This course is loaded with hills. Some very challenging and many rolling hills. It is a double loop, which are identical. The last tenth of a mile is over a quarter of mile in distance. It is in the 60's at the start and near 80 at the finish. It becomes more and more windy throughout the mile. It was near 25 mph at the finish. Since I only had a couple of hours of sleep before the marathon and I did not train the final week, because the bottoms of my feet were so sore from last week's marathon.My goal was to enjoy myself the first half and take it easy the second half. Maybe I could hook up someone struggling and help them through the final half. My first mile was 8:47 then I ran several miles just over 9 minutes. My mile 5 I was at 45:18. Mile 6, 54:10, was a long down hill. Mile 7, 1:03, was a long uphill. Miles 8,1:13, and Mile 9 were full of rolling hills. The next 4 miles are back in town with a hill here and there. None of them challenging though. Mile 10, I am at 1:32:22. I am still feeling pretty good. The next 3 miles I run pretty even.Mile 13 is 2:00:58. Next comes a big surprise. The final tenth of a mile to the turnaround is over a quarter of a mile. It takes me 4:07 to complete this tenth of a mile. I run a little slower to Mile 14. It is very hot and sunny. Here I meet Lindsay a struggling first time marathoner. She has only been running for 2 1/2 months. The bottom of her feet are hurting her. I still feel fine at this point. I told her, that I would help her through the marathon. We run together the next 12 miles. We run the flat and down hill and take it easy the hills, which are many. I get her to keep her mind off the pain and miles. Around Mile 18 my feet start hurting me too. Mile 19 the sweat is going into my eyes. After mile 22 things seem better by going back into the city. Lindsay is 30 andvery muscular for a young woman. She used to work out with weights. In Mile 25 I look at my watch for the first time in 10 miles. It is 4:23. I was very surprised. I thought for sure it should be nearing 5:00. We pick up some to Mile 26 where we open it up some more to the finish. I could tell that Lindsay wanted to beat me to the finish. When she took off at Mile 26 I held back just a bit. Another 50-stater is behind me about 100 yards being paced by a friend, so I just kept at a good steady pace as he was running. I was able to keep that distance between us. I finish with 4:41:52. I was very pleased with it. Lindsay and I talk awhile about the marathon as Donna comes over. I introduce them. I had been telling Lindsay about my great wife and number one cheerleader. As Donna goes back to the car to get something a local reporter seeks me out. Someone told him about me and he wanted to interview me. He told me it would be in Monday's newspaper and gave me his card. Donna tells me it was not her. We see some friends of Donna's have the marathon. Then we go to a new Italian Resturant. As we leave I talk to the owner. He was very surprised that I was 60. I tell him my running keeps me young. We talk a little about the marathon and then my interview. He marveled over how someone over 60 can run a marathon. I let him know that I am not the only one. Donna tells him how many marathons I have done. He tells us that he will put the article on the wall of the resturant. We tell we will be back the next time we are in Maryville. Next is the Summer Psycho Wyco 50k trail run on July 5th. Finally some time off to do some serious training and get back into shape again. My goal this Fall is to break 4:00 and stay healthy. I have not broke 4:00, since November, 2006. TomD

It is Maryville, MO, another hilly state. TomD

Tom, You continue to amaze me as you run all these marathons week after week. Great run, especially with the sore feet from your last one. Nice of you to help out the first-timer! Even the paparazzi are starting to catch on to what you are doing. Simply amazing!! Now rest up a little bit in the next 3 weeks so you can run a good 50K at the Psycho. Keep it going, John

Good one, Tom. You faced the heat and the hills and helped out a new friend. You deserve to be written up. Noce that Donna could be there for this one. Take care and train well for that 50K.