For the New Jersey Marathon, I volunteered as a four-hour pacer. The race entry fee was free and I thought it would be a good experience.
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| Romina and me |
Saturday, May 3, 2008:
Drove down to Long Branch. Arrived at 2:30. Checked into hotel – Holiday Inn Express on 36 East in West Long Branch. Great room – actually it’s a suite. Went to the expo at the start / finish of the marathon. Helped out at the pacer table for a few hours. Met the other 4 hour pacer – Romina from Miami. This is her 19th marathon. She was with her friend Jose also from Miami. We went to the dinner together at about 6PM. I drove them to their hotel. Back at the hotel – took bath and am now sitting in bed typing. I should go to bed it’s 9:10 PM. Set the alarm for 5 AM.
Drove down to Long Branch. Arrived at 2:30. Checked into hotel – Holiday Inn Express on 36 East in West Long Branch. Great room – actually it’s a suite. Went to the expo at the start / finish of the marathon. Helped out at the pacer table for a few hours. Met the other 4 hour pacer – Romina from Miami. This is her 19th marathon. She was with her friend Jose also from Miami. We went to the dinner together at about 6PM. I drove them to their hotel. Back at the hotel – took bath and am now sitting in bed typing. I should go to bed it’s 9:10 PM. Set the alarm for 5 AM.
My plantar fasciitis is OK.
This is the first time ever that I’m going to run a marathon with an
injury, if you can call it that. I have
been going back and forth. If a runner
came to me, as a coach, and said they had plantar fasciitis, I would say don’t
run. Why can I talk the talk but not walk
the talk? The doctor
I saw on Monday said it was OK. Romina
says she has it and just runs with it.
I’ll start and see how I feel.
But I seem to feel OK when I’m running.
It’s the next day??? What should
I do??? Run / not run??? I really want to be a pacer.
Weather looks iffy - chance of thunderstorms. Would they cancel if there were
thunderstorms???
Sunday, May 4, 2008:
Woke to cloudy skies, but no thunder. Started out with a big group of runners but by the end, there were only one or two runners with me. I was able to maintain a four-hour pace for most of the marathon (see mile splits below). My plantar fasciitis was bearable.
Mile Splits:
Woke to cloudy skies, but no thunder. Started out with a big group of runners but by the end, there were only one or two runners with me. I was able to maintain a four-hour pace for most of the marathon (see mile splits below). My plantar fasciitis was bearable.
Mile Splits:
1- 9:35; 2- 9:00; 3- 8:54; 4- 8:46; 5- 9:08; 6- 9:03; 7-
9:06; 8- 9:20; 9- 9:02; 10- 9:10; 11- 9:01; 12- 9:04; 13- 9:22; 14- 9:06; 15-
8:52; 16- 9:00; 17- 8:55; 18- 9:00; 19- 8:54; 20- 9:07; 21- 8:51; 22- 9:12; 23-
8:42; 24- 9:14; 25-9:19; 26- 10:33; .2- 1:49
Email from a runner that I received after the marathon:
Email from a runner that I received after the marathon:
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| PR = Personal Record BQ = Boston Qualify |
