Philadelphia Marathon

{race report} The Philadelphia Marathon…10 years later

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by Monica on December 18, 2011

Wow, this is so overdue!  This was my second running of the Philadelphia Marathon on the 10 year anniversary of my first time and first marathon.  It was just after 911 so the details of that run are vivid.  I have clear memories of a changed and weary world as we all stood there, pre-race, for the national anthem.  It felt a little like running this race was a tribute that moment and to the last ten years of pretty consistent running.  It still proves to be the factor that keeps me sane and healthy and connected to a great group of people. 

The best part of this marathon was the beautiful fall race day.  Philadelphia was full of colorful foliage and crisp blue skies.  The temperature was perfect.  It’s amazing how much you come to appreciate that on race day.  It’s like a gift.  Philadelphia offers a great marathon course.  There are a few hills but nothing too daunting.  There is much to look at and the crowd was great.  It was a good running day for me –all except miles 20-26 (3:43 finish).  I know that what happens in those miles is the heart of the marathon, but I struggled with them unlike I had before.  I was crawling.  My running LDF Andrea met me at mile 20 and her calm talking and encouragement really helped me to keep going.  I can’t help but think age has something to do with it, but after hearing other older runners talk about this (there was a Masters Runners Panel at the Expo), I am now inclined to think it is my training that needs adjustment.    I plan to work more on this is the coming year and before another race.

Jean (we are pictured above with Bart) and I (minimally) participated in the Runner’s World Challenge which had some great perks.  We loved meeting Bart of course and the other editors from Runner’s World on the shake out run the day before.  Their infectious enthusiasm for running and positive energy is great for both beginners and enthusiasts.  The pre-race bathroom, no line bag check, warm hang-out room in the Four Seasons Hotel near the start was totally worth the money.  Jean did their post-race massage and post race fruit smoothy which sounded like heaven.  I would recommend doing the Runner’s World Challenge for any race if it’s in your budget.  
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Week 2: RW Challenge for Philly Marathon — running my age

by Monica on August 8, 2011

Joan Benoit Samuelson

It’s already week two of the Runner’s World Challenge for the Philadelphia Marathon.  My e-mail from Bart Yasso came this morning and I started to sweat a little.  My goal for the Challenge is to adjust my running to my aging body. I am staring down the barrel of the big 50 (49 in Oct…50 in 2012!).  “The joys of aging” signs have crept up on me this past year.  I am no longer able to read the fine print of menus and maps without my glasses.  I notice saggy skin that makes me feel for a chicken.  I never thought I would miss having a period.  Then there is the weight gain in new places and my skirt length concerns me.  There are bitter sweet melancholy moments when considering the empty nest–it’s hard to visualize life without children in my immediate orbit.   The goal is to keep running as I age.  I feel it is time to make the necessary adjustments for longevity.  My last round of marathon training for the Shamrock Marathon made me realize that this change was needed.  My usual plan left me tired and energy zapped.  My toughest finish yet.

 

I was thinking of Joan Benoit Samuelson on a recent college visit with my daughter to Bowdoin College in Maine.  As noted on their website: Nike donated the track renovation in honor of their corporate relationship with Joan Benoit Samuelson, a 1979 Bowdoin graduate and the 1984 Olympic Marathon champion. I was wondering how often she gets to that track and how graciously she has mastered the age thing.  Joan Benoit at 54 is a huge inspiration.

I seem to find more and more information for the aging female runner and I am excited about that.  It’s not only the young mothers and women hitting the road.  The mid-life or “menopause marathon” seems a great way to transition through this milestone.   I see the changes in my long distance friends.  It’s almost as if at 48 it suddenly becomes hard to ignore.  I am reminded of the elementary school years with my own children when a few years can make a noticeable difference.  Fellow runners that are 42 or 43 show few signs of this pending metamorphosis.  Don’t get me wrong, these older competitive women are taking nothing lying down.  Their spirit is ageless.  They are training as hard as ever with tweaks to accommodate for this aging process.   Here are some areas to for me to consider/work on:

  • Figuring out the best rest/run combination: I know I need more rest and cannot run as many days in a row without feeling exhausted.
  • Energy from food:  I cannot eat as much as I did before without gaining weight.  My body seems to need less food.
  • Pace: learning to run at a gentler pace.  My mind wants to race but my body cannot keep up.  Learning to be OK with a little slower pace so I can be out there longer.

I am excited to get training and figure it out.  Bring it on!  (but maybe not quite as fast !:)

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Trying out the Runner’s World Challenge for the Philadelphia Marathon

by Monica on May 16, 2011


Wow, this running weather is motivating!  This morning was cool and crisp and made for a great 8 mile run.  It motivated me to pull out my training log and start plotting my course (goal).  It’s time to get back to work.  I need to get my base mileage up again before the heat sets in…starting in mid-summer can be brutal.  I signed up for the Runner’s World Challenge at the Philadelphia Marathon 2011.  It will be my second official (jumped in with a friend once) time running this race. Philly was my first marathon ever so I was excited to learn that Runner’s World had chosen it for the fall.  I missed the San Francisco RW Challenge last summer due to my husband donating his kidney that same weekend (the nerve:).  I later met some of the runners on a Philly reunion run and then decided that I wanted to be a part of it for another race.  Although it lacks the intrigue of a new destination, it provides close proximity and the added bonus of sleeping in my own bed.  This has become for me, no small amenity.  I have struggled at mastering the travel/sleep/race art.  I look forward to meeting new runners (from both this area and otherwise) and gaining added insights/support on training/racing offered by Runner’s World.   I am also hoping familiarity of the course and weather will serve me here.  I promise to report on the whole Runner’s World Challenge experience for those entertaining the added expense for your next marathon.

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{race report} Philadelphia Marathon 2009…best swag ever!

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by Jamie on November 30, 2009

An excellent start; the 2009 Philadelphia Marathon swag is the best ever. A smart Kick Asphalt technical shirt, runners’ gloves and a (zippered) mesh bag.

Sunday, 11/22, 5:10 am. It’s finally time…Kim and Kerry are running their first marathon. The mood in the car is optimistic and light.

The day is made for marathon running, cool, bright and cheery. We choose the facilities at the Starbucks on Callowhill and 20th. The line of ardent runners recount tales of race bibs purchased on Craig’s List and compare favorite marathons (it’s NY by a mile.)  We women get a bad rap when it comes to time in the loo…those Starbucks men sure took their time!

The new wave start is touted. With roughly 7,500 marathoners, 7,200 half marathoners and 1,575 8K runners, the streets are mobbed for the first mile or 2.

Kim and Kerry (the K’s) are low key, savoring the architecture (the Beaux-Arts Memorial Hall in Fairmont Park is a midpoint standout), the sparkly rivers and the quirky marathoners along the way. Kim discovers her mantra at mile 4…..never say never. The ever vivacious Kerry chats with fellow runners, collecting their stories.

I’ve run Philadelphia twice. This time, I am doing the half.  I’ve read of runners who purchased a half marathon bib and then proceeded to run the full marathon. Those are not my people. The leisurely half is great fun. And so is the finish line.  But the day is all about the marathon; we half-runners are merely poseurs. I forgo my Mylar blanket, medal and banana.

I cheer the runners at Lloyd Hall (after mile 25.) This year, runner’s first names are boldly printed on their bibs. We yell out their names as runners grit their teeth, limp, cry or (happily) accept candy from the crowd. A group of young women are singing the Black Eyed Peas’ latest. The entire song. At mile 25.5. I don’t like them one bit. A bystander is obsessively playing the Rocky theme—a runner requests Sinatra. A middle aged man, with his entourage, is running his 100th Marathon. The crowd goes wild. A young couple run by, the man’s shirt says, “I love my marathoner”, pointing to the woman.

LDF’s, Ann and Jill, jump in at mile 23, with stories to tell, just what the K’s are craving.

Kim and Kerry run past. They seem calm, classy and jubilant. They did it.

Monday finds the K’s with the inevitable sore and unsightly toes and that painful stair walking.  Talk quickly turns to their chances of getting into the New York Marathon next fall. The glorious conversation continues….

kimkerryphilly

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Last minute thoughts and pre-marathon ponderings for our LDF’s (long distance friends) running Philly

Thumbnail image for Last minute thoughts and pre-marathon ponderings for our LDF’s (long distance friends) running Philly November 2, 2009

The Philadelphia Marathon is around the corner.  Our LDFs are primed.  Kim bounds up the hills.  Kerry doesn’t miss a beat as she adds miles and miles to her repertoire.  Kerry has collected and absorbed every morsel of essential pre-marathon wisdom. My two cents: The expo: you earned it, take your time and enjoy the [...]

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[pre-race report] Good Luck Broad Street Runners — Philadelphia

Thumbnail image for [pre-race report] Good Luck Broad Street Runners — Philadelphia May 2, 2009

Good Luck to all those taking on the the 10 mile Broad Street Run tomorrow.  I just read on the site that it will cap at 26,500 runners this year – up 20,000 from the first time I ran it about ten years ago.  Of those 26,500 I counted about 150 from my hometown of [...]

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Boston Marathon Moment

March 25, 2009

I ran my first marathon one week before turning 50. My friends and family see a direct relationship between these 2 factors—I remain unconvinced. I am a slow runner and usually (the operative word here–usually) I am okay with this state of being. It is not a life philosophy, merely, a physical reality. At least, [...]

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Starting mile 18 on speed — Philadelphia Marathon

November 24, 2008

I have often described the prelude to a marathon like being at a rock concert without the drugs.  People lined up to use the porta potty with urgency…bodies huddled together for warmth.  So it is only fitting that when jumping into the Philadelphia Marathon at mile 18, another drug metaphor comes to mind…this is what it must [...]

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