. . . might be considered a downer by some. the way I ran the race was a downer for me. I hope this isn’t a big downer to read.

sorry but tryin' to say anything about eugene or bein'/running there is a downer's gunna work about as well as Tommy McCall sayin' to stay away. see you next year.

You know what Bill? I just gotta say that some days you feel like your flying.. the running is effortless, you know? And some days you just feel like a %$#@#$ing slug! I hate those days! I just want to say congrats on the race and I LOVE the pic of you and your beautiful wife running the last .2 together! Sounds like you both had a great weekend together, meeting new friends with lots of laughter and fun! Re: getting back on the marathon horse, I would say that yes....it is almost a given that once you've forgotten the pain, the desire to do it again will burn deep inside you... arf P.S. Thanks for the great photo's, and have a ball drinking those pina colada's

Bill: Thanks for this report. GREAT detail......something for runners of ever level to learn from. I have watched with admiration, the dedication and consistency with which you run. While this race did not turn out the way that you might have wished, it was a great experience. The pictures explain the high HR (ahem), starting with your DW. You are a sharp looking couple Hopefully your trip away was good and I am sure you will soon be back looking at what your next running goal will be. Thanks for the report. Joey

Bill, you've got nothing to be sorry about. You're doing things that many of us on this forum (not to mention 1000s of other runners) can only dream of. Your best years of running are still ahead of you and I'm sure that you will meet the goals that you just happened to miss this year. Congratulations on gutting out a tough race, and thanks for the excellent RR. (By the way, not a downer to read since most of us have "been there, done that!")

Bill, This is such a wonderfully written report and the photos are marvelous. You and your wife are a striking couple and the hand in hand picture is my favorite. It sounds like you have already zeroed in on what didn't go as planned. I hope the waves of Maui and the pina coladas (and maybe even surfing?) will ease some of the disappointment you feel. You are a smart and strong runner. Your training is right on and your devotion to all the early morning solo miles is nothing short of impressive. Congratulations for making it through the toughest miles and staying determined to the end. The mental bonk can be worse than the physical one in some ways. I have torn off many a pace band after falling off a pace---once even staying on 3:18 pace until 19 miles only to finish with a 4:16. Come back to wrestle the dragon and I'm guessing we'll see you and cheer for you in Boston (and in other places around the world). Be well Bill. with admiration, Karin

Thanks for the great report and pictures. You trained right for this and you have learned much. Can't wait to see what's next on your list of things to do. Have a great time in Maui.

Bill - I know I commented on your earlier post, but just had to pop back in again. Enjoyed your RR and pics. I'm glad you took away the happier moments from your marathon too, although it's wise to stand back and analyze what happened. I was amazed at how similar our profiles actually are and how similar your marathon experience mirrored my Boston experience. Good training, poor race day (you knew it early), hydration issues, bonking issues , pacing issues, overall somewhat disappointed for not meeting expectations. In Boston, my HR got to 160 by mile 3. Like you, I normally run at 140 and maybe 150 on marathon days. But 160??? By mile 13 I was up to 169 which is 95% of my 177 max. I knew the end was near. Happened about mile 16 for me too. In hindsight and after doing some searching/thinking, I'm convinced that my problem was dehydration. Not just during the race, but the fact that I was dehydrated going into the race. It's the only explanation I can come up with for the high HR so early. The high temps and everything else just compounded the problem. I actually thought I was hydrating well, especially during the first half. Tells you how much I know. Btm noticed the white salt marks on my clothing at about mile 16, indicating that I was too late. I do tend to sweat a lot which compounds the problem. You may recall that I had 2.5 bags of saline solution pumped back into me at the end of the race which tells you just how dehydrated I was. Btm sent me an interesting article post-race on dehyration. It explained things well for me. Thought I'd pass it along to you. http://www.pfitzinger.com/labreports/dehydration.shtml For me anyway, hydration will take on greater importance if there's a next time. One final thought about hydration that I don't have the answer for was the use of gels. I took one before starting and every 4 miles after that (through the first half) with just a little gatorade (no water) to wash them down. I was told afterwards by a knowledgeable runner that without taking in water, the body will just use whatever water you have to break down the gels. Sort of compounds the problem if this is true. Checking further on that one. I apologize for going on here. Anyway, you will have that "killer race" soon, Bill. Continued good running! PJ

Thanks for posting those splits. Well, CNYrunner said 3:45 is a 8:30 pace and a lot of those early miles were under that, so I think that could partly explain why you tanked at mile 16. High HR too....wonder what the deal was. I agree with everyone else... your report wasn't a downer. I think the wind really was head on from 15 to 20 miles too, just when it starts getting hard.