In order to gain perspective on Sunday's marathon effort, I try to remember what I experienced the last time I ran a marathon*. But the last time I ran a marathon was so very, very, very long ago (hint - Jimmy Carter was still in the White House), that all recollection is fuzzy. I vaguely recall the following:
1. The rain - Unrelenting cold wind and rain gusted off Seattle's Lake Washington. It was a typical November day in Seattle. No matter how wet it gets this Sunday, I am not terribly concerned about the impact on my run. I am concerned that rain will dampen the crowd and fun and socializing (isn't this the main point of the event?).
2. The wall - I faded badly around 20 miles, walking much of the last few miles with other runners shouting encouragement as they went by me. They say that the mind cannot remember pain, but I remembered it well enough that I did not enter another marathon for over a quarter century. I have no recollection what I consumed during the marathon, but I am certain now that it was grossly inadequate, and a factor in my meltdown. One of my main process goals on Sunday is to eat a gel or banana every 30 minutes.
3. My result - I finished in about 3:07. So if I run reasonably OK on Sunday, I should be able to establish a new personal best time. The marathon is one of the few major running distances where I have a realistic chance of posting a new lifetime PB.
* In this case I am not considering the 42.1 kilometers of Ironman to be a "marathon". The walking/running tactics and constant eating make it seem like a different event entirely.
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