This was my first Delaware, since December 2000, when it surprised me with a 70 degree day. This was around 50 at the start and in the 60's at the finish. This course has a 10-mile loop through a park then 3 5.4 mile loops along the river, which was beautiful and nice to run on. It is mainly flat with a couple of long inclines, but no hills really. It was nice to see others along the way. It help bring back memories of just a few years ago when I could run in the 3:30's and 3:40's regularly. I will be running sub 4:00's again this fall. I am out here today one to beat the thunderstorm that is brewing and to better the 4:48 at Lincoln a couple of weeks ago. I realize that I should be training not running a marathon for a while to get myself in better shape, but then I would miss so much fun not only running, but the drive to these distant states. This one was a 26 hour drive for me, then Donna and I drove around the state to see Delaware, it took 5 hours. My main goal is to run between 4:45 and 5:00. If my leg does not bother me and very thing goes well I have a chance of bettering my PR, since turning 60 of 3:37. I would be very happy to just beat Lincoln's 4:48, that is my focus at the start. Their is a storm coming so Donna and I want to try to beat it and get on the road as soon as we can. It is a long ways across PA after leaving Delaware and much of it is to get rain. I have to be to work Monday night. Donna is at the aid station at the start/finish, which I pass at Miles 2, 10,15.4, and 20.8. She is surprised to be running it all by herself. There is a Team In Training aid station a short ways down the road too. Their are a lot of my friends here from all over the country. I hope to run around 10 minute miles the first half and 11 minute miles until around 18, then slow down to 12 minutes until I get the second wind sometime after mile 20. I hope to be passing runners by Mile 24 to the finish and strong across the finish. The first couple of miles are at a 9:00 pace then I run a 8:30. I then slow down some and before I know it at Mile 5 my time is 44:59. I let my friends go ahead and I slow down to 10+ minute miles. By Mile 10 I start running 11 minute miles. I decide to stay here and not push it. I do not know if that wound on my right leg will bother as it did at TIMTAM last weekend or not. At Mile 13 I am at 2:04:54, so I figure I must be close to 2:06:00 at the half. That is over a minute faster than Lincoln. I am running at 11+ miles, but not 12 minute miles until about Mile 18, my overall time is 2:58. Seeing Amy and others coming by remained be when a few years ago I tried to be in Mile 23 by 3:00. At 15.4 Donna is not to busy to give me a "I Love that Man" and I return just as loud "I Love that Woman." That loosen up things. My next time seeing Donna at Mile 20.8 I feel the worst during the race. I am not able to catch her greeting. I feel terrible. I do know that I can run through this and it will become fun again. I feel better after Mile 21 and I feel good again at Mile 22. I pick it up some here. It feels good to be passing other runners again At Mile 23 I pick up a small sign that the Delaware Marathon put up for each 50-stater, which are quite a few. I lose a minute here. At Mile 23 I am at 4:01. Mile 24, I feel pretty good and I go a little faster. I do not see many runners ahead of me, but there are some in the distance. I just key on them. Mile 25, I can see that I just keep this pace I will easily better the 4:37 at Little Rock back in March. As I near the finish line I see and hear friends cheering me on as I am running at a fast steady pace. Well, I did not check the splits or my finish yet, but I had a 4:34:55 on my watch and the final clock was 4:35:20 as I passed it. Unlike Amy I did not win anything from the marathon except the finishers award, but I know I did well and I am very happy with it. I also beat the rain, but as Donna and I are leaving it starts to come down lightly. Our car is just on the other side of Mile 26. At Mile 26 my friend Jim Simpson is coming in. Donna gives him a hug. He still has another lap to do. He ran a 50k the day before. At Lincoln he told us that Donna was worth a million dollars. So we kid him about offering me a million dollars for her. Anyways we off on our 25 hour drive back home. At least this time we are driving during the day through the mountains, but we do hit rain, but no thunder or lightning. It did rain very hard in places. We came close to pulling off the road. Next weekend Donna and I go to our farm in Nebraska and work on it. The following weekend is NipMuck Marathon in CT. I am told to add on an extra hour and a half to my normal marathon. It sound like a tough trail run. TomD

Congratulations on beating Lincoln Tom!! Sounds like a tough race, made more bearable by having Donna there to keep your spirits up. You're a lucky man!! ~Mary

rosecoloredglasses, I remember you both. I wish, I could of talked to you both. Email me if you wish detoret@hotmail.com How did you both do? Donna and I loved it there. We are thinking of coming again either next year or 2010. TomD

Way to go Tom!!

A post-60 PR (if I'm reading things right, allowing for a typo) is great. You were really burning up those early miles. I'm glad you came through at the end. You always seem to manage that. Take care. FO

Holly While going through my race reports to put them in my journal, I noticed your question on how far my farm was from my home. It is 178 miles. TomD