Joined
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285 Posts
<p>Thanks everyone for encouraging me to run this race!</p>
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<p>I signed up for this race because it was the day after my association's annual convention ended, and I thought it might be fun. I also realized that it was a late-season race that was well into my grad school semester, which might make training challenging--and it was. I fell down on my training with school projects and workplace drama, and I really debated whether I should run the race. There was also another unanticpated challenge: walking about 3 miles for 3 days in the convention center with professional footwear. My feet were really sore and my legs felt like they were developing shin splints.</p>
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<p>My husband came up to Philly and we enjoyed ourselves, carbo loading at a nice Italian place. Frankly, I think he just enjoyed spending some quality time with me! He ran the Rothman 8K the day before, the first run after the Marine Corps Marathon several weeks earlier. They started the race by playing the theme song to Rocky, which got my husband off to a really fast start. He set a PR.</p>
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<p>My race was the next day. I had a new Sport Hill top with a zippered pocket in the back that was both cute and very practical. I was glad that the weather was cooler, as it made me feel like running. We headed over to the race start in darkness and I walked around and warmed up and then got into the corral. This was the largest race I've ever been in, and somehow it never dawned on me how long it would take for my race to get started--I didn't cross the starting line until a half hour after the gun went off. The sun was up now and it was a beautiful fall day.</p>
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<p>To me, the course was flat except for a 2-mile stretch between mile 8 and 10 when it was a long uphill climb. People started walking, but I was determined to power through and keep on running.</p>
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<p>I really enjoyed running through the streets of Philadelphia and seeing all of the homes and businesses in the different neighborhoods. The crowds were very supportive. Around mile 6, I felt like eating a Shot Block, but decided to wait a bit, but at mile 7 my hand reached in my back pocket. I had another at mile 8. Then, at mile 9-10 there was Gu. I normally hate the taste and texture of gels, but decided to try it. The vanilla Gu wasn't that bad. I washed it down with a sip of water or gatorade at every stop. There was a band playing at mile 10 in Fairmount Park and I was feeling pretty good.</p>
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<p>I decided to play the passing game and started to try to pass people as I headed to the finish. And at about mile 12, I was really ready to be finished and I began looking for the place where the marathoners split from the half marathoners. At the very end of the race, we headed out of the park and back into the city toward the finish line and I was done.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The whole race was really well organized. After the finish line, runners went into a chute where they received post-race food and drinks and could pick up their bags, and there were no lines.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>I finished about 3 minutes slower than a previous HM on a much hillier course. I was really glad that I ran the race.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>I signed up for this race because it was the day after my association's annual convention ended, and I thought it might be fun. I also realized that it was a late-season race that was well into my grad school semester, which might make training challenging--and it was. I fell down on my training with school projects and workplace drama, and I really debated whether I should run the race. There was also another unanticpated challenge: walking about 3 miles for 3 days in the convention center with professional footwear. My feet were really sore and my legs felt like they were developing shin splints.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>My husband came up to Philly and we enjoyed ourselves, carbo loading at a nice Italian place. Frankly, I think he just enjoyed spending some quality time with me! He ran the Rothman 8K the day before, the first run after the Marine Corps Marathon several weeks earlier. They started the race by playing the theme song to Rocky, which got my husband off to a really fast start. He set a PR.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>My race was the next day. I had a new Sport Hill top with a zippered pocket in the back that was both cute and very practical. I was glad that the weather was cooler, as it made me feel like running. We headed over to the race start in darkness and I walked around and warmed up and then got into the corral. This was the largest race I've ever been in, and somehow it never dawned on me how long it would take for my race to get started--I didn't cross the starting line until a half hour after the gun went off. The sun was up now and it was a beautiful fall day.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>To me, the course was flat except for a 2-mile stretch between mile 8 and 10 when it was a long uphill climb. People started walking, but I was determined to power through and keep on running.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>I really enjoyed running through the streets of Philadelphia and seeing all of the homes and businesses in the different neighborhoods. The crowds were very supportive. Around mile 6, I felt like eating a Shot Block, but decided to wait a bit, but at mile 7 my hand reached in my back pocket. I had another at mile 8. Then, at mile 9-10 there was Gu. I normally hate the taste and texture of gels, but decided to try it. The vanilla Gu wasn't that bad. I washed it down with a sip of water or gatorade at every stop. There was a band playing at mile 10 in Fairmount Park and I was feeling pretty good.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>I decided to play the passing game and started to try to pass people as I headed to the finish. And at about mile 12, I was really ready to be finished and I began looking for the place where the marathoners split from the half marathoners. At the very end of the race, we headed out of the park and back into the city toward the finish line and I was done.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The whole race was really well organized. After the finish line, runners went into a chute where they received post-race food and drinks and could pick up their bags, and there were no lines.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>I finished about 3 minutes slower than a previous HM on a much hillier course. I was really glad that I ran the race.</p>
