


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Last updated: 2004-12-03 12:00 AM
Running
04:55:54 | 26.2 miles | 11m 17s  min/mile
Age Group: 0/
Overall: 0/
Performance: Good
Course: The course was great! The vast majoritiy of the course was flat, but there were some hills at the start and at the end to challenge runners. The finish is a very steep hill for the last .2 miles, but it's inspirational being right by the Iwo Jima Mermorial, and it made crossing the finish line and getting that medal all the more sweeter. There were plenty of marines and volunteers along the course. They all did a great job. I can't say enough about what a great race they put on. The Marines, tough as they are themelves, really made the competitors feel special and unique. There were plenty of words of encouragement. There were live bands all along the course. The oranges very helpful between miles 5 and 6. I wish there had been a few more stations with real food later in the course. The only point where things were a little desolate was for three miles around Haines Point. I found that to be a good time to take stock of my race plan and reflect on where I'ld been and what lay ahead. At the beginning of the race I noticed several SWAT team members in black, perched on an overhang, scouring the scene with guns at the ready. Clearly everything had been thought of, including the possibility of a terrorist attack.
Keeping cool Good Drinking Just right
Post race
Weight change: %
Overall: Good
Mental exertion [1-5] 4
Physical exertion [1-5] 4
Good race? Yes
Evaluation
Course challenge Just right
Organized? Yes
Events on-time? Yes
Lots of volunteers? Yes
Plenty of drinks? Yes
Post race activities: Good
Race evaluation [1-5] 5