After running the Nissan Buffalo Marathon this morning, I am home, and I am tired. I still haven’t drained the blisters on on my feet. I have blisters on at least 6 toes, maybe 7. And not small blisters either.
They predicted thunder storms, but they never happened. It did sprinkle a little around mile 16. Or maybe it was 15 or 17. I don’t know. These are where I was at anyway. The winner was probably already back in his hotel room.
The course was kind of ugly. The first half or the course went down by some ship docks (like where they repair or strip down old ships). And we also ran through some industrial areas. The second half of the course was nicer. We ran through some residential area, a couple parks, and a cemetery. Too bad the people running the half marathon only saw the first half of the course.
I did enjoy talking to a girl in the first half as we were running about the exact same pace. Unfortunatly she was running the half and we parted ways just before mile 13.
I listened to my MP3 player almost exclusively after that. I did see alot of the same faces around the course. But they we people on the sidelines that would ride bikes or drive to various parts of the course apparently following and cheering for someone running about the same pace as me.
Using the Jeff Galloway method, I took 1 minute walk breaks at the mile markers, also walking any uphill parts. It was new to me to take fewer walking breaks. Previously I had planned to walk every 5th or 6th minute. But I played with walking less, and running more and my time improved. I did take some extra 1 minute walk breaks in the last few miles when it was hard to keep running at all.
I finished in about 4:22. They hadn’t posted my time before I left so I don’t know my exact time. I was shooting for 4:30, and was expecting to get closer to 5:00. So I crushed my target time. I crossed the 13 mile mark at about 2:02. Not sure what I did at the half-marathon point as it wasn’t marked.
Around mile 25 there were a group passing out cups of beer. I didn’t know what it was at first. I knew it wasn’t water or Gatorade. I thought it might be apple juice, so I asked. They told me it was beer, so I passed. I don’t really like beer.
In the last mile, the song that came onto my MP3 player was Wouldn’t It Be Good by Nik Kershaw. The lyrics were appropriate: “I’m sick of fighting even though I know I should.” “Wouldn’t it be good if we could wish ourselves away?” “The sweat is coming through each and every pore. Don’t wanna be here no more.”

I am tired. I took a hot bath, now I am going to drain my many blisters.

Posted by Rob in Running on May 27th, 2007 |