Oh Philly....

"that's all she wrote"

It's been a little over a week since Philly and all I can really come up with is...."Marathon #5 is in the books"

I really like the Philly course, the chicken broth they give you after the race, the fans, the city feel so close to home without it being NY....all of it!
I PR in Philly and think I will end up running it again next year because Philly and I have some unfinished business.

Philly was cold....really cold.  There was a real feel temperature of 26 as a high and there was a wind advisory that day.  I generally wear shorts and a tank top to race.  In fall marathons I also wear a throw away sweatshirt for the beginning of the race, gloves I can throw away, something that covers my ears that can go behind my ears if I get warm, and I wear sleeves that can be pushed down when I get warm. That wasn't exactly the case in this race.  My throw away sweatshirt wasn't thrown until mile 13.5 and even after I was freezing and wishing I still had it.  There were some crazy wind gusts that had you swearing and doing your best to tuck your chin and push forward.

Like Steamtown, I had a plan of doing 8:35 minute miles.  I felt like my watch was all over the place.  This happens in cities because of the buildings, but it's super annoying when you're trying to keep a certain pace.  I got into my rhythm and started keeping things fairly steady.  As I continued on I tried not to focus on trying for my BQ, but staying relaxed and comfortable.  I was was in the best shape of  my life and well trained....I couldn't control the elements, but I could/had to control my head.  I ran a decent race.

I remember the out and back on Kelly Drive.  On one side of the road it was mile 15 and the wind was in your face making you wish you were on the other side of the street, not just because the other side of the road was mile 25, but because the other side of the road meant the wind would be at your back and helping you along.    I like to think that when I was at mile 15 and the elites were on the other side, at mile 25, they looked effortless and comfortable because they had the wind pushing them forward.  As I continued on, with the wind in my face, I longed for the turn around point at mile 20.

My friend, Kelly, ran into me around mile 17 and I couldn't have been happier.  She is a VERY seasoned marathoner and wasn't putting the pressure on herself that I put on myself.  She was great to run with.  She made the marathon look easy and fun.  Around mile 18 I started to get tired, probably because I wasn't taking in enough calories.  My friend, Kelly, in my opinion, still had plenty of gas in the tank and could have pushed on ahead of me, but she stayed with me.  It was like she knew what to say to help me along.  As we continued on, she'd check in and and see how I was.  She was such a great motivator.  She knows my dream of a BQ and was super encouraging in helping me get my BQ.  I had accepted my BQ was out the window, but she kept pushing me.  I probably wouldn't have had a PR if it weren't for her.  I have to say, by the time I finished I was smiling and feeling great.  I knew I had a PR and that was a great feeling-even if it was only for a little while.....