5:13:37 at Mardi Gras Marathon -- my 5th career marathon finish!
Even though the primary objective of running the Mardi Gras Marathon in New Orleans on Sunday was to record a marathon in my fourth state (VA/DC, TX, NY, LA) - on my way to 10 to join the 50 States Marathon Club, it was also to simply finish and not necessarily attempt to run it at a PR pace!
In fact, I knew that after an excellent showing - a PR! - last Sunday in Austin at the 3M Half Marathon that there would be no way that I could reasonably attempt to try to snap my 4:55:08 PR! from Houston last January. Therefore, my pre-race plan - which was captured in one of my audio blog posts at http://mardigrasmarathon06.blogspot.com/ - was to run as close to 12-minute miles as possible to post a 5:12 marathon time.
And I felt that I succeeded in that task by running a 5:13:37 chip time as I managed my pacing, hydration and electrolytes to ward off cramping and feel like I primarily ran most of the way to the 22-mile point!
My 10-year-old daughter, Waverly, fulfilled the Houston Running Bloggers RC "Leave No Blogger Behind" duties on Sunday as she and my wife, Gena, were forced to walk out to the mile 23 marker (as they were not allowed out of the Superdome parking garage because race organizers didn't account for the fact that the only exit crossed the main stream of runners in their last .2 of a mile). And even though my last three miles were my slowest three of the day, I was overwhelmed with emotion that 1.) she was helping me finish after I did the duty for her three weeks ago at the Aramco Houston Half Marathon and 2.) she had the wherewithal, after we crossed the finish line together, to think - on her own - to get the medal from the volunteer's hands and place it around my neck!
How, as a father, can you ask for anything more than that? :)
My career marathon times go as follows:
4:55:08 -- hp Houston Marathon, January 2005
5:13:37 -- Mardi Gras Marathon, February 2006
5:39:06 -- Marine Corps Marathon, October 2004
5:40:01 -- Texas Marathon (Kingwood), January 2006
5:41:06 -- ING New York City Marathon, November 2005
I'll add more of the traditional people sightings, facts and figures, to this post on Monday; however, here are my split times:
Mile 1 -- 10:33.25
Saw Humble's Steve Boone give his wife, Paula, a kiss and take off ahead of her. (Steve would later finish in 4:19:06 while Paula finished in 5:51:55 - running with San Antonio's Laurence Macon.) Funniest sight was a woman who had one of those plastic butts attached to her rear end with a t-shirt that said, "Get your butt back to New Orleans.")
Mile 2 -- 10:47.33 (21:20.58)
Mile 3 -- 11:01.29 (32:21.87)
Mile 4 -- 11:02.69 (43:24.56)
Mile 5 -- 11:33.86 (54:58.42)
Good music, namely the Jay Giles Band's "Centerfold" (a blast from the early 1980s), where we turned from Esplanade Ave. onto Wisner Blvd. This mile was a little long because of the Wisner Blvd. overpass - albeit nothing more than the Westpark overpass in mile 14 of the Houston Marathon.
Mile 6 -- 10:46.11 (1:05:44.53)
Mile 7 -- 11:23.66 (1:17:08.19)
Mile 8 -- 11:36.72 (1:28:44.91)
I saw fellow Houston Running Blogger Erica Smith in this mile as I passed the mile 7 marker and she was making her approach to mile 6. (Erica followed up her half marathon debut of 2:56:02 in Houston with a 2:57:05 today despite not being able to go full speed because of an eye injury.)
Mile 9 -- 11:14.44 (1:39:59.35)
Mile 10 -- 11:38.06 (1:51:37.41)
I sort of lamented a little bit that this was 9 minutes off of my Pearland Jingle Jog 10 Miler time and 13 minutes off what I did last Sunday; however, I knew I had a plan to try and finish in 5:12.
Mile 11 -- 11:58.60 (2:03:36.01)
Mile 12 -- 11:31.78 (2:15:07.79)
Mile 13 -- 12:08.12 (2:27:15.91)
.1 to Half -- 1:04.73 (2:28:20.64)
If I hadn't met New Orleans Track Club president Chuck George at the NYC Marathon Expo, I would have thought he was crazy at this point! As half marathoners turned left to finish in front of the Superdome and marathoners veered to the right to go around it, Chuck was standing at the split with the finisher's medal around his neck imploring to marathoners - of which there were about another 120 or so behind me - that that medal is what they'd get for finishing! (Other race directors ... please don't do this!)
.9 to Mile 14 -- 11:31.65 (2:39:52.29)
Mile 14 was 12:36.38 because I ditched a heavier sweatshirt and put on my "orange" NYC race jacket that contained my Gu packets. I took an extended walk break as I talked to Waverly walking around the Superdome. I told her that I was hurting and that I was really going to need her at mile 23 to help me finish strong. Before the course turned away from the Superdome, I got my traditional kiss and pressed on!
Mile 15 -- 11:56.68 (2:51:48.97)
Mile 16 -- 11:47.59 (3:03:36.56)
Mile 17 -- 12:31.10 (3:16:07.66)
This was long because I took an extended walk break after passing the water stop and the mile 16 mile marker.
Mile 18 -- 12:29.29 (3:28:36.95)
Mile 19 -- 11:53.17 (3:40:30.12)
I saw fellow Strider John DiMarco, who posted a sweet PR! of 4:13:13, passing the other way during this mile (which was going out Prytania); however, I think my excitement came from hearing Rick Cook - on a cell phone call - in good spirits despite not being able to make the cutoff to complete the final 20-mile loop in the Rocky Raccoon 100 Miler. Even though I felt bad that he and Dalton had dnf'ed, I was proud to know we had individuals in our Houston Running Bloggers RC that made incredible efforts and accomplishments in this sport.
Mile 20 -- 12:40.44 (3:53:10.56)
Ditto from mile 17. After passing the mile 19 marker in a sub-12 minute split, I needed to take another extended break while in Audubon Park (which was way nice compared to City Park.)
Mile 21 -- 13:03.73 (4:06:14.29)
Even though this mile was a little long, I was still running, albeit slowly, which I was encouraged about.
Mile 22 -- 11:56.68 (4:18:10.97)
Mile 23 -- 12:51.60 (4:31:02.57)
Things really started to hurt here (primarily my ankles), but I saw Gena and Waverly waiting for me at the mile 23 marker. :) They both got in about 7 miles for the day!
Mile 24 -- 13:00.34 (4:44:02.91)
Mile 25 -- 14:08.96 (4:58:11.87)
Mile 26 -- 13:07.10 (5:11:18.97)
Last .2 -- 2:19.28 (5:13:38.25)
I'm pleased because I ran fairly consistent for once. That was my goal for Kingwood on New Year's Day, but the heat changed that in the back half. I ran 2:28 - on a 2:24 goal - in the front half there, but crashed and burned. Today, I did the back half in 2:45 - a 17-minute or 10% slip from the front half of 2:28 (or 168 minutes).
In normal marathon training, I probably could have done closer to the Houston time from last January because the weather conditions were absolutely ideal. Understood.
However, I ran this fairly well despite the following:
1.) About 3 hours and 15 minutes of sleep Thursday night in Vancouver before having to get up at 2 a.m. Pacific time to check out and be at the airport to go through Customs before a 6 a.m. flight. (I didn't sleep on the plane, but read a good portion of "The Perfect Mile".)
1a.) We left at 6 a.m. Pacific (8 a.m. Central) and I got home at 2:45 p.m. Friday afternoon.
2.) I got no more than 6 hours of sleep Friday night before getting up at 4 a.m. Saturday morning to drive to Huntsville to see Rick and Dalton start the Rocky Raccoon 100 Miler.
3.) I drove to Huntsville, downtown for the Buffalo Wallow 6K and then to Waverly's basketball game at 5 p.m.
4.) I got two hours of sleep Saturday evening - from 8 to 10 p.m. - before driving the first four hours - from 11 p.m. to 3 a.m. - on the way to New Orleans yesterday morning.
On to Surfside Beach on Saturday! Second marathon in 7 days!
In fact, I knew that after an excellent showing - a PR! - last Sunday in Austin at the 3M Half Marathon that there would be no way that I could reasonably attempt to try to snap my 4:55:08 PR! from Houston last January. Therefore, my pre-race plan - which was captured in one of my audio blog posts at http://mardigrasmarathon06.blogspot.com/ - was to run as close to 12-minute miles as possible to post a 5:12 marathon time.
And I felt that I succeeded in that task by running a 5:13:37 chip time as I managed my pacing, hydration and electrolytes to ward off cramping and feel like I primarily ran most of the way to the 22-mile point!
My 10-year-old daughter, Waverly, fulfilled the Houston Running Bloggers RC "Leave No Blogger Behind" duties on Sunday as she and my wife, Gena, were forced to walk out to the mile 23 marker (as they were not allowed out of the Superdome parking garage because race organizers didn't account for the fact that the only exit crossed the main stream of runners in their last .2 of a mile). And even though my last three miles were my slowest three of the day, I was overwhelmed with emotion that 1.) she was helping me finish after I did the duty for her three weeks ago at the Aramco Houston Half Marathon and 2.) she had the wherewithal, after we crossed the finish line together, to think - on her own - to get the medal from the volunteer's hands and place it around my neck!
How, as a father, can you ask for anything more than that? :)
My career marathon times go as follows:
4:55:08 -- hp Houston Marathon, January 2005
5:13:37 -- Mardi Gras Marathon, February 2006
5:39:06 -- Marine Corps Marathon, October 2004
5:40:01 -- Texas Marathon (Kingwood), January 2006
5:41:06 -- ING New York City Marathon, November 2005
I'll add more of the traditional people sightings, facts and figures, to this post on Monday; however, here are my split times:
Mile 1 -- 10:33.25
Saw Humble's Steve Boone give his wife, Paula, a kiss and take off ahead of her. (Steve would later finish in 4:19:06 while Paula finished in 5:51:55 - running with San Antonio's Laurence Macon.) Funniest sight was a woman who had one of those plastic butts attached to her rear end with a t-shirt that said, "Get your butt back to New Orleans.")
Mile 2 -- 10:47.33 (21:20.58)
Mile 3 -- 11:01.29 (32:21.87)
Mile 4 -- 11:02.69 (43:24.56)
Mile 5 -- 11:33.86 (54:58.42)
Good music, namely the Jay Giles Band's "Centerfold" (a blast from the early 1980s), where we turned from Esplanade Ave. onto Wisner Blvd. This mile was a little long because of the Wisner Blvd. overpass - albeit nothing more than the Westpark overpass in mile 14 of the Houston Marathon.
Mile 6 -- 10:46.11 (1:05:44.53)
Mile 7 -- 11:23.66 (1:17:08.19)
Mile 8 -- 11:36.72 (1:28:44.91)
I saw fellow Houston Running Blogger Erica Smith in this mile as I passed the mile 7 marker and she was making her approach to mile 6. (Erica followed up her half marathon debut of 2:56:02 in Houston with a 2:57:05 today despite not being able to go full speed because of an eye injury.)
Mile 9 -- 11:14.44 (1:39:59.35)
Mile 10 -- 11:38.06 (1:51:37.41)
I sort of lamented a little bit that this was 9 minutes off of my Pearland Jingle Jog 10 Miler time and 13 minutes off what I did last Sunday; however, I knew I had a plan to try and finish in 5:12.
Mile 11 -- 11:58.60 (2:03:36.01)
Mile 12 -- 11:31.78 (2:15:07.79)
Mile 13 -- 12:08.12 (2:27:15.91)
.1 to Half -- 1:04.73 (2:28:20.64)
If I hadn't met New Orleans Track Club president Chuck George at the NYC Marathon Expo, I would have thought he was crazy at this point! As half marathoners turned left to finish in front of the Superdome and marathoners veered to the right to go around it, Chuck was standing at the split with the finisher's medal around his neck imploring to marathoners - of which there were about another 120 or so behind me - that that medal is what they'd get for finishing! (Other race directors ... please don't do this!)
.9 to Mile 14 -- 11:31.65 (2:39:52.29)
Mile 14 was 12:36.38 because I ditched a heavier sweatshirt and put on my "orange" NYC race jacket that contained my Gu packets. I took an extended walk break as I talked to Waverly walking around the Superdome. I told her that I was hurting and that I was really going to need her at mile 23 to help me finish strong. Before the course turned away from the Superdome, I got my traditional kiss and pressed on!
Mile 15 -- 11:56.68 (2:51:48.97)
Mile 16 -- 11:47.59 (3:03:36.56)
Mile 17 -- 12:31.10 (3:16:07.66)
This was long because I took an extended walk break after passing the water stop and the mile 16 mile marker.
Mile 18 -- 12:29.29 (3:28:36.95)
Mile 19 -- 11:53.17 (3:40:30.12)
I saw fellow Strider John DiMarco, who posted a sweet PR! of 4:13:13, passing the other way during this mile (which was going out Prytania); however, I think my excitement came from hearing Rick Cook - on a cell phone call - in good spirits despite not being able to make the cutoff to complete the final 20-mile loop in the Rocky Raccoon 100 Miler. Even though I felt bad that he and Dalton had dnf'ed, I was proud to know we had individuals in our Houston Running Bloggers RC that made incredible efforts and accomplishments in this sport.
Mile 20 -- 12:40.44 (3:53:10.56)
Ditto from mile 17. After passing the mile 19 marker in a sub-12 minute split, I needed to take another extended break while in Audubon Park (which was way nice compared to City Park.)
Mile 21 -- 13:03.73 (4:06:14.29)
Even though this mile was a little long, I was still running, albeit slowly, which I was encouraged about.
Mile 22 -- 11:56.68 (4:18:10.97)
Mile 23 -- 12:51.60 (4:31:02.57)
Things really started to hurt here (primarily my ankles), but I saw Gena and Waverly waiting for me at the mile 23 marker. :) They both got in about 7 miles for the day!
Mile 24 -- 13:00.34 (4:44:02.91)
Mile 25 -- 14:08.96 (4:58:11.87)
Mile 26 -- 13:07.10 (5:11:18.97)
Last .2 -- 2:19.28 (5:13:38.25)
I'm pleased because I ran fairly consistent for once. That was my goal for Kingwood on New Year's Day, but the heat changed that in the back half. I ran 2:28 - on a 2:24 goal - in the front half there, but crashed and burned. Today, I did the back half in 2:45 - a 17-minute or 10% slip from the front half of 2:28 (or 168 minutes).
In normal marathon training, I probably could have done closer to the Houston time from last January because the weather conditions were absolutely ideal. Understood.
However, I ran this fairly well despite the following:
1.) About 3 hours and 15 minutes of sleep Thursday night in Vancouver before having to get up at 2 a.m. Pacific time to check out and be at the airport to go through Customs before a 6 a.m. flight. (I didn't sleep on the plane, but read a good portion of "The Perfect Mile".)
1a.) We left at 6 a.m. Pacific (8 a.m. Central) and I got home at 2:45 p.m. Friday afternoon.
2.) I got no more than 6 hours of sleep Friday night before getting up at 4 a.m. Saturday morning to drive to Huntsville to see Rick and Dalton start the Rocky Raccoon 100 Miler.
3.) I drove to Huntsville, downtown for the Buffalo Wallow 6K and then to Waverly's basketball game at 5 p.m.
4.) I got two hours of sleep Saturday evening - from 8 to 10 p.m. - before driving the first four hours - from 11 p.m. to 3 a.m. - on the way to New Orleans yesterday morning.
On to Surfside Beach on Saturday! Second marathon in 7 days!
posted by WalkSports.com | 12:20 AM
20 Comments:
You may be crazy doing that on such a little amount of sleep.
But sounds like it was fun. Nice job on finishing your 5th.
Looking forward to seeing you finishing your 6th on Saturday.
Jon- congrats! you know I think you are crazy, but I love reading about all of htis. I am nonfunctional unless I get 8 hours of sleep every night- you da man!!
WTG Jon! Looking forward to Surfside as well. See ya on the beach!
Jon, I could've sworn you said you were not going to run Mardi Gras this weekend. It's hard to get old and be so forgetful!
That is too cool about Waverly. If I bribe her with some cash, think she'd pace me in for the last 4 miles of the half this weekend?
I'd love to go to school with her today. "So Waverly, what did you do this weekend?" "Oh, I paced my dad for the marathon he ran. You know, the usual stuff."
Forgot to add....this marathon in New Mexico looks like fun.
Congrats, Jon! I'm an avid runner in the Denver area who has been sampling running blogs over the past few days and I'm totally dumbfounded by the banality if this medium. I chose you to write to because you are an award-winning sportswriter. After reading and skimming about a dozen blogs, I can't believe the amount of time and energy you folks are spending documenting all the boring minutia of your experiences with the sport. Don't get me wrong... I love marathon running and I've got stories of my own to tell... but why do you feel the need to tell the world shit like this?....
"Packet pickup went smoothly. (If you need 3M paper products, this is the race to do. Heaviest packet I've ever picked up as there was one of those heavy-duty tape dispensers in there.) I checked my personal timing chip to make sure it came up as me and went back to the truck to stay warm. It was close to 60 degrees when I left Spring; however, I decided to wear my long sleeved Penn State running shirt - and I'm glad that I did."
And this is what over 90% of running blogs are like... pathetically boring personal narratives by really slow runners who think that a poorly written blow by blow account of their five hour marathon is something worth sharing with the world. As Nancy Kerrigan said after getting hit on the knee... "WHY?! WHY?! WHY?!!!"
Do you see my point here?
-Tom Edwards
www.wallyware.biz
(my 2005 marathon story in the "What's New" section)
Tom,
Best wishes to you and all that you choose to do in life. All I can say is "to each their own."
Congratulations on all of your running and marathoning experiences, including the most aforementioned 3:14 effort on your website.
Perhaps you can ask all of the readers of this blog - which includes the 2003 Houston Marathon winner (who also ran in the 1996 Olympics) and the individual that just finished 3rd in the ING Miami Half Marathon -- why they read these "poorly written blow by blow account(s) of their five hour marathon(s)."
Perhaps then you'll find the satisfaction with the subject of your commentary.
Jon
Congratulations on another finish.
Re: Tom's comments.
I remember when I started running back in the 70’s that our form of blogging was the runner talk at whatever social function was being attended. Runners had their own language and many people would be bored to tears and just move away from the conversation.
I enjoy knowing every little detail of every event. Surviving the 15 degree weather at the Rocky Raccoon 100 miler back in 1996 is still told often. When I drive by a spot that used to host a race and I go off on a “remember when” running story with my wife trapped in the car with me. The old Houston Marathon expos in the basement of the Hyatt that were soooo over croweded. I remember every step of my 3:09 Boston qualifier in 1989 and Boston being my 10 marathon on my daughters 10th birthday. There are as many story’s as people that run and they are all worth being told. There is someone out there that will read an entry and say "hey, I can do that" and get off the couch and on the roads.
Thank you Jon for being you and providing so much good information.
You inspire many.
Jon-
you rock. enough said. if i was a guy, i would want to be a cool guy like you.
but did i already mention, you rock!
-Jessica
Great job on the marathon Jon! The audio-blogging was cool too.
Re: Tom's comments. It continuously blows my mind to see comments like this on blogs -- stuff like "why do you write such boring crap?" I would counter with, if they think it's boring crap, why are they reading it? Why waste their time to comment if it's so banal and boring and poorly written?
I just don't get it.
Funniest part -- after bashing your blog and blogs in general, he links to his and encourages you to read his own marathon story.
Laughing over here...
Wow, great web site, Tom! Not my cup of tea, alas, I won't be back.
Jon is prodigous in his blogging. Read what you like, leave the rest. Nobody is forcing you, you didn't pay. No need to be a crap head.
Cheers, Steeeve
GREAT GREAT JOB!
on the news (Today Show) on sunday morning here in Htown, they actually had someone down there reporting about the NO Marathon.
about the good parts you would see and the not so good parts..glad you did so well!!
wait a minute..i had to go back and read that Tom's snarky comment...
i could care less who thinks my blog is boring now...here is one thing i DO know..a couple of people i know that have read my blog over the past years, have now taken up running and being healthy.
thats all worth it to me.
LOL..."WHY?!WHY?!WHY?!,Tom???"
Do you see my point here, Tom? Maybe you don't because you didn't make any point so why should I?
Jon, terrific job on the New Orleans marathon. It is inspiring to hear about your running experiences. Good luck at Surfside.
Congrats Jon. You run, therefore you are cool. You blog, therefore you are way cool. You run and blog, sometimes simultaneously, therefore, you ROCK!
Congrats Jon. I hope to see you in Surfside. Keep up the good work!
KevinR
Quote: "I love marathon running and I've got stories of my own to tell... but why do you feel the need to tell the world shit like this?...."
--> TOM IS A PERSON WHO LOVES "WORLD SHIT".
"And this is what over 90% of running blogs are like... pathetically boring personal narratives by really slow runners who think that a poorly written blow by blow account of their five hour marathon is something worth sharing with the world."
---> TOM ALREADY ADDRESSES HIMSELF AS A PATHETIC RUNNER
Congrats on another marathon finish in a different state. Can you hear the call of the dirt?
Congrats on the race, Jon! Yeah, hopefully Tom didn't give Colorado runners a bad name. I'm from CO, did the Mardi Gras Marathon too, and like all the other runners enjoyed reading the minutia of race reports (I also posted a Mardi Gras race report and photos). It was a fantastic event and very uplifting to see all of the people from different states and countries come together to help the reconstruction efforts of the great city of New Orleans. Good luck at Surfside and hopefully you will be able to get more sleep beforehand this time!
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