Galveston Marathon

 



I must have left my brain at home when I drove to the race. My goal was to try and break 3:50 (Boston qualifying). I had done my fastest marathon in years at Texas Marathon Kingwood - 3:57.....so 7 minutes off would be challenging but that was my goal. Granted, I was one week off a 18.6 mile race (6 x 5Ks) where I did OK but was still a bit tired, and I spent the last three days fighting something (headaches and congestion). However, and despite these excuses, the 3:50 was still my target…..I should have remembered that.


I lined up with a 3:50 pacer……but saw a 3:40 pacer and thought if I run between them, maybe I could post a 3:45 and help my odds for Boston (never mind the fact I haven’t run a marathon that fast in a dozen years or so).
However instead of running between the pacers, I stayed with the 3:40 pacer through mile 18 but that was when I remembered I’m stupid. My legs were getting pretty tired and I was slowing. I was still at/around a 3:47 finish at Mile 19.4 but my legs weren't happy.
Around Mile 21 the 3:50 pacer caught me. I just couldn’t keep up with him. It was a death march for me to the finish. Ended up around 4:15 which is still my second fastest marathon in about a dozen years (and good enough for second in the old geezer age group....first place in my age group finished kind of at my goal and 19.4 mile potential finish with a time of 3:46.....should have used him as my pacer).

Next on the calendar was Little Rock Marathon a month after Galveston. Did I mention I’m not too smart?


Location: Galveston, TX, USA

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