2010 Detroit Marathon Experience
My goal was to break 3:20:59 (essentially 7:40 per mile) and qualify for Boston. The start was in the dark under the lights. Very organized, quick walk from the hotel, and not overcrowded. I was in the second of ten or so waves so I had a good place. Found the 3:20 pace group right away. Leader was a very small woman who had just run Chicago a week earlier and Olympic qualifier caliber. Temperature was probably high 40s. And because it is Detroit, they played Enimem’s song Eight mile as they counted down to the start. So everything looked perfect. Start was not that congested, but the first mile was a little slow, the second a little fast so was basically on pace by the end of mile two. We soon started to climb the Ambassador bridge. It was actually a long hill. Not very steep but probably about a mile. I stayed right in front one pace group the entire time. As we entered Canada there were a lot of people cheering given how early it was in the morning. As I started to warm up, my mile paces started to pick up a bit. I was doing a lot of 7:25s or so and got a little ahead of the pace group. So I slowed down some and they were quickly right behind me. As we went into the one mile tunnel back to Detroit it was probably 15 degrees warmer inside the tunnel and the air seemed stale. Pace group was still right behind me. But as I got out of the tunnel I didn’t see the pace group. I slowed a bit and ran a 7:50 but still didn’t see them. So I forgot about the group and started running 7:35s pretty consistently. At this point we were sort of on the outskirts of downtown so there weren’t really any spectators. Not a great section of town but not too bad. The weird thing about this race, and I guess this is common outside the big marathons, is that it was not only marathon runners, but half marathon runners and marathon relay runners. So as we got close to the end of the half marathon a lot of them started to pass me which makes it hard for me to keep my competitive juices in place and to keep my pace. But I generally kept it consistent. After the halfway point it was just marathon runners and the race became sparse. A woman asked me what time I was going for and after I told her she said was going for the same time. This will become important later. I kept the pace up. But at mile 16 it started to get a little hard for the first time. I still kept the pace but this was definitely earlier than I had hoped for the running to get difficult. We were in some wealthy part of Detroit with large old houses and not too many spectators. Although the ones that were there were really vocal. There was a u-turn around mile 17 and I saw the pace group maybe 40 seconds behind me. I figured I would just go at whatever pace I could do in some comfort and when they catch me just hang on with them. But I was able to do the next few miles around 7:40 so did not see them. Belle island was essentially a big park. So few spectators. This is when it got really hard and I started to drop pace. Miles 20 to 22 were hard. I was waiting for the pace group to catch me so I could use them to drag me home. I was still passing people and only occasionally got passed so I knew I was generally keeping pace. Doing the math in my head constantly I figured I had to keep a 7:40 pace the last 4 miles to make it. Doable but I was definitely not looking forward to it. Soon I saw the woman from before. Her training partner was on a bike next to her shouting encouragement and letting her know what to expect on the course. She saw me and said “oh you got this”. I said “I think so but it is going to be close”. So she tells the guy on the bike that I’m going for Boston qualifying so he starts to goad me on too. I am not feeling good but end up following her for a couple miles since she is doing 7:40s. The guy on the bike is great. “big turn up here then the mile marker” or “pick it up…pass those people ahead” or “skip that water station and use your arms if you need to”. I was barely hanging on so this was a huge help. Could have ended up making the difference. I took the lead for a mile and paced her. Guy on the bike telling me “Run like your life depends on it!” So one mile left. I feel really bad but do the math and figure to make it I had to run 7:40 pace for the last 1.2 miles. No sure thing given how I felt. I had no cardio or hydration issues but but my legs were starting to go. I am getting freaked out because I know the possibility is very real of me missing by seconds. So I use whatever I have left in the legs and all my cardio. I run the last mile plus in 7:20s or so and make it by 30 seconds. I think I realized I was going to make it only in the final 100 yards. During training I had always visualized a last mile victory jog knowing I had it made, but oh well. Weird thing was that the pace group never passed me. So that group may not have even made it under 3:21. Boston is April 18th.
