2013 Maine Marathon

Wheels still on!
Wheels still on!

Completed first marathon (Maine Marathon) on October 6 in 3 hours 22 minutes. Beat realistic goal of 3:30, but fell short of reach goal of 3:15 needed to minimally qualify for Boston Marathon in my age group.

Marathon Notes:

  • Support was HUGE! If my family had not been along the route during the last six miles, I might have finished at a leisurely Lonesome George shuffle step, or have ditched my bib, pulled off the course and pretended to be a water-stop worker (“you can do it! almost there!.. ” I know the lines now, you liquid-pimping sadists!) until the volunteer shuttle came. Emily ran with me for a good chunk of the last mile, which was great. I anticipated being able to summon more of a conquering Caesar finish with a sprint at the end, but in true October/Halloween month marathon style, I crossed the finish line like a walking-dead zombie.
  • Well-run race… on the organizers’ part. Good swag bag, GREAT shirt this year, easy to get to start/finish line, and a very nice touch by not firing a gun at the start in respect for what happened at the Boston Marathon in 2013. A little air horn went off and then the race organizer just walked up to the front of the corral and said, “go… GO DAMN IT! I started the clock! Go! RUN!”
  • Take that, Apolo Ohno!
    Take that, Apolo Ohno!

    Marathons have time to catch up to me. I made the turn (out and back course) at 1:32, felt great, and didn’t finish until 3:22. Virtually ALL of the added time in the second half came in the last six miles. At the turn I was thinking, “if I’m close at mile twenty, I’ll go for 3:10 this time, and then go for sub-3 hours next time.” Idiot. Moron. Tragically-flawed getting-ahead of one’s self simpleton. The last six miles were a series of pace-exploding, have-to-stop-and-stretch-omfg-forrest-gump-something-bit-me leg cramps and I was thinking, “I’m standing in the middle of the road with less than a Chatham Harbor Run to go and I’ll be lucky to beat Oprah’s marathon time… or Al Gore’s marathon time… or Al Roker’s marathon time (although he might be still running).”

  • Hydration and nutrition are legitimate factors. I haven’t run into leg cramps at distances up to the half marathon, but even on a cool, autumn Maine day, the marathon distance shut down both legs. I carried my own Gatorade in a nifty Orange Mud mini pack and consumed approximately 18 ounces. Apparently this is not enough, or I didn’t drink it early enough. Along with the Gatorade, I ate six Cliff Margarita chews “with 3x the salt,” and four Endurolyte capsules. I may pack a pizza and a growler of beer next time… or push an IV stand… or at least switch back to Gu’s.
  • Heady Topper is the best beer I have ever had (put “Hints of grapefruit belong in an IPA, damn it!” on my gravestone), and I’m designating it my officially official celebratory libation for marathon PR’s, BQ’s, and maybe even DNFs. Hard to find beer, you say? Yep. Almost as hard to find as this particular Andy in a marathon, since I’m currently averaging 1 marathon every 41 years.

Running Goals for 2014:

  • Qualify for Boston 2015 (3:15 for lottery, probably 3:12ish to realistically get in).
  • Sub 3 hour marathon in Fall.
  • Sub 39 minute 10k.
  • Sub 1:25 half marathon.
  • Perfect alchemy of electrolytes, fluid, food that allows me to hide what’s going on from my leg muscles.

First Marathon by Mile Splits (reality by Garmin!):

  • Mile 1 – 6:50
  • Mile 2 – 6:54
  • Mile 3 – 7:04
  • Mile 4 – 6:50
  • Mile 5 – 7:00
  • Mile 6 – 6:55
  • Mile 7 – 7:10
  • Mile 8 – 7:15
  • Mile 9 – 7:09
  • Mile 10 – 7:20
  • Mile 11 – 6:54
  • Mile 12 – 7:11
  • Mile 13 – 6:59 (delusions of still making reach goal)
  • Mile 14 – 7:12 (no worries!)
  • Mile 15 – 7:31 (hilly… no panic!)
  • Mile 16 – 7:16 (got this easy!)
  • Mile 17 – 7:38 (angry face, but doing fine!)
  • Mile 18 – 7:33 (hold it to 20… got this!)
  • Mile 19 – 7:31 (Nice… I’ll take this pace to the house!)
  • Mile 20 – 7:30 (Only a 10k left… nice!)
  • Mile 21 – 8:30 (first leg cramp… wtf! Eat and drink everything left on my person… lick visible salt!)
  • Mile 22 – 9:58 (despair… train wreck mile… multiple locked up leg cramp stops.)
  • Mile 23 – 8:44 (baby rally… still can make up some time… finish this thing strong!)
  • Mile 24 – 9:44 (more leg cramps… despair… I hate Maine!)
  • Mile 25 – 8:20 (family witnesses… baby rally… or hallucinations)
  • Mile 26.2 – Approx. 10 mins (forgot to stop watch at finish line… again!)
  • Average mile: 7:43 / Final time: 3:22:03

6 thoughts on “2013 Maine Marathon”

  1. What an excellent run, Andy, and a superb accounting of it. I love your tongue-in-cheek humor and your, if you’ll pardon the pun, take-it-all-in-stride attitude. You did a fantastic job on running and writing. Thanks for sharing and voicing thoughts that many of us have had and need to remember!

    • Thanks, Linda. I don’t want to brag, but I shoved up to the front the corral at the start and may have been sharing the lead in this race for a good 6 or 7 feet. I will never forgive the race photographers for not capturing this accomplishment… lol.

  2. Why does this remind me of signing the Visitor Book in the bathroom at the rest area? Ha Ha just kiddin bro….ALA Uncle G!!!! You know my address now so no excuses for not droppin a line once in a while. I’ve got an excuse….I can’t type! Anyways,love ya bro n give Emily and the kids a hug from me! Hope to talk to you soon

  3. Hi! Love your post on your experience with the Maine marathon. I grew up in the Portland area. The October 5, 2014 Maine marathon will be my very first! Love the link for the Orange Mud mini pack! Thanks!

  4. Thanks, Kara. The Maine Marathon is such a great time. Well-run race, fun city, good support along the way… great shirts! I’ll be back in it in 2015; enjoy your run this year and I hope the Orange Mud pack works as well for you as it has for me.

Comments are closed.