RUN!

Last Sunday I ran my 9th marathon and the first in 9 years. I did not train for the 26.3 mile endurance run technically. I actually haven't been running with any sort of goal in mind for quite a number of years now, but when I discovered the Bucks County Marathon I had to enter the race.  No, it wasn't a high profile race like New York City, Philadelphia or Washington, D.C.'s Marine Corps Marathon that would coax me out of my eating frenzied retirement. It was a race that literally ran past my town. It started at Washington's Crossing State Park and ran along the canal on the Pennsylvania side up through New Hope and beyond before turning around. With only 500 entries available I cast aside my worries about my lack of training and signed up for it. The allure of running in an event so close to home and in such a beautiful area was too strong to allow a lack of training to get in the way.

23 miles in

Let me tell you sports fans out there in cyber world, running a marathon is not for the faint of heart. It's raw will power that keeps one going for the hours that it takes to cover 26 miles. Everything hurts by the end of the marathon, but completing it swells one's heart with pride at the accomplishment. Yes, will power played a prominent part of my race last week, especially since I had no real training. The longest training run I had completed was just 12 miles and I did that the Monday before race day. This race had the potential to be a disaster, but I ran smart taking "salt" shots before and during the race and power shots of some gel pack they handed out along the course as well as drinking water and gatorade at every opportunity. They all helped, but the smartest thing I did race day was my pacing. Slow and steady does not necessarily mean you win a marathon, but it does guarantee you finish. Running slowly I was able to avoid any serious cramping. Cramping is a concern for me and I've suffered from it in every one of my 8 previous marathons. Even when I was in fantastic shape I could not escape cramping. But, this race I was able to or lucky enough I guess to avoid cramping. My time was 5:25, much slower than my Personal Record of 3:40, but I was extremely happy with the finish. And, though this is a competition with oneself, it is still a race and when my pacing allowed me to chug along and pass around 10 other "walking dead" racers in the final 6 miles, it was as if I had won the race outright. 

where's the beer?

The lunacy that inspired me to run 26 + miles after effectively getting out of bed is strong and not the first time I had done something like this. I completed my first marathon, the Marine Corps Marathon, in 1985 despite a similar lack of training. I beat four hours in that one, but I was also in my 20's. I paid for that dearly and did not walk very well for a good two weeks afterwards. Here it is Friday, and I'm doing okay, although I'm not going to run for another few days

But then I'm going to get ready for my 10th marathon! 

worth the wait..er run

 But, not until I drink a couple of celebratory beers. 

My 9 races:
1) Marine Corps Marathon
2) Marine Corps Marathon
3) Marine Corps Marathon
4) Atlantic City Marathon
5) Honolulu Marathon 
6) Honolulu Marathon
7) Philadelphia Marathon
8) Jersey Shore Marathon
9) Bucks County Marathon