It is done! I really wanted to post this entry yesterday but didn’t really have time to sit down and think much about what I wanted to blog about the race. Thoughts are still going through my head and I continue to look back into the experience but know that it really is an emotional experience. These are some quick-facts but if you want to get all of the details use the continue link below. We took some photos during race day but we used a disposable camera and need to develop the film. I will upload them as soon as they are available.

• 10,400 people registered for the marathon, 8,031 runners finished the race. 4,176 were male and 3,855 were female.
• 21,500 people registered for the 1/2 marathon and 18,536 finished. 6,858 were male and 11,678 were female.
• The winning time for the men’s marathon was 2:13:08 or a pace of 5:05 minutes per mile.
• New world records were set for the 20k (55:48) and 1/2 marathon (58:55) by 2-time Olympic gold medalist Haile Gebrselassie of Ethiopia.
• I finished with a time of 3:49:52 (8:46 pace), good enough for 130th in my age division.
• Sarah completed her 1/2 marathon in 2:12:59, running through heavy pain on her back — awesome job honey!
• It was a fantastic experience for both of us and we were lucky to share it with our friends. Now we are planning the next race!

Pre Race

We woke up around 4:30am and drove to the parking lots located at the finishing point. Parking was not an issue and our shuttle bus left for the starting line just a few minutes after we get there. We heard some people had to wait up to 20-30 minutes in line to get on the bus, I guess it was a good thing we were there early. Once we arrived at the drop off point, we walked about 5 blocks to the Stage Rock tent. This is an area setup by the Scottsdale Running Company where you pay $20 to get in and you have access to a warm tent, heated bathrooms (without waiting in line), food and drinks and some complimentary energy gels and gloves. Sarah had to wait a while after I had to leave for my race so having access to this are was fantastic. I think it really takes your mind off the race since you are surrounded by familiar faces and you don’t get overwhelmed by the thousands of people that are waiting near the start.

The start

We were in corral #1 so we were only a few steps behind the elite runners. I saw them come in after their warm up and they are truly machines not just athletes. They might wait 100 pounds but those are 100 pounds of steel and yes, they only have legs and arms a torso would only get in their way :o). Regardless of what you tell yourself, you do get excited standing there waiting for the gun to go off. We started off at a nice and easy pace, joking around and taking it all it. It was just another weekend run.

The halfway point

Glen and I were moving along, feeling well and enjoying the beautiful weather we all were blessed with. The atmosphere was like one big happy party, everyone was still smiling and chatting along. At the 13 mile marker, people were cheering and we felt good, probably in our 4th or 5th adrenaline rush by this point. Glen and I were a few seconds off our 3:25 pace, this was a faster time we had trained for but everything felt good. Lungs, arms and legs were collaborating with us. My time at the 10k mark was 49:17 and 1:42:47 at the halfway point.

The injury

Shortly after mile 13 I felt a little pinch in my right knee but the paint swiftly went away so I did not pay much attention to it. I was just a couple of steps behind Glen but still keeping up the pace. At mile 15 my knee felt like it was giving up to my weight every few steps I took. The pain was not too bad but something was not right. At mile 17 my right leg decided that it was not going to collaborate

The last miles

A run this long is an emotional roller-coaster, you tell yourself just about anything you can think off to keep moving your feet. The arms, arms, arms! trick only works for so long before you realize the agony once again. The people on the street are genuinely pulling for you and for you to succeed. You can make eye-to-eye contact with another runner, no words are exchanged and you both know you are feeling the same way. You have to finish!

The finish

Knowing you are just around the corner and hearing the crowd gives you an extra boost of energy when you least expect it. Seeing the clock at the finish line makes you race to it in hope that you can shave those 2 or 3 extra seconds off your time. It is an amazing feeling to see yourself cross that line for the very first time.

Afterwards we got together with friends for a beer and talk about our own experiences, we all ran a different race but once it was over we realized how much fun it really was. Despite the pain and cramping muscles, those early saturday morning runs had served their purpose. Our times were not exactly what we had in mind when we got started but we must keep in mind the big picture, Sarah and I had just finished the longest runs we had ever attempted. Even better, we had our friends around to laugh with and knew exactly what we all had done.

There was a quote on this month’s Runner’s World that talked about the percent of people that complete a marathon. I don’t recall the exact number but based on 2004 numbers, it was less than 1% of the US population. I am now part of that minority!