Pre-race rendezvous in BBQ's kitchen || Setting Rebel camp on Kelly Drive
Silent and Megaphone prepare Sam's mystery drink || Tuckin surveys water stop
Elite runners approach mile 18
Rebel cheering squad [ ^ click image to enlarge in new window]
Sam's race recap
Thanks Rebels for your ever encouraging words, Gatorade and all other things… as you can see from the results, this years marathon was not a good outing for me… I think the god’s had left my camp early! Well I was wise not to go out running like it’s a 5k so I stuck to my plan of a nice steady 8min pace. At around mile 8 or so, there was a water stop and in the rush of getting hydrated, someone tripped me and I hurt my knee. I stood up like a man and decide to continue running despite the pain… I maintained my pace and all seemed to have fallen in place.
Now here is why I say gods left me alone on Sunday…at around mile 17 water stop I was tripped again! Further hurting my knee! Well at that point I almost gave up and walked away. At mile 19 for reasons I don’t know I started cramping like crazy it was like some one was shooting my calves and hamstrings…..i struggled so much and that’s when I realized that I was not going to set any new PR… the only prime goal was for me to finish! I reverted to sitting down stretching walking running ….over and over! I hobbled through the finish line at a pedestrian 3:54.
I was so disappointed but at least I finished and went home one tired Kenya! See u next year for more marathons….
i am thinking of changing hobbies….stop running and start fishing! hahaha
Josh nears mile 18 [ ^ click image to enlarge in new window] || Cheering for runners
Coach's Comments
Sammy, I too had a bad race that mystifies me to explain. Ran the first ten exactly as I wanted. Then started to pick up the pace. I think the downhill coming out of the zoo area pounded me. Five miles later it started to take it's toll- first the left quad, then the left hamstring, then the right quad and finally the right hamstring. By mile 21 all these major muscles were sore and the hamstrings were ready to cramp. I was taking little baby steps and it was the slowest last 10K of any marathon I've done, even the marathon that was 13 minutes slower than this one.
The distance makes it a mystery race every time. You never know exactly how it will turn out despite all the planning. I know this much: My experiment with less mileage, meaning more rest for an older body, doesn't work for the marathon distance. I've got to put on more miles.
Forget the fishing. You'll be thinking of your next marathon when you forget the pain of this one.
Congrats to all the runners, especially Josh, Lori, and Rich who helped Pike Creek score in the USATF series. Thanks to all who cheered. I knew you were there even if I was in too much pain to acknowledge it.
The most poignant moment I experienced all day was somewhere around mile 23, heading back down Kelly Drive toward the finish. Most people were silently shuffling along at that point, each in his or her own little hell of pain. I was regretting the fact that I was going to be over four hours. Meanwhile, the very back of the pack, those who would take five, five and a half, six hours to finish, were still heading out to Manyunk. Somebody about to go by me gently said the words the told us all what it was all about:
"Hooray for the other side of the street".
Megaphone pumps up runners [^ click] || The General presents Loco with B-day Cake [^ click]
Notes from the General
Hey, Rebels,
I want to welcome Wes to the email group. One Thursday
night with us and he was convinced to sign over his email addresses.
Welcome to the Rebels...
Congratulations to the Philly Marathoners: Rich- finally got that
Philly monkey off of his back with a great time of 3:33; Lori- stopped
to sing, blew out her birthday candle, and still set a PR with a 3:44;
Sammy- other sub-4 marathon under your belt; Wes- who completed his 3rd
marathon in 5 weeks ran 3:56 (very Rebel-like); Josh- who bettered his first
marathon time by 40 minutes by running a 2:50-wow! You all had a great weather day and took advantage. It was a blast to be there to support you.
Happy Turkey Day,
General Bootsie
Rebels relax at BBQ's house [ ^ click to enlarge in new window]
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