2nd Marathon: Knoxville

The marathon day was Sunday, April 3. Kristin said that she wanted to go and watch me run my marathon a couple months before because she was training for a half-marathon. Then Thursday after supper, Kristin convinced Shaila to go along so she would have someone to go with. Then after vespers on Friday, I talked to Jessica who had just gotten back from Africa. She said that she wanted to come as well. So I drive up Sabbath evening, picked up my race packet, and stayed at the hotel right by the start line.

The girls got up early Sunday morning to arrive in Knoxville before the start of the race. I got up at about 6:20am to get ready for the start at 7:30. At 6:50 I walk out to the start area and there were not many people there. The majority of the people I saw were inside in the lobby areas just sitting there. The fact that was 45 degrees outside and being in Tennessee might explain it. I did some warm up drills and stretched, then went inside to call and find out where the girls were at. A few minutes before the race I met up with Jessica and gave her my pack at the start line. Everyone was all bundle up waiting for the start. There were several people wrapped in emergency blankets and even two people in trash bags! These people don't know what cold is!!!The gun sounded and off the crowd went. I quickly started making my way through the mess of people. Shortly after I saw Kristin and Shaila.

By mile 2 everyone was spread out and I was in a group of four guys that were aiming for the same time. At mile 3 we were still a minute faster than my race pace and knew that I needed to slow down, so I broke off from the group. I started taking my walking breaks. Every 4 1/2 minutes of running I would then walk 30-40 seconds. I still kept up my pace, just used my walking breaks to slow me down a little. All the way through mile 12 I felt strong. At that point I started to feel my legs. Not that they were tired, just that I have been running for a little bit. At the half-marathon distance (13.2) my time was 1:32. Not bad, about on target and hoping to get negative splits.

Into mile 14, I took a walking break right were this small crowd was. After I passed them, a black guy called out in a loud authoritative voice, "You are not supposed to be walking, Sir!" I didn't look back, but thought about calling out "IT" (Intermittent Training). From then to mile 21 I remember taking a lot of turns in the less exciting part of town. I saw the girls several times through this stretch.

At mile 20 I started counting down the miles and estimating my finishing time. I was originally on pace to finish close to 3 hours. Then decided it would be closer to 3:05. My muscles just above my right knee were starting to get sore. About this point I quite taking regular walking breaks to try and finish faster. Mile 21-22 was in a nice neighborhood, with lots of people watching the runners gathered at the end of their driveways. From mile 24-25 was a long gradual hill. It really slowed me down. My muscles were really getting sore. I passed back a girl on a team that had passed me. I then aimed to pass this other guy 200 feet in front of me. Then I crossed the bridge I started on. From there I just kept looking and expecting the stadium. From mile 25-26 seemed to take a long time and so did the last .2 of a mile till the finish. I kept looking at my watch and seeing time go by. I knew that I needed to hurry up and finish. I was still closing the gap between the guy in front of me. As we entered the stadium, I finished right behind him. We shook hands and got our finishing metal and hat. I crossed the finish line at the 50 yard line in 3:09:15. I beat my first time goal of under 3:10 and qualified for Boston!

I met up with the girls and went to the post race party to get some food in a different stadium. The half marathoners were there, but the marathoners had a special room in a different building. There was lots of food and I got a massage. I again saw a runner (finished) in an emergency blanket and by this time it was 65 degrees! Then I checked out of the hotel and then met up with the girls at their car and then went to go take some pictures.

2 fingers for 2nd marathon

Me and the girls that cheered me on

So how did I fare? According the results I finished 21st overall (subtracting the marathon teams and people that didn't finish) out of 621 that finished the marathon. I also placed 1st for my age group. I don't know how that happened. The results online say that I finished in 3:09:03. So I still qualified for Boston (3:10) by only seconds. I also ran 20 minutes faster than my first marathon (3:30) two years ago. Another thing is the Knoxville was hillier and I was less sore afterwards.

"Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to other, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize." -1 Corinthians 9:24-27