Philadelphia Broad Street Run

Well it's over.  It's quite amazing to watch 22,000 runners head out on a 10-mile street in the middle of Philadelphia.   This race is one long 10-mile block, no turns.  But before it even started my running partner and I headed out from Wilmington around 5:30am and arrived in Philadelphia at the parking area around 6:10am.  Susan decided to dress warmly, and I decided to forego the sweats and jacket, and just go out in shorts and my 345 t-shirt (picture of me pre-op at 345 pounds).  We jumped on the subway (free to runners) and got to the starting point around 7am.  There was already a lot of people meandering around the practice track and getting in line at the port-o-potties.  Since the race didn't start till 8:30am there was plenty of time to make several trips to relieve oneself.  There was a definite chill in the air, so I spent most of the time shivering and trying to keep loose.  Around 8:15a we went over to get into the corral.  We decided to get in the middle of the 9 minute pack. The race started promptly at 8:30am but lo and behold it took us seven minutes to get to the starting pad.  It was a long seven minutes.  Once we got started, all I could see ahead of us was a mass of runners all the way down the road.  We dodged runners to try and get into a normal gait.  We skipped the water station at the 2-mile mark figuring we could catch the next one.  We passed the three mile mark in under 27-minutes (chip time) and I didn't even feel like I was expending much effort.  There were all sorts of people cheering us on!  People going to church.  Frat boys out early in the morning.  They also had bands along the route.  The water station were manned by hundreds of volunteers, and I slowed down at mile four to grab a drink of water.  It was a mad house but I was able to start back up pretty quickly.  At mile 5, just before City Hall, Susan decided to up her pace, and decided to let her, but not follow her.  She's fifteen years younger than me, and still has plenty of pep.  My t-shirt was attracting a lot of attention.  People would pass me, and look back, and then drop back next to me and ask if that was me, and then congratulate me.  Most were amazed.  Mile five to six I slow my pace down to about a ten minute mile.  At the six mile mark, I got high-five by Ed Rendell (govenor of Pennsyvania).  I stopped for about five mintues to tell him my story.  He said he wanted to get the television stations to hear my story.  Stay tuned. So stopping was not the brightest idea.   I had trouble getting back my pace for the next two miles.  I felt like I was  really dragging.  More water helped.  The next two mile I got my pace back to just under a 10-minute mile.  As soon as I saw the entrance to the Ship Yard I knew the race was just about over.  I past through the entrance and really started accelerating passing a few hundred people in the last 1/2 mile.  It took a while to actually get to the finish line, but it sure felt good crossing the line.  I finished in 1:46.  Not a great time, but certainly another PR and a good way to start the 2008 season. The crowds at the finish line were incredulous.  As soon as we got our chips cut off, it was just a constant push into the refreshment tents.  I couldn't find Susan, who had finished four minutes ahead of me.  So I ran back to the car and waited for her.   It took us about three hours to get back home.  The best thing is there was no pain or soreness from the race.  So I'll be able to spin tomorrow.  Life is good, and I'm sticking to it. Rob

Sounds like a great way to start off the season and spend a Sunday!  I think that it is a great idea to wear a shirt with your before picture on it!  What a great way to educate people and share your story.  You are an inspiration to me and hopefully in a few months I will be able to run more than just intervals as I just started the couch to 5K program today!  Keep up the great work!

Very Cool Rob! I love to hear your race reports.  Even with the stop to talk, it was great.  It's also nice to be able to tell your story.  We all know what it's like. Great job!  Linn

Rob - thank you so much for posting your race report.  I can not tell you (and everyone on this board, for that matter) how motivating it is for me!  I am currently training to run my first 5k in July.   At 360 lbs, I never, in my wildest dreams, thought I would run, and enjoy it, I might add!  But here I am, running 4 days a week, and loving it!! Thank you!  You are an inspiration!!!

I was there too. I said to my friends I was staying with on Saturday that I was going to meet up with Rob and they responded "Where?". I said that surely I'd see him. I know what he looks like. They laughed at me. I had no idea it would be so hard to find people and there would be so many people! Next year we'll have a meet up spot Rob, I promise. See above for Rob's comments on the day. Everything the same for me. Except I had on WAY too much clothing to start. Was able to ditch the sweatshirt at mile 4 when I saw my friends. Felt much lighter after that and was able to pick up my pace. 1:34 clock time. 1:28 chip time. Oh, and I'm way sore today. Legs hurt, but will be able to bodypump today. I'm thinking that the marathon is an achievable goal for this fall. If I can do 10, then surely I can do 15. If I can do 15 then surely I can do 20. Then I can surely crawl to 26.2, right?  Kenyan's, you are on notice.

So Dan, How many sweatshirts did you have to jump over on Sunday.  I kept trying to find this cute little blond with a light blue t-shirt on that I drove up with from Delaware.  Do you realize how many cute little blonds with light blue t-shirts there were on Sunday.  There we so many people in that tent at the finish that I didn't even go in there.  You're doing great.  The marathon this fall shouldn't be hard for you, at all. Rob

That first mile was a graveyard of clothing, that's for sure. I was wearing my buddy's Temple hoodie and would've felt awful if I had ditched it. I was fortunate that my friends told me exactly where to meet them on the route and at the end. What a thrill being in that throng! 

I'm way looking forward to the Baltimore Marathon this fall. Training begins this week.

Congrats on a great run Rob. This is one hell of a ride! 

Great job, Rob! I love reading your race reports. Keep it up! Kim

It was an incredible day.  I, too, ran the race.  I finished in 1:41:17.  I know I could have crossed in 1:30, but I had a friend running with me and it was his first race of any kind.  Couldn't he have picked a 5K for his first go.  Oh well.  I had a goal of under 1:45 before I started and I achieved that, but I'm curious to see where I would have finished if I ran all out instead of letting my friend keep up.  Actually, around mile 7 he told me to just go ahead, he needed to walk a little.  Rob, it's ironic you mentioned Governor Rendell, because I, too high-fived him on my way past.  I wanted to stop and talk, but I had bigger things in mind - like running the race without stopping.  Before the race started, when runners were beginning to take their respective spots at the spot, I just had to take a walk to the front of the line to catch a glimpse of the Kenyans.  It's funny, the top two male and top two female finishers were all Kenyans and they were all warming up together.  To watch them warm up is impressive in itself.  I figured it was the last I'd see of them once the race started.  I, too, was impressed with how incredible a sight it was to see the sea of runners taking up the entire Broad Street ahead of me.  Then, after realizing I wasn't at the BACK of the pack, I wanted to catch a peek behind me, so I started running backwards to check out the rear view.  Unbelieveable.  It was nice to see that I was ahead of so many people.  I took today off from working out and tomorrow I will begin training for the next phase of my new life - a half marathon.  My ultimate goal is a marathon in 2009.  It is possible and you just have to believe in yourself.  Thanks for letting me share.