Oregon Rainrunner: Newport Marathon results

Newport marathon Saturday June 5th 7:00 am
Newport Oregon

Total time : 3:23:48
Third in the 50-54 male age group

mile 1 - 7:09
mile 2 & 3 - 13:47 (6:53 average)
(oops, forgot to get the split, was talking to some other runners about their goal.)
mile 4 - 6:37
mile 5 - 7:12 (last of the hills before the one at the finish)
mile 6 - 6:49
mile 7 - 6:45
mile 8 - 7:17
mile 9 - 7:03
mile 10 - 6:53
mile 11 - 6:57
mile 12 - 7:10
Mile 13 - 7:15
mile 14 - 7:17
mile 15 - 7:32
mile 16 - 7:33
mile 17 - 7:20
mile 18 - 7:45
mile 19 - 7:53
mile 20 - 8:10
mile 21 - 8:48
mile 22 - 8:58
mile 23 - 9:26
mile 24 & 25 - 18:25 (9:12.5 average)
(I was starting to loose it, I saw the marker but forgot to click the watch)
mile 26 - 11:06
last .1 - 2:24

Though I faded during the last stages of the race, I am not disappointed, I ran what I felt, and the last several miles I felt like jogging. I really hit the wall the last mile, I felt dizzy and thought I might throw up, but was able to keep a shuffle jog to the finish.

The race started at the Yaquina lighthouse, and dropped down into the Nye beach area of town and wound around residential and beach front, then back around the lighthouse to the Yaquina bay for the first four miles, this was the hilly part of the course, not of the hills really long or steep. The race then ran along the Yaquna bay and up the river to the turn around just beyond the 15 mile mark, and back to the finish. This was and extremely flat and scenic section with plenty of shade and long winding curves. There was a short hill before the finish, but I was so out of it, I was still looking for the hill when I was going through the finish chute.
I would strongly recommend this race to everyone.
(and if you do, register at the Rogue beer company web site so you get a free pint and t-shirt when you go eat and drink there)

I started about 10 yards back from the start line, with only 800 runners they don't have the pace group thing going on. I spent the first mile zig zagging around other runners, to a point where all the runners were going my pace. My wife was out there with a sigh, one side said "Happy Birthday" and the other " Run Fast".
It put a smile of my face to see here. She stood at a point where she was able to see me three times. She then headed over to take the shuttle they had for spectators to view the runners along the course and met me at the turn around. I am not sure who all she talked to, but people all over the course were wishing me a happy birthday. I love her.
I found a couple of runners who said they were going for a 3 hour goal, and decided to keep them in sight as long as I could. They were about 100 yards ahead of me along the river section, but I would loose them briefly on the curves, and see them again and re-concentrate on maintaining pace or even slowly catching them. The turn around was extremely crowded with spectators all cheering, and then we started to share the road with the runners on the way out. It was a bit much for me, and I lost my concentration. And began to slow down. I ended up running a jogging pace, but just couldn't break out of it and get back into my running pace. At mile 23 my left hamstring cramped up. I had to stop and hold a stretch until the cramp went away. I was worried that it wouldn't and I would have to walk/jog from there, but it did go away, and I started up slowly and got back to that easy pace once again. Runners from that point were passing me with ease, I would try to hold onto their pace for a while, but let them go. Boy did I hit the wall at the 25 mile mark, my wife met me out there close to the finish to cheer me on, and was walking faster than I was running. I made it to the finish, and in the recovery area, several volunteers came up to me to check on me and give me water.
I spend 1/2 hour there, then went back to the yurt and took an hour nap while Ann went on the beach looking for agates. Once she returned, I felt a whole lot better and we went back to Newport for the awards ceremony and then to the Rogue brewery for some beer and burgers.
All in all, it was a great day!!!

I am a bit stiff now, a couple of toes that are blistered on the tips, but other than that I am feeling great, and getting antsy to get ready for my track season.
I am not saying that I will never run a marathon again, but I doubt it.

It official now:
The marathon is definitely harder than the 800 meters.

Before the start