Finished Philadelphia Marathon
When I started running in March, my goal was to finish a local 15K in July. Considering that I couldn't run longer than a 1 minute without huffing and puffing, I thought THAT was a pretty lofty goal. But, I got hooked! My first 5K led to my first 10K. As the July 15K approached, I was already planning for a half marathon and started wondering if a full marathon was possible this year. A co-worker who is an accomplished long-distance runner developed a training schedule for me and off I ran! The cold, wet weather couldn't dampen the exhilaration that warmed my heart as I ran through the historic streets of Philadelphia. From mile 7 on, I had some intestinal issues that slowed my progress, but couldn't keep me from crossing the finish line. I finished Philly in 5:49! For me the most memorable moment was seeing the pride on the faces of my children and my husband as I approached the finish line.
5'6" - 302/155-158
Check my success story on my surgeon's website: my story
Check my blog: LosingForLife.com
Ran NYC Marathon 11/4/07 5:27:06
Mary,
I thought Philadelphia was well organized. There were plenty of porta-johns at the start. At the one fluid station where they had run out of Gatorade, they provided extra gel shots and warned runners ahead of time so they wouldn't bypass the water. Even at 5:49, there was plenty of food for finishers. In some places, the streets are a little narrow, especially at the turns, but that wasn't an issue for me. Cassie
You should be very proud!!
Good luck with the 10-miler! I see you set a pretty amazing pace for your first 10K. Now that I know I can go the distance, my next step is to introduce intervals to build my speed. I'm running the Disney half marathon January 12 and hope to finish in under 2:30. My last half marathon was 2:32, so I think it's entirely possible. Cassie
Link to my running journal
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1303681
4 full's - 14 halves - 2 goofy's and one Mt. Washington!
