Rosswog Running Blog

Following a busy week at work, I jumped on the old rickety treadmill and knocked out 3.3 miles at an easy pace before heading home. After I arrived at home, I went out for an evening run up to Mill Creek Elementary then over to 1500 South and back by way of Big Cottonwood Park where I completed two laps around the softball complex. In total, this evening run was 4.1 miles in distance at a relatively easy pace.

In regards to my non-running workout, I completed 300 sit-ups, 30 push-ups, and 50 (16 lbs) curls.

This Saturday morning, I jogged 3.4 miles over to the Salt Lake Running Company to meet up with the gang for a group run.  This time the group only consisted of two other runners since the Saint George Marathon was taking place today.  For this workout, we ran over to Liberty Park and completed two laps around the park before heading back to the store.  The total distance of this run was 6.45 miles at a 7:25-minutes-per-mile pace (average heart rate: 147 bpm).  This was my first run with my new Garmin 405CX watch and I really love its functionality and the heart rate monitor fits much better than the past style.

After jogging the 3.4 back to home, I slipped on my Vibram Five Fingers for the first time in a long time then jogged over to Big Cottonwood Park.  Once at the park, I completed two laps around the softball complex before heading back for a distance of 1.8 miles.  In addition, I went back out for a run over to Murray-Holladay Road then down to Wal-Mart to get my flu shot before heading back.  The total distances of this run was 3.7 miles at an easy pace.

Lastly, for my non-running workout, I was able to complete my standard routine of 300 sit-ups and 30 push-ups.

This Sunday morning, I woke up early and jogged 0.65 of a mile over to Big Cottonwood Park to meet up with a couple of friends for a hill workout.  This workout consisted of running through the Holladay neighborhoods up and over the Wasatch Boulevard and through the Olympus Cove neighborhoods to the Mt. Olympus trailhead.  We completed this brutal 5.3-mile ascent in a personal best time for me of 45:50 (i.e., a pace of 8:41 minutes per mile with my average heart rate being 161 bpm).  After taking a few minutes to cool down while overlooking the Salt Lake Valley, we took it relatively easy and coasted the 5.25 miles back to the park.  I then did a 0.65-mile cool-down run back to home.

In order to get in a few extra miles, I put on my Vibram Five Fingers and ran over to the Big Cottonwood Park where I completed a single lap around the softball complex before heading back.  After switching into my Adidas Sequence road shoes, I headed back out by running over to Murray-Holladay Road and Highland Drive then back.  In total, this run covered 5.25 miles at an easy/recovery pace.

While watching my Broncos win a close game over the Titans, I was able to get in 300 sit-ups and 30 push-ups for my non-running workout.

It was an extremely busy Monday for me at work; therefore, I headed home and out for an evening run over to Big Cottonwood Park.  Once at the park, I completed 8 laps around the softball complex before heading back home.  In total, I was able to get in 4.2 miles at a relatively easy pace (i.e., 7:59 minutes per mile).

For my non-running workout, I was able to accomplish 300 sit-ups and 30 push-ups.

Since I worked some overtime today, I headed home and out for a late evening run over to the Cottonwood Country Club and back by way of Big Cottonwood Park.  The total distance of this run was 6.6 miles at an easy pace (i.e., 8:43 minutes per mile).

In regards to my non-running workout, I completed my typical routine of 300 sit-ups and 30 push-ups.

During my break from work, I discovered that they fixed one of the newer treadmills.  As a result, I could not wait to get off of work!  Following work, I immediately hit the treadmill for a total of 4.6 miles.  Of this distance, I was able to get in a half mile at marathon pace while the rest was at an easy pace. 

After I got home from work, I slipped on my Vibram Five Fingers and ran over to Big Cottonwood Park where I ran two laps around the softball complex before heading back for a total distance of 1.7 miles at an easy pace.

Finally, for my non-running workout I was able to get in 300 sit-ups, 30 push-ups, and 60 (50 lbs) curls.

Since I worked late today, I did not have enough time to hit the treadmill; therefore, I headed home and out for an evening run.  For this evening workout, I ran up to the Smith-Kiln Chimney and back.  The total distance of this run was only 4.1 miles at an easy pace; that is, I figured my legs needed a recovery day before putting in some real mileage this weekend.

My daily non-running workout consisted of 300 push-ups, 30 sit-ups, 130 (50, 16 lbs) curls, and 40 (50 lbs) reverse curls.

Following a busy day at work, I headed home and took a nap before heading out for a late, late evening run.  For this run, I ran over to the Cottonwood Country Club and back by way of Big Cottonwood Park.  Then I ran back through the park and over to Mill Creek Elementary before heading back home and calling it a night.  The total distance of this run was 10.3 miles at an easy pace (i.e., 8:53 minutes per mile).

In regards to my non-running workout, I was able to get in 300 sit-ups and 30 push-ups.

After a short night of sleep, I got out for an early morning run.  Even though my legs were a little tired, this was a nice short turnaround run; therefore, great training for the Ragnar Las Vegas Relay (which is only two weeks away).  I jogged 3.35 miles over to the Salt Lake Running Company where I met up with the gang.  We ran our standard 6.4-mile Sugar House Park route that includes two laps around the park (one outer and one inter loop).  I completed this run in a total time of 46:23 (i.e., a pace of 7:15 minutes per mile with a heart rate of 163 bmp) with 1.4 miles being at marathon pace.  I finished off my morning workout by jogging 3.4 miles back to home.

In order not only to get in a few extra miles, but also to prepare for my up and coming relay race, I headed out for an evening run up to the Smith-Kiln Chimney and back.  The total distance of this run was 4.15 miles at an easy pace.  Overall, my legs are tired and sore (especially my left hip), but I was not filling too bad and will be ready to run again early tomorrow morning.

Finally, for my non-running workout, I completed my typical routine of 300 sit-ups and 30 push-ups.

I woke up early this morning and after stretching out my tired legs, I jogged through the early-morning darkness up to Skyline High School.  After stretching for another ten minutes, I ran up Mill Creek Canyon to the Pipeline Trailhead where ascended Rattlesnake Gulch then ran along Pipeline to the Grandeur Peak Trailhead before returning to the road.  I ran back down the Canyon and returned to Skyline High School where I completed a single lap around the school’s track before heading back to home.  In total, I was able to complete 19.2 miles at a relatively slow pace (heart rate: 133 bpm); however, this finished an excellent weekend of great training runs in preparation for the Ragnar Las Vegas Relay that is less than two weeks away.

While watching my Broncos lose to a very good Baltimore Raven team, I completed my non-running workout of 200 sit-ups and 30 push-ups

After a busy Monday at work, I hit the treadmill and was only able to run for 1.3 miles (a half of a mile at marathon pace) before catching the bus home.  Consequently, after I got home I headed out for a run over to Big Cottonwood Park where I completed ten laps around the softball complex before calling it a day.  It was sort of funny in that a little kid yelled at me almost every time I completed a lap, “how many times are you going to go around?”  Even though I kept shouting back that I was aiming for ten laps, he kept asking the question with a tone of I-cannot-understand-why-this-tall-guy-keeps-running-around-in-a-circle-like-a-ninny.  Anyways, I ran for a total distance of 5.0 miles at a relatively easy pace (i.e., 7:51 minutes per mile). 

While listening to my Jazz finish up a pre-season win over the Blazers, I completed my daily non-running workout of 300 sit-ups and 30 push-ups.

After work, I hit the treadmill and knocked out an even 2.0 miles.  Of this distance, 1.2 miles was at marathon pace (while the rest was at an easy pace), so I’m slowing regaining my form while my left hamstring really just feels tight (i.e., very little soreness).  I then jogged 2.5 miles from the International Center to the Airport then followed this up with a 1.7-mile evening run.  This latter run I did in Vibram Five Fingers which involved jogging over to Big Cottonwood Park and completing two laps around the softball complex before heading back.

In regard to my non-running workout, I was able to get in 300 sit-ups and 30 push-ups.

Following another long day at work, I headed home and out for an evening run over to the Cottonwood Country Club and back.  The total distance of this run was 6.5 miles and since I became a little bit sick near the end, it was at a pretty slow pace.  Also, my left hamstring started to act up again throughout the run; that is, stiff and sore.  Consequently, I applied plenty of ice to it right after I finished running.

Also, my daily non-running workout consisted of the standard 300 sit-ups and 30 push-ups.

An interesting running article in today’s Wall Street Journal entitled, “It’s Time for Women to Run Faster.”  I’m wondering if they are going to eventually decrease BQ times across the board.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703673604575550133914934718.html

After work, I was able to get in a short 4.4-mile tempo run on treadmill that felt great (i.e., not too much tightness in my left hamstring).  Of this distance, I completed 2.6 miles at marathon pace while the rest was at a relatively easy pace (overall average pace was 6:53 minutes per mile).

In addition, I completed 300 sit-ups and 30 push-ups for my non-running workout before calling it a day.

After a busy day and week of work, I decided to head home and out for a late evening run (i.e., good Ragnar Relay training).  For this run, I ran up to Olympus High School where I completed five laps around the school’s track before heading back and calling it a day.  The total distance of this run was 7.1 miles at an easy pace.  I made an effort to keep it slow in order to be ready for a fast group run at the Salt Lake Running Company tomorrow.

Finally, for my non-running workout, I was able to get in 300 sit-ups and 30 push-ups.

I woke up early this morning and jogged 3.5 miles over to the Salt Lake Running Company to meet up with the gang for a group run up to Liberty Park.  This run consisted of two laps around the park for a total distance of 6.5 miles.  I pushed the pace during this workout was able to complete it in the upper boundary of my marathon-pace range (i.e., a 6:50 minutes per mile pace).  Certainly, not my fastest run, but the fastest training run that I have completed since I pulled my left hamstring over a month ago.  Consequently, it’s progress.

After meeting with our Ragnar Las Vegas Relay team (i.e., our final team meeting before our big race next weekend), I jogged 3.4 miles back to home.  In order to get in some extra miles and to get use to running at multiple times during the day for our relay race, I headed out for an evening run up to Brickyard Shopping Plaza then over to Granite High School and back.  The total distance of this run was a 5.7 miles at an easy pace.

In regards to my non-running workout, I completed my standard workout of 300 sit-ups and 30 push-ups.

I set my alarm for this morning to go off at 5:30 am in order to have plenty of time to meet up with a couple of friends for a 6:30 am run.  However, there was an alarm-clock malfunction and when I woke up and looked at my watch, it was 6:31.  Consequently, I quickly got dressed and filled up my water bottle then ran a half a mile over to Big Cottonwood Park where thankfully my friends were patiently waiting for me.  After apologizing (i.e., the one setting up the group run should not be late), we ran up to Olympus High School then down to 6200 and over to the Van Winkle Expressway taking the Salt Lake Marathon course over to 700 East and 4500 South before heading back to the park.  The total distance of this run was 11.15 miles at a 7:10 average pace (of this distance, one mile as at marathon pace).  I felt great for the first four miles then my bothersome hamstring started to slowly tighten up; therefore, it is very frustrating since I have a marathon in exactly two weeks.  With that said, I’m trying to keep focused on how far I have progressed over the last month with my hamstring.

After a 0.65-mile jog back home, eating some breakfast, and icing my hamstring, I headed back out for a run over to the Lion’s Recreation Center then over to Smith’s and back to home.  The total distance of this run was an even 6.0 miles at an easy pace.

While watching my Broncos lose another tough game (this time to the Jets), I completed my non-running workout of 300 sit-ups and 30 push-ups.

It was a late night of packing; therefore, a short night of sleep before catching an early morning flight to San Francisco. Following a busy day in the office, I headed out for an evening run down The Embarcadero to Fisherman’s Warf, then up to Ghirardelli Square before heading back to my hotel on California. The total distance of this run was 4.7 miles at any pace. I pretty much decided to have a recovery day today in order to go on an early morning run tomorrow to the Golden Gate Bridge.

For my non-running workout, I was able to complete 300 sit-ups and 30 push-ups.

This morning, I woke up just before 6:00 am and headed out to Pier 1 and down The Embarcadero, past Fisherman’s Warf, through Fort Mason, to Crissy Field, then to Fort Point at the base of the Golden Gate Bridge before heading back.  It was so foggy this morning that I could only begin to see that I was next to the Golden Gate Bridge when I was about a half-mile away and when at the Fort, I could only make out the base of bridge and the road above.  It was truly engulfed in the infamous San Fran fog.  Also, the waves crashing against the rocky shore (showering the running path) and the constant fog horn made for an unreal experience.  On the way back, I saw a group of tri-athletes (a dozen or so) swimming in the Bay at the Marina Green and as the fog started to let up a little bit as the sun came out it made for a scenic view of the Bay Bridge.  In total, I was able to get in 12.15 miles at a relatively easy pace (i.e., 8:04 minutes per mile).

Finally, for my non-running workout, I completed my typical routine of 300 sit-ups and 30 push-ups.

With the underdog, hometown, Giant’s defeating the Phillies yesterday afternoon; the city has a major case of baseball fever.  As a result, I needed and went out for a morning run down to AT&T Ballpark where I checked out the venue as I jogged around it.  What a neat ballpark (looks as cool in real life as on television) and the ability to see the field (at field level) through Triples Alley was unique to any ballpark that I have been to.  The excitement must be contagious because I knocked out a 6:35 mile while running back up The Embarcadero to Pier 23.  There are so many morning runners on The Embarcadero, thus it’s hard not to pick up the pace.  I then finished my run by pacing a Trolley car up California to Stockton (a really steep hill, but at sea level ascending it does not feel that bad).  The total distance of this run was 6/2 miles and with the exception of that one mile on The Embarcadero, it was at an easy pace.

For my non-running workout, I completed my typical routine of 300 sit-ups and 30 push-ups.

After getting back from San Fran and discovering before I left that my team for the Ragnar Las Vegas Relay had become defunct due to a lack of runners, I just needed a recovery day. Consequently, after work I headed home and out for an evening run up to the Smith-Kiln Chimney at the Brickyard Shopping Plaza before heading back to home. The total distance of this run was 4.2 miles at a relatively easy pace. In regards to the Ragnar Las Vegas Relay, I was really looking forward to this race (i.e., it was the perfect opportunity to test out my left hamstring before next week’s marathon) and to spending time with my running friends on the team. Needless to say, I’m disappointed that we will not be running the Ragnar this weekend. With that said, it’s great to be back home in Salt Lake City.

Lastly, for my non-running workout, I completed my typical routine of 300 sit-ups and 30 push-ups.

Following a busy day a work where I did notice that our noon PST came and went that my Ragnar team was officially a DNP.  I have never been classified as a DNP (or DNF); however, my team was not built to make up for the five runners that had dropped out.  So I’m going to have to live with it and learn from it.  Anyways, after a busy day at work, I jogged from my office building down to the airport bike path gate before catch the bus home.  Once at home, I went out for an evening run over to Big Cottonwood Park where I completed eight laps around the softball complex before heading back and calling it a day.  The total distance of these two runs was 5.1 miles at an easy pace.

In regards to my non-running, I was my typical day of 300 sit-ups and 30 push-ups.  Hopefully next week I can take some time out of my day to hit the weights.    

This Saturday morning, I ran 3.4 miles down to the Salt Lake Running Company for a group run. With the exception of our group leader (who was surprised to see me since she had no heard the unfortunate news about our Ragnar team disbanding), I met up with a whole new group of runners, which is neat and should be a good sign that we’ll have a large Saturday-morning group throughout the winter.  For this run, we ran up to Sugar House Park and completed one lap around the outer loop one lap around inter-road before heading back to the store.  The total distance of this run was 6.2 miles and I kept it at a relatively easy pace.  Unlike the past few group runs, I did not feel like pushing the pace during this on, but I felt content in helping out our leader in making sure all of our new runners knew the way.  I then jogged the 3.4 miles back to home as a little bit of rain began to come down (in other words, perfectly cool running weather).

After working on some of the logistics for the Fight for Air Climb that I am volunteering with the American Lung Association to help organize, I went out for an evening jog in my Vibram Five Fingers.  For this run, I ran up to Saint Mark’s Hospital and back home by way of Big Cottonwood Park, which included a lap around the softball complex.  The total distance of this run was 2.8 miles.

Lastly, my non-running workout consisted of 300 sit-ups and 30 push-ups.

Early this morning (i.e., 5:30 am), I ran 5.4 miles at an easy pace over to Sugar House Park to meet up with my friends for a group run.  For our morning run we ran through the neighborhoods up Parley’s and over to 3300 South then we took the Bonneville Shoreline Trail to Foothill Mall before heading back to the park.  The total distance of this run was an even 10.0 miles at a 7:15 minutes-per-mile pace (two miles of this distance at marathon pace).  I then jogged 3.85 miles back home taking the most direct route from Sugar House Park.  Following some breakfast and a short nap, I slipped on my Vibram 5 Fingers and jogged 0.85 of a mile over to Smith’s to pick up some groceries and back.

While watching my Broncos get completely destroyed by my least favorite division rival (i.e., the Raiders), I completed my non-running workout of 300 sit-ups and 30 push-ups.  With the way the Broncos are playing, the Jazz regular season could not start soon enough (i.e., this Wednesday against the Nuggets).

Before attending my volunteer committee with the American Lung Association, I went out for a nice morning run over to the Lions Recreation Center then up to the Brickyard shopping plaza before heading back home. The total distance of this run was 6.8 miles at an easy pace. After I got home from work, I headed out for an evening run over to Big Cottonwood Park where I completed six laps around the softball complex before heading home and calling it a day. The total distance of this run was 3.4 miles at an easy pace.

Besides a 9.8 mile bike ride to and from work, my non-running workout consisted of 300 sit-ups and 30 push-ups.

After I got home from work today, I reluctantly headed out into the dark and the sleet for my daily run.  Needing to get in at least ten miles to allow me to meet my weekly millage quota while allowing myself to taper for the remaining part of the week for Sunday’s marathon, I was not motivated at all for this run.  Also, needing to pick up a few things at REI for my upcoming trip entailed running uphill and straight into the storm.  As I ran eastward to REI from my house, the wet snow was pelting me in the face.  I could not wait to change direction, but when I began to run north, the direction of the snow seemed to change, because it just kept pelting against me and when I began to run back from REI it just seemed to get worse when I was looking for a little relief.  In short, I was running into the wind and snow no matter what direction I ran.  I almost cut this run short several times (and might have if I was not preparing to taper for a marathon); however, I kept running and a few miles away from home, the sleet stopped and the weather was calm.   As I descended down 3900 South, overlooking the beautiful lights of the city, all of sudden I felt a great sense of achievement in that it seemed like Mother Nature was giving me break after a brutal uphill run.  In total, I was able to get in 10.1 miles at a slow, but challenging pace.

Finally, for my non-running workout, I completed 300 sit-ups, 30 push-ups, and 60 (50 lbs) curls.

Following a particular busy day at work due to having to finish up on a number of tasks before taking a week of vacation, I ran from the International Center over to the airport by way of the bike path. The total distance of this run was 4.1 miles at an easy pace; that is, marking my first day of tapering for the Marines Corps Marathon.

In regards to my non-running workout, I completed my typical routine of 300 sit-ups and 30 push-ups.

I flew out to Baltimore this morning and after settling in at my sister’s house, I went out for an evening run over to Johns Hopkins University and completed five laps around the track before heading back.  On this second day of tapering for Sunday’s marathon, I ran 4.7 miles at an easy pace.

Before I left to the airport to catch my flight to Baltimore, I completed my non-running workout of 300 sit-ups and 30 push-ups.

After watching my Jazz lose a disappointing game to the Suns last night (they still need to improve their transition defense),  I did some major sleeping in this morning especially since the game did not end until 1:30 am EST.  Consequently, I had a late breakfast and headed down to the MAC (Maryland Athletic Club) at the Inner Harbor and hit the treadmill.  After a half mile warm-up, I ran for mile at marathon pace, a quarter mile at threshold pace followed by 2.05 miles at a marathon pace.  Overall, a nice 3.8-mile run at a 6:58 minutes-per-mile pace.

Also, late in the afternoon, I headed out for a mile jog around Stadium Place (i.e., the old site of the Memorial Coliseum where the Orioles and Colts once played--a park, YMCA, and apartment complex are now on this lot) to finish my third consecutive day of tapering for the Marines Corps Marathon.

For my daily non-running workout, I was able to get in 300 sit-ups and 30 push-ups.

After a good night of sleep, I woke up this morning and headed out into the chilly cool air for my final day of tapering before the big race.  The temperatures have really dropped in Baltimore over the past day to where it’s below freezing during the night; therefore, I’m a little bit worried about how cold it’s going to be before tomorrow’s race (i.e., I always seem to just about freeze to death before every marathon; case in point, I even bundle up for the D-News Marathon because even 60 degrees at the starting line feels cool to me).  Anyway, for my morning run, I jogged from my sister’s house on Yolando down to Lake Montebello where I completed one lap around the lake.  I headed back by way of climbing the stairs at the Montebello Edison Elementary School then up 33rd Street.  The total distance of this run was 4.2 miles at a very relax pace.

After the Stewart and Colbert Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear, along with my sister and brother-in-law, we headed over to the Washington Convention Center for the MCM Expo.  With over 40,000 runners, the Expo was enormous with numerous vendors and lots of freebees.  Representatives were there from a number of marathons around the country, thus it was fun to check out the different cities and courses that I’ll be daydreaming about running.

Finally, before taking the drive down to DC, I completed my non-running workout of 300 sit-ups and 30 push-ups.

Happy Halloween!!!  Okay, my Marine-Corps-Marathon splits pretty much tell the story of my race:  7:07, 7:46, 7:06, 7:13, 7:08, 7:24, 7:21, 6:37, 6:35, 6:17, 6:28, 6:15, 6:17, 6:17, 6:18,6:14, 6:16, 6:19, 6:15, 6:23, 6:22, 6:32, 6:31, 6:43, 6:50, 6:38, and 3:13.

First of all, I started probably somewhere between 10,000 to 20,000 runners back in a pack that contained over 41,000 runners.  The 2008 Boston Marathon has really been my only running experience in a big city marathon with tens of thousands of participants (i.e., I have run Baltimore and Philadelphia, which are certainly big city races with tons of runners, but they both also had half-marathon races time which contained the majority of runners, thus breaking up the congestion).  Compared to the MCM, Boston is much more organized with corrals that are easy to access and two waves.  In addition, everyone that runs Boston is fast, so even though you are in a sizeable crowd at the start, the pace is fast.  However, the MCM did have one section at the very front that I never made it to for participants with the bib numbers 1-500.  These bib numbers represented runners with the top 500 fastest times based off of a personal marathon best within the past year.  My bib number was 328, thus I could have and wanted to stake out a position up front.  However, I discovered that you really need get to the MCM starting line an hour-and-a-half to two hours before the official start of the race.  My wake up call was at 5:00 am (three hours before the start); however, I dilly-dallied around two much in my hotel room (probably because I was so nervous; I was doing a lot of stretching and my standard sit-up and push-up routine) because I did not start walking down to the start until 6:50 am.  As a result, it’s completely my own fault for my middle-of-the-pack starting position.  After the starting cannon was fired at exactly 8:00 am, my first seven miles were relatively slow.  I was really lucky to get the seven-minute-plus splits that I posted, because I was running in the gutter, on the sidewalks, and on the dirt/grass embankment of the George Washington Memorial Parkway to earn these splits.  Also, miles 1-3 and 7-8 are the only hills on the course beside the final 0.2-mile hill (i.e., the rest of the course is sea-level flat); therefore, miles 4-6 are the downhill part off of the first hill, but my splits were 7:13, 7:08, and 7:24.  Needless to say it was crowded and I have to admit I was a little frustrated when I passed the 3:40 pace team at mile marker seven.  With that said, I kept my poise and the congestion started to break apart as we climbed that second hill and went by Georgetown University.

Secondly, it is evident by my splits that as we passed The Kennedy Center and began to run around the East Potomac Gulf Course my minutes per mile began to decline and I was able to get into a nice rhythm.   With that said, I was hoping to get in a few sub-six-minute miles, but I was only able to dip below a six-minute pace a few times for a quarter mile or so before my left hamstring really started to tighten up.  It’s almost like I have a barrier at the 6:10 pace before I start doubting if my hamstring will hold up (note: good progress from a few weeks ago where this barrier seem to be at 6:40); therefore, I tried to keep my pace at sub-6:20, which I was able to accomplish this until mile twenty.

Thirdly, my splits depict that after running around The Mall (by the way, what an awesome feeling to run by the Jefferson Washington, and Lincoln Memorials and by the White House and Capitol Building) and by the famous red-brick Smithsonian building, my pace began to slow. At mile twenty, you reach the 1.1-mile 14th-Street Bridge (a.k.a. Rochambeau Memorial Bridge) that goes back over the Potomac into Crystal City.  Race folklore is that the 14th-Street Bridge feels like eleven miles long and I can vouch that it seems to go on forever.  The last miles of the course takes you on an up-and-back through Crystal City--where the energetic and loud fans really turn out to cheer on the runners--and by The Pentagon and Arlington National Cemetery to the finish line at the Iwo-Jima Memorial.   As I neared the finish line, my hamstring seemed to tighten up a little bit as my legs began feel heavy and according to my Garmin, I ended up running a third of mile longer than the 26.2-miles mainly due to inefficiencies caused by trying to navigate through a large crowd.  However, I finished with a pretty good kick leading up to and over the infamous 0.2-mile hill.  It really felt awesome and patriotic ascending the Iwo-Jima-Memorial hill with all the marines lining the road to cheer us across the finish line.  Marines even awarded all finishers with a very neat looking medal (i.e., an Iwo-Jima design with the Marine Corps slogan of “Semper Fi” printed on them).

In summary, I finished with a respectable time of 2:56:24 (i.e., an average pace of 6:44 minutes per mile).  On one hand, with a better starting spot I might have been able to run under 2:50.  On the other hand, with my left hamstring, starting out too fast might have caused it to tighten up much earlier.  Either way, I’m not even close to my goal of a sub-6:00 pace for a marathon, which is frustrating, but will provide me with plenty of motivation to improve.  Also, after I took a shuttle over to Crystal City and returned to my hotel, my legs were still feeling pretty good; therefore, I jogged two miles down to the finish line to cheer in all of the runners until they officially closed the course then I jogged back to my hotel.  Since they have given me such great support during a number of races, I was hoping to see my sister and brother-in-law cross the finish line.  This was their first attempt at the marathon.  They have run and number of half marathons and were planning to run-walk this full-marathon since they had not run over 13.1 miles before.  However, my sister’s knee began to lockup after the halfway point (i.e., dreaded IT band issues), so unfortunately they were unable to finish.  The run walk strategy does not go well with IT band issues because you cannot run through it in that every time you walk your knee stiffness up and running on it feels really painful.  Nevertheless, they set a personal best for distance and are motivated to keep at it which is always great to see!  In addition, I had a fantastic time with cheering in all the runners as they made their final push up the hill and through the finish line.  It was extremely motivating to see the determination and perseverance of these runners; it’s what running is all about!!!  Supporting my fellow runners really helped put everything into perspective, even though I motivate myself to run a PR (i.e., provides great incentive to push myself during training), I realize that running is about so much more.  It’s a little bit corny, but running has provided me with the confidence that hard work does pay off, taught me lessons on how to deal with not meeting my goals, given me the opportunity to spend quality time with family members, helped me establish new friendships, and taken me place that I would have never visited otherwise.  With that said, a MCM OORAH from Arlington!!!