So how are the balls of your feet???

As a tribute to “positive” splits, here are my times:
8:44 - 1
7:52
8:07
8:11
8:01
7:52 – good band!
8:13
8:17
8:00
8:24
8:20
8:35
8:17
8:52 – half way – slowing, but on pace to my goal! (barely!)
8:17
8:52
8:19
8:46
8:46
8:51
9:19
9:30
9:30
9:40
10:09
10:09
9:50
1:54


Well, I tried! I ran the Columbus Marathon on Sunday, hoping to get a Boston qualifying time of 3:35:59. I knew this was a lofty goal, but you have to start some where. I needed to keep up an 8:14 pace, and I was there for the first half (the easy half!) - Plus SHawn was able to cheer me on two times in the first half! But, as you can see, second half was not so good!

At mile 15 or so, my feet started hurting - like a muscle hurt (from flexing a gajillion times!) - probably due to the fact that I do a lot of cross training (bike and elliptical machine) to save my knees. Then I could feel I was getting a blister on the ball of my foot. The miles certainly took their toll…

I modified my goals as the day proceeded and my last and final goal was to run the entire way, no walk breaks – I managed to shuffle through and get this goal. In the end I was happy. I crossed the line at 3:50:19 – not great, not my goal – but my best marathon time in 25 year! It was sooo great having Shawn there, last time I ran it ('99), she could not get down to Columbus, maybe cause Aimee was swimming?? - we wern't sure.

Today I feel good, I am fatigued (for sure), my calves ache (esp. going down stairs) and I have that big blister on the ball of my right foot. I’ll survive and I’ll be back running in a few days or so.

On the last few miles of my other marathons, I was always thinking “why did I choose to do this?” after this run, I’m thinking, “I can do this - and with a little more training, I can get to my goal.” I’m pretty sure I’ll be running a spring marathon in 2010.

Fun along the way:

I liked a tee shirt that said “16 weeks ago this seemed like such a good idea!”

They had a band playing every 1/3 mile or so - some good, some not so good… my fav was at about mile 5 (note my fast split!) that was playing the Jet’s song “Are You Gonna Be My Girl”. I was applauding and dancing a bit for that! I heard two bands play Johnny be good and I wondered if anyone else had my same exact pace to hear that. At another band, they were taking a break and a runner ahead of me was ribbing the band for not playing – “Give us some guitar at least” he said, I yelled out “at least your generator is sounding good!” .

At the end I saw a lady in a Winnie the Pooh sweat shirt and I was able to give my favorite “Hey, you got Pooh on your shirt” joke – I think I heard the people she was with chuckle a little bit : - ).