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Steamtown Marathon - RunMarathon


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Scranton, Pennsylvania
United States
65F / 18C
Sunny
Total Time = 3h 18m 17s
Overall Rank = 199/1582
Age Group = 40-44
Age Group Rank = 30/146
Pre-race routine:

Woke up at 3:45 and had a cup of coffee and a bowl of oatmeal. Loaded the car up and headed out. I drank 32 oz of water on the way to the race and had to stop twice to pee. Got to the race and had to pee in the parking garage, thank God for Gatorade bottles. Grabbed my fuel belt and water bottles and headed for the busses. We had a 45 min ride to the start line and I was afraid to even take a sip of Gatorade on that trip. We got to the school and I made a mad dash for the porta-johns. I guess hydration was not going to be a problem today!! ;-) I hung around the gym and relaxed until about 30 minutes before the start. Met a few different Ironman finishers and chatted a while.
Event warmup:

Not much of a warm-up. I took a couple laps around the school to see if I could "loosen things up". That seemed to work and I stretched a bit before the start.
Run
  • 3h 18m 17s
  • 26.2 miles
  • 07m 34s  min/mile
Comments:

I AM NOT RACING THIS RACE!!! That was what I was telling myself. This was just going to be a long run with a bunch of other people. I lined myself up with the 3:30-3:40 crowd so I wouldn't be tempted to run for something crazy like a BQ. The gun (A very cool start with a Civil War canon!!) went off and I was just talking away with people for the first couple miles. I looked down at my watch at the 2 mile mark and saw 15:05. I said to the guy next to me "This is a bit faster than 3:30 or 3:40!!" Oh well, I felt good and it was down hill so I just went with it and cruised. I was loaded up with 5 gels per flask diluted to 10 oz with water, 10 salt tablets and a 24 oz water bottle. (After KY I will never run without a water bottle) I took a hit off the gel flask every 15 minutes and wanted to be finished with 1 at the 13.1 mile mark and the other at 25 miles. Every 30 minutes was a salt tablet, increased to 2 salt tablets after about 18 miles. Gatorade at every water station and sip on the water throughout the race. 4 or 5 miles into the race I had to pee again and just let it go. I used the water bottle to "flush" and refilled at the next aid station. Chatted with people along the way, this is the best part of doing a marathon, joked with the volunteers at the aid stations, high fived the kids in the crowd and just had a lot of fun! I was running with a guy that did ultras and was wearing a camelback when I suddenly had to find a "throne". Fortunately, there was a porta john right there and I jumped in and well, did what I do best! :-) I came out of the porta john refreshed and decided this is where I was going to start my 16 mile "long run". I was cruising by people and feeling great when I looked at my watch and saw I was running at a 7:00 pace!! Whoa there, back off dude!!! I was passing one of the IM athletes at that point and just backed off and ran with him for a bit. He seemed to have been slowing down a bit so I said good luck to him and carried on with a comfortable pace. I was doing very well at keeping up with my nutrition, running close to 7:30's made it easy for taking a hit of gel every 15 min. I passed the 13.1 mile mark at 1:40:25 and thought "Oh crap! Now I need to work this second half and go for that 3:20 to BQ". Miles were clicking off pretty fast and I was feeling very good. At mile 16 I said to a guy. "Just an easy 10 miler and we're done!!" He didn't look like he appreciated the humor so I moved ahead of him. Some of the run went onto a trail that was just breathtaking. The foliage, the crisp air, the sounds of the stream next to the trail were awesome. This would be a great place to train!! (Not a bad place to run a marathon either) Oh yea, back to the race. :-) My HR was a bit higher than I wanted but my RPE was perfect for most of the race. At mile 20 I was around 2:33 and I figured I needed a 47 min 10K for the 3:20. I felt great at the pace I was holding but knew there was a big hill at mile 24, I figured I'd deal with that hill when it arrived. Mile 22 came and I said to a volunteer "Wow! Is this really mile 22? Man, that 22 miles went by fast!" She asked how I could still be smiling at this point in the race. (She don't know me too well!) Mile 23 came and I saw a hill ahead and some people stopped at the bottom starting to walk. I took another hit of gel and cruised up the hill. There was a little flat section that I took a couple salt tabs and more water before the second hill. This hill went up through a neighborhood where people had hoses hanging from trees, individual water stations run by families, music blasting. I stopped and walked to take a drink of Gatorade and my quads didn't like the idea of stopping. I apologized to my quads and asked for forgiveness then pleaded with them to take me another couple of miles. I started running again and passed a bunch more people walking up the hill. There was a sharp turn at the very top of the hill that led into a short block or two down hill. My quads were talking back to me at this point and they were not saying nice things. The last 2 miles were a mix of flats some slight uphills and the last few blocks were downhill to the finish line where I saw 3:18 on the clock!
What would you do differently?:

Absolutely nothing!! Great race!
Post race
Warm down:

I walked around for 10 minutes or so then got in line for a massage. Following the massage I went back to my car for my recovery drink (I should have gotten that before the massage, oh well) watched some finishers, headed up for a shower that was 4 or 5 blocks away then headed home.

What limited your ability to perform faster:

Nothing.

Event comments:

I think this has to be one of the best fall marathons in the northeast. Of course the perfect weather plays a big part of my saying that. If it was 40 degree rain I might have a different feeling about the race.


Profile Album


Last updated: 2008-09-29 12:00 AM
Running
03:18:17 | 26.2 miles | 07m 34s  min/mile
Age Group: 30/146
Overall: 199/1582
Performance: Good
Course: Point to point run with a net descent of about 1000' with a 300' climb at mile 23-24. (That is just evil!!) Great volunteers and great spectator support! The course was mostly on closed roads and the middle of the run was broken up with a section of a great trail run. Foliage was at it's peak and the weather was perfect!!
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

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2008-10-13 10:26 AM

User image

Bob
2194
2000100252525
Binghamton, NY
Subject: Steamtown Marathon

Lap Data
LapTimeDistancePace/SpeedAHRMHR
107m 33s1.00 miles07m 33s /mile138155
207m 32s1.00 miles07m 32s /mile152159
307m 40s1.00 miles07m 40s /mile147159
407m 21s1.00 miles07m 21s /mile138148
507m 27s1.00 miles07m 27s /mile139146
607m 24s1.00 miles07m 24s /mile143151
707m 47s1.00 miles07m 47s /mile148160
807m 31s1.00 miles07m 31s /mile143159
907m 39s1.00 miles07m 39s /mile146158
1008m 19s1.00 miles08m 19s /mile140158
1107m 37s1.00 miles07m 37s /mile145156
1200m 31s0.07 miles07m 14s /mile153155
1307m 21s1.00 miles07m 21s /mile157163
1407m 50s1.00 miles07m 50s /mile147155
1507m 39s1.00 miles07m 39s /mile148154
1607m 14s1.00 miles07m 14s /mile158164
1707m 21s1.00 miles07m 21s /mile161166
1807m 29s1.00 miles07m 29s /mile158166
1907m 19s1.00 miles07m 19s /mile159163
2007m 28s1.00 miles07m 28s /mile162167
2107m 28s1.00 miles07m 28s /mile162166
2207m 19s1.00 miles07m 19s /mile164170
2307m 34s1.00 miles07m 34s /mile163167
2407m 29s1.00 miles07m 29s /mile165168
2507m 33s1.00 miles07m 33s /mile165172
2607m 19s1.00 miles07m 19s /mile169174
2707m 13s1.00 miles07m 13s /mile172178
2802m 43s0.35 miles07m 40s /mile173177



Edited by rstocks3 2008-10-13 10:51 AM


2008-10-13 10:38 AM
in reply to: #1738327

User image

Elite
3518
20001000500
Madison, Wisconsin
Subject: RE: Steamtown Marathon

WOW....completely impressed!! You rock Bob!!

2008-10-13 10:44 AM
in reply to: #1738327

Iron Donkey
38643
50005000500050005000500050002000100050010025
, Wisconsin
Subject: RE: Steamtown Marathon

You WERE NOT racing this race???  Whaaaaaa???  I wish I could say that.

The tips on the salt intake are going to help me.  Thanks!

2008-10-13 10:44 AM
in reply to: #1738327

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Champion
34263
500050005000500050005000200020001001002525
Chicago
Subject: RE: Steamtown Marathon
Holy CARP!!! What an awesome race, man! Sounds like you were strollin' through the park. Nice work hombre!
2008-10-13 2:48 PM
in reply to: #1738327

User image

Expert
1168
10001002525
Subject: RE: Steamtown Marathon
rstocks3 - 2008-10-13 10:26 AM

Lap Data
LapTimeDistancePace/SpeedAHRMHR
107m 33s1.00 miles07m 33s /mile138155
207m 32s1.00 miles07m 32s /mile152159
307m 40s1.00 miles07m 40s /mile147159
407m 21s1.00 miles07m 21s /mile138148
507m 27s1.00 miles07m 27s /mile139146
607m 24s1.00 miles07m 24s /mile143151
707m 47s1.00 miles07m 47s /mile148160
807m 31s1.00 miles07m 31s /mile143159
907m 39s1.00 miles07m 39s /mile146158
1008m 19s1.00 miles08m 19s /mile140158
1107m 37s1.00 miles07m 37s /mile145156
1200m 31s0.07 miles07m 14s /mile153155
1307m 21s1.00 miles07m 21s /mile157163
1407m 50s1.00 miles07m 50s /mile147155
1507m 39s1.00 miles07m 39s /mile148154
1607m 14s1.00 miles07m 14s /mile158164
1707m 21s1.00 miles07m 21s /mile161166
1807m 29s1.00 miles07m 29s /mile158166
1907m 19s1.00 miles07m 19s /mile159163
2007m 28s1.00 miles07m 28s /mile162167
2107m 28s1.00 miles07m 28s /mile162166
2207m 19s1.00 miles07m 19s /mile164170
2307m 34s1.00 miles07m 34s /mile163167
2407m 29s1.00 miles07m 29s /mile165168
2507m 33s1.00 miles07m 33s /mile165172
2607m 19s1.00 miles07m 19s /mile169174
2707m 13s1.00 miles07m 13s /mile172178
2802m 43s0.35 miles07m 40s /mile173177

Holy solid pace, bob!  Awesome.

2008-10-14 12:53 PM
in reply to: #1738327

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Pro
5123
5000100
Canandaigua NY
Subject: RE: Steamtown Marathon

Great race Bob!!! Pretty quick pit stop too !



2008-10-14 1:45 PM
in reply to: #1738327

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Expert
986
500100100100100252525
Michiana
Subject: RE: Steamtown Marathon
Nicely done!
2008-10-14 2:05 PM
in reply to: #1738327

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Master
1404
1000100100100100
Atlanta, Ga
Subject: RE: Steamtown Marathon
The consistancy in those splits is fantastic. Definitely a lot to be proud of. You have pacing down to a science.
2008-10-14 2:15 PM
in reply to: #1738327

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Expert
862
5001001001002525
BFE
Subject: RE: Steamtown Marathon
Nice race! I'm glad you're not in my AG yet!
2008-10-14 4:34 PM
in reply to: #1742076

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Cycling Guru
15134
50005000500010025
Fulton, MD
Subject: RE: Steamtown Marathon

BQ, BQ, BQ, BQ!

C'mon everyone, get the chant going!!!

Congrats Bob, well run!!

2008-10-19 9:43 PM
in reply to: #1738327

User image

Champion
19812
50005000500020002000500100100100
MA
Subject: RE: Steamtown Marathon

Great race!

I love your attitude during the race...glad you had fun when you BQed!

 



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