I just fired off a letter to the organizers thanking them for a job well done. The event was well organized and from a user point of view went off almost flawlessly. The volunteers were great. The kids who worked the refreshments, baggage, and chip removal were polite, cheerful, and eager to help. Where do they get them? It makes me optimistic about the next generation.
The weather cooperated with almost perfect running weather. Cool not cold, light winds, lots of fall sunshine. It seemed very crowded but the numbers listed as finishers seemed about the same as last year.
I drove down with my friend Mukund and his son who was running the Rothman 8K. We found parking near my usual spot on 33rd Street and walked over to Eakins Oval. What seems so easy in the morning will be a long hike coming back.
Mukund was planning on going out for a 3:45 finish while I was hoping for a solid 4.
The start area was crowded but not excessively. I saw an acquaintance from the Bryn Mawr Running Club. He suggested I run with his son who was running his first marathon and was also aiming at four. I was a little reluctant since I am not a good pacer but figured it wouldn't hurt to start together. It turned out to be a good decision. John ran smart and kept us at a good pace even when I tended to surge forward. I only hope I didn't bug him too much with my constant prattle. I am normally quite taciturn but something about running endorphins (at least for the first 14 miles) makes me quite voluble.
The course is a great tour of Philadelphia, each street with its own character, the majestic Parkway, Arch Street's Chinatown, Race Street's Old City, and then a long stretch on Columbus Blvd - a shame the city hasn't figured how to use this great resource. Under I95 and back up Front to South, back to the oldest part of the City when you turn up Sixth Street and pass Independence Hall. A long run takes you west on Chestnut over the Schuylkill and into West Philly past Drexel and the U of Pennsylvania, turning onto 34th. The first real uphill is here. 34th goes by the Zoo. Always think it would be cool if the Zoo could bring out some animals but I guess it would be too stressful for the animals. We did get a good view of the Zoo Balloon which I got to ride a couple of weeks ago. Here the course dips into Fairmont Park, downhill and then up the steepest hill of the course. It seemed easy this year. You go pass Memorial Hall - one of the last buildings of the 1876 Centennial. Then up Belmont turning into the ground of the Horticultural Center. Nice treat this year - the course went directly by the Japanese House. A gift to Philadelphia from Japan it was renovated in the 90‚'s and looks great. Back out and down to Martin Luther King Drive (West River). You can look over to Kelly Driver and see the leaders going out to Manayunk. I told John: I wish I could be them; I glad I am not them. He understood the sentiment perfectly. Warned John to be careful on the sharp downhill; take it but not too fast or hard. We are quickly to the half. And then we go on up MLK to the Art Museum. Since this is also the finish the crowds are thickest and loudest here. They made the way a little wider and the crunch is not as tight as previous years. Kelly Drive is a beautiful place to run. It is framed by the river on your left and a wooded hillside that hides the railway just above. You pass wonderful public sculpture that I am sure most runners miss but that I treasure and use as landmarks. Now some people love the out and back of Kelly Drive and some hate it. There are few spectators but except for a small section where you transition to Ridge Avenue you get to see the runners ahead of you coming back on their last six miles. For me it is always exciting seeing the lead runners and then later look to cheer friends who are on their way back. There is one last tough climb up an overpass to get back to Kelly Drive and then it is all downhill until you get back to Boathouse Row for the push and the slight uphill to the Art Museum finish. Through the finish and hopefully the finish photos will show me robust and happy.
Tried to get my chip off and began to cramp when a young volunteer came to my aid. I asked her if she could retie my shoe which she cheerfully did using a method I had never seen before. After thanking her profusely I also thank her for showing me a new tie technique and how great it was to learn something new. I think she got a kick out of that.
This year I felt good longer then ever. Didn't drop off pace until mile 19. No anti-water stops (I had four in NY). Lost a full minute when I had a one of those moments that often occur to addled runners late in a race. I fumbled ridiculously trying to get my gel out of my pocket. It should have been a easy motor skill task but somehow I couldn't get my gloved hand to locate and grasp the packet. Thinking clearly I could have stripped the glove off - long past its usefulness or just abandoned the quest altogether. But I doggedly yank and tugged wasting precious time. Yikes. (Worst I was only wearing one glove - got to the start and only had one glove so I did a Michael Jackson and wore the one on my left hand. Actually worked pretty well since the bare hand got wet and sticky. But I should have lost the glove around mile ten.)
There was some cramping - I managed to lose my Succeed somewhere on the course probably when I went for the gel. I had one scare where my right foot really seized up, but mercifully the cramping eased; partly due to a new product I tried- Clif Bar blocks. I know that you are not supposed to try anything new marathon day, but I had tried these at the Expo and they seemed innocuous enough. They are gels that Clif advertises as electrolyte replacements. They were easy to ingest, didn't taste horrible, and did seem to give me some energy late in the race. I was worried they would melt but they held up fine and got me thru the late miles.
I have said in the past that Philly is a great destination marathon. It has some of atmosphere of big races but continues to offer the intimacy of smaller venues. The city looked great; the spectators where present were enthusiastic. It is a very BQ friendly course.
I walked back to my car with a group of women who asked about the marathon. Turns out they had been at the Art Museum not for the race but for a Segway tour of the city. Sounded like great fun (my wife said I guess you are going to have to do that - and yes I will).
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