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It was 20 years ago today (roughly) (TCM Race Report) (Read 103 times)

SubDood


    The 1994 Twin Cities Marathon was my first marathon (October 2, 1994). I was 29. My father was still alive, and he was there waiting at the finish line to meet me and celebrate with me. I remember him trying to help me put on my sweat pants as my legs started cramping violently. He died of lung cancer 15 months later, and nowadays, I can’t help thinking about him when I think about this race. I’ve run it 3 other times since then – in 1996, 2012, and again today.

    Today, I ran it hoping to meet or beat a series of goals I had set for myself. A sub-3 hour marathon would’ve been really cool, and my training seemed to support an attempt, but realistically, it seemed like a long shot.  3:09:39 or better would’ve been a PR, and I thought I had a realistic shot at a 3:05.

    I got to downtown Minneapolis way too early. In previous years, the Metrodome stadium was open for runners to lounge around and stay warm. With no Metrodome this year, I searched for a place to stay warm (it was 35-37 degrees F). I saw some runners walking into a church … well, I’m no regular churchgoer, but I figured that they’d allow me to sit in their entryway and warm up. No chance. I was ordered to either attend the service or leave. I hesitated, then walked up the stairs and sat down in a room full of marathoners singing along with a guitar-playing gentleman who was dressed to run as well. It was a fun, inspiring service mainly for the runners, and I enjoyed it. After that, bag check, then a last minute trip to the porta-john to make absolutely sure I wouldn’t need to stop during the race. Absolutely sure. Temperatures were in the upper 30’s at the start. Cool, but warming enough that I was able to lose my extra shirt around mile 7. Miles 1 through 12 flew by. There were stretches of miles where thoughts of a sub-3 hour finish started to creep back in.

    Then the porta-john. I’ve heard that some others can do their business in 30 seconds or so. Not this guy. It must’ve taken me 2 minutes. But the loss of momentum was tough, too. My pace fell off just a bit after that, but I thought I might still have a shot at a 3:05 if I could re-gain that easy flow I had going earlier. Of course, that didn’t happen. Around mile 18 or 19, my left calf muscle started to do “mini-cramps” where it would convulse and lock up, but just for a second. Like a warning sign that the full blown cramp was definitely coming. I adjusted my stride a bit and favored the left leg ever so slightly. This went on every half mile or so until mile 24. Bam! Right hamstring locks up hard! I was able to limp to the side of the road, but was heavily favoring my right leg now. I walked and grabbed water at the next water stop and continued to walk/limp. Surprisingly (to me at least), the cramp subsided enough after a few minutes of walking that I was able to jog, and then run again. For the last 2 miles, I ran with fear, hoping that I would not step wrongly and cause cramps. The final stretch to the finish is a long, fairly steep downhill that really had me worried. As I ambled across the finish, I checked the clock time: it read 3:10:54.  Ha! In 1994 (before chip timing was used at TCM), my finish time by the race clock was exactly 3:11:00. 20 years later, 6 seconds faster. I hope that trend continues for another 20 years.

    Actual chip time was 3:10:36. One minute faster and it would’ve been a PR. But no complaints at all. They had a beer garden in the finish area where I slowly put my sweats back on while enjoying a local microbrew. My legs are functioning fine now, AND my wife made strawberry cheesecake for me. Dad would've been happy for me.

    Buzzie


    Bacon Party!

      Great report, better story. Nicely done!

      Thanks for sharing that, I enjoyed the read.

      Liz

      pace sera, sera

      HappyFeat


        Definitely your dad would have been happy for you and proud of you too. Thanks for sharing. I enjoyed reading your story as well.

        Don't make excuses for why you can't get it done. 

        Focus on all the reasons why you must make it happen.

          Congratulations, SubDood! It's always great to finish a marathon - and especially when it's one that means so much to you. Your dad would definitely be proud.

          "So many people get stuck in the routine of life that their dreams waste away. This is about living the dream." - Cave Dog
          spinach


            Congratulations, it was a nice day for a race, definitely a lot better than if it were on Friday or Saturday, but it was a bit cold waiting around for the start.  Great job!

            Docket_Rocket


              Congratulations!  Your dad would still be very proud.

              Damaris

               

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