Notes
Now I know why the Athens Marathon is called the 'Marathon of Marathons'. This is the toughest marathon course I've run. Mostly uphill from 10K to 30K!
After a pre-race meal of oatmeal and coffee, Eleni and I set our sites on the historic Athens Marathon. I knew this was going to be an emotional day for both Eleni and me as the BIG day was finally here. I took great pride and pleasure to be carry Eleni's water and Gatorade for the race. With two gels in our pockets, we were equipped with enough drinks and food for the marathon.
During the early stages of the race, I was focusing on our pace, as i didn't want Eleni to go out too hard. I was concerned that she might get to hyped up and run too fast too early. I had nothing to worry about as Eleni went conservatively and conserved her energy.
All my attention was focused on making sure I delivered Eleni her drinks when she wanted them. Time seemed to move very quickly. In fact the 4:15 time felt like about a two hour run!
The weather turned out to be great. Low 60's with light rain. It can be hot this time of the year in Greece, so we were counting our blessings.
My gluts/hamstrings were a bit tight, but not as bad as usual because of the slower pace. My knees and feet did bother me a bit, but otherwise, I had no major problems.
My mind didn't waver all that much, as I was so focused on my 'job'. :) I did imagine what Phidippides would feel like running to Athens after the victorious battle with the Persians. So on several occasions, I did feel his proud 'Ancient Greek' presence. The people on the street were very supportive of all the runners. Running side by side with Eleni was indeed a special moment in my life - to be a part of this amazing experience with her. I'm very proud of her to finish this race and run strong with all she had to endure going into it.
Splits: 5K - 30:04, 10K - 59:00 (28:56), Half Marathon - 203:34, 30K - 2:59:15, finish - 4:15:51 (9:46 pace).
Eleni finished 160th out of 570 woman (68th Senior out of 282).
Now the challenge will be for her to qualify for Boston and for me to 'race' Athens all out at some point in the near future!