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Bouncing Soles Posts

The Philadelphia Marathon – 2010

After months of training, various 20 mile runs to work, decents amount of speed/hill work, it was finally time to face the marathon. You really couldn’t ask for a more perfect day, the weather wasn’t too cold, not as cold as you would think it would be for November.  This is my second attempt at the marathon, last year I suffered great pain and torture as I hit the 17th mile.  It was going to be different, having put in the necessary miles I knew going out I wasn’t going to struggle like last year.  Last year, I wasn’t happy with my marathon time.  I knew that I had left a large amount of time on the table, having to walk because of cramping was discouraging.  I saw several people that were in my same position as last year, it starts to happen as you head in to Manayunk.  The large steep hill, on main street, is brutal on your already tired legs.  This is also where you can find “race supporters” handing out beer. It’s one of the moments in the race you will either love or hate for, difficult because of the hill but great for the large amount of supporters.

A concern I had this year was finding a comfortable pace, I always worry about crossing the finish line with not giving it my all.  At the beginning of the race, I said to myself, if I can hold a 7:00 minute mile pace I would be happy with that.  Using my Garmin 405, I kept a careful watch on my time.  I like having instant feedback, it helped me avoid the problems of last year.  By the end of the race I ended up averaging 8:00 minutes a mile, 48 seconds faster per mile then my time last year.  As I passed Loyld hall in the final home stretch, I passed my father who was out supporting me.  Seeing my Dad provided an extra little boost I needed to help finish the race.

Running a consistent pace helped aid in the recovery process. I also made sure to continue walking directly after the race.  Last year, I remember sitting down on the side of the curb as I tried to recover. Massaging my legs with “the stick” for 30 minutes after helped with the soreness. I also continued to massage them daily, it’s painful but critical to a quick recovery. The Turkey Trot was coming up on Thanksgiving day so I wanted to recover fast so I didn’t miss it. I know I’m not even close to being competitive with the marathon. It feels good to PR in a short race, but nothing compares to defeating the marathon and beating your previous time.

Skeleton Skurry 5K Road Run – Hatboro, PA

The skeleton skurry is a great little race that takes place in Hatboro, PA.  The weather was nice that day, only a little on the chilly side.  Running a 5K isn’t the most difficult task but just imagine having to do it in a costume.

They provided awards for:

  • OVERALL MALE AND FEMALE (5K) – TOP 3
  • AGE GROUP AWARDS – (1st, 2nd, and 3rd)
  • U13, Teens, 20’s, 30’s, 40s, 50s, 60’s, 70+
  • COSTUME PRIZES, TOP 3:
  • Best Costume – Adult and Child (3)
  • Scariest
  • Funniest Costumes (3)
  • Best Family (1)
  • Group Costumes (1)

This was my first race where I actually received an age group award.  I ended up finishing first for 20-29, and 4th overall.  My only major complaint about this race was that the course wasn’t that well marked.  It takes place in the surrounding neighborhods starting and finishing at Pennypack Elementary School.  Really, I should have come in 5th place because the kid who was in front of me ended up running the wrong way.  I know they received complaints from other runners so hopefully for next year it will be better marked.  They gave some nice awards, dinner for a family of four to McDonald’s (not my first restaurant of choice), a free month gym membership to the Hatboro YMCA, and 10 gift certificate to Dick’s sporting goods.  They even snapped a picture of my puppy who was dressed up for the occasion:

Pictures from the event
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Athlinks Results

Event Site