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Philadelphia Marathon Recap: First Half

Our entire group woke up bright and early Sunday morning to party music and Beth serenading us with marathon morning greetings. I swear she was more excited than we were! I was blessed to be around a group of morning people so we were all moving faster than you’d believe.

We all sipped on coffee and tried to stomach some bagel, peanut butter and bananas as we danced to the Fresh Prince of Bel Air theme song.

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Meghann came over to Michael’s apartment at 6 and by 6:15 we were walking the mile from Rittenhouse Square to the race start. The walk gave us time to review our strategies for the marathon as a group and provide Nadia with some last minute motivation. By this point Kristin and I had decided that we’d start together and let our bodies and minds decide how long we stuck together. Our strategies for hopefully breaking 4:45 and at least setting a new PR was directly from Gia’s coaching:

  • Start out slower than you believe necessary, absolutely no faster than 10:50.
  • Treat the first 20 miles like a long run.
  • Sip water every mile.
  • Take fuel every 4.5 miles even when not in the mood.
  • Don’t use music until I absolutely need it, hopefully in the second half of the marathon.

We stored our gear at the Pennies in Action charity tent, just steps from the start line, before parting ways with our cheer squad (Michael, Beth, and Ashley) along with Nadia and Meghan. Meghan chose to deal with the hell known as the Philadelphia Marathon & Half Marathon porta potty line. They need to add at least an extra 25 more toilets next year!

Having this charity tent as a meeting place was so convenient and took stress off all of us!

As you can tell from the above, we also decided to wear our NYC Marathon bibs on our backs. We figured that around mile 20 it’d be a nice conversation piece for other runners which would hopefully give us an extra push.

Just as we were heading over to the corrals around 6:45, a friendly woman ran up asking if she could run with us. It turns out she raised money for Pennies in Action and also reads my blog! She knew from the blog that we were all trying for the same pace. Elizabeth was such a fun surprise and she too was running her 3rd marathon. A mother to two young children her humor immediately made Kristin and I smile!

The 3 of us confirmed our goals for the race and that we’d stick together as long as possible but would save our energy and therefore not talk much, instead taking in the sights and sounds of Philadelphia.

After the National Anthem and some last minute pump up jams and stretching, we heard the start and knew our time was coming quickly. By 7:10 we were crossing the starting line giving Mayor Nutter a high five and running in the cool, crisp Philadelphia air, ready to enjoy the gorgeous weather.

The first mile was a bit cramped but we saved our energy by hugging the far right side and keeping around an 11:08 pace. The slow pace gave us a chance to take in the crowds and see our cheer squad at 18th street, right past mile 1. They were already screaming their heads off and at this point Kristin threw Beth her watch as the Garmin wasn’t working well.

This spur of the moment decision by Kristin was the best thing she could have ever done! She looked at me and asked if I would pace our group, keeping us on target and ensure our pace didn’t get too fast. I’ve never been a strong pacer and am guilty of going out to fast more often than not. But, knowing that I had other people’s races on the line made me focus on the pace.

For the next five miles we took in the sights, laughed at signs, thanked the Philadelphia marathon planning crew for changing the course to avoid cobblestones, reminded each other to sip water, and took our fuel. Around mile 6 we started watching for our cheer section which helped this mile pass quickly. As we ran through South Philadelphia I watched for the neon signs and finally saw Bo’s red hair jumping up and down. Thanks to my sparkly skirt he saw me far earlier than I saw him and had our whole cheer squad prepared to greet us.

I am so thankful that Theodora shared this sign with me via our Marine Corps Marathon discussions as Bo’s sign was definitely a popular one on the course. Evidently lots of people gave him high fives and laughed as they read the sign! During these first six miles the spectators were a bit weaker than I remembered, many people stood silently holding signs but not screaming. Clearly they didn’t get the memo from Beth, Bo, Michael, and Ashley on how to be epic cheerleaders.

When we passed them I told the girls that the next few miles were pretty important since we’d encounter hills and quickly part ways with the half marathoners who would also be sprinting towards their finish line.  So far, for miles 1 through 7 we were holding our pace right at 11:07, never hovering more than a few seconds in either direction. Our goal was to hold pace through the hills, while  making sure we respected the uphills, allowing our pace to drop some if we needed. We ran up past the Philadelphia Zoo and across to Fairmount Park and the hills near the Please Touch Museum and carousel. The leaves were gorgeous in this area but there were definitely not many spectators. During these “hills” I had my first few tears of the marathon as I told Elizabeth and Kristin that last time I ran the half I had to walk these hills which I thought at the time were impossible. While these few miles included hills, nothing was worse than Harlem Hill and I felt very prepared for them.

As we exited the park we headed down the Schuylkill River path towards Philadelphia. It was amazing to look across the river and see that there were marathoners already running back towards the city, around mile 22! At this point Kristin started to run a bit behind me and Elizabeth. I knew she was feeling tired and tried to slow to stick with her but was worried when I noticed our pace was closer to 11:20 than 11:10. It was at this point that I started to talk with Elizabeth, focusing on getting to know her better to take our mind off the run itself. In addition, I continued to play tour guide, telling them about the Water Works, Boathouse Row, and the Art Museum.

As the marathoners and half marathoners split ways, right past the mile 12 marker, I realized I wasn’t going to see Sabrina who was cheering on Trig and instead took a chance to take inventory of my body and mind. I checked in to see how I was feeling, knowing I was about to enter into the second half of the marathon. I wanted to smile from ear to ear I was feeling so great. I had fueled 2 times so far (4.5 and 9), sipped plenty of water, run my first half without music, was dressed perfectly for the weather, was enjoying the sights, and my pace was right at 11:09. I told Kristin and Elizabeth that I had done the math in my head and if I could keep an 11:09 for the whole marathon I’d have more than a 10 minute PR. By this point I wasn’t sure if 4:45 was feasible as I’d been pretty conservative in the beginning with our pace, never dropping to the 10:55 we’d discussed.

As we crossed the half marathon mark, I decided that my body and mine felt like 11:09 was feasible but I didn’t know that the 5 week taper and other training bumps would allow me to run a 4:45. I wasn’t upset at all. Instead I was more thrilled with how I felt at this point and had just run a stronger half marathon, mentally, than I have in ages. As Kristin’s pace dropped I knew that we’d be parting ways soon but instead told her that she should try and stay as close as possible. I kept pointing to the space next to me in hopes that she’d take her place again in our trio. But, I know how it feels to enter the second half of a marathon not feeling great and therefore didn’t want her to waste energy sprinting either or feel any less of herself.

I spent the 13th mile watching for Bo and our cheering squad, who we were supposed to see around the half point. Even when I realized we’d missed them, the smile from my face still couldn’t be removed. I was about to run the strongest marathon ever and 3rd time was going to be a charm.

….To be continued tomorrow as I have a Notre Dame to finish watching!

PS Thanks to Erica Sara and Ashley Byron for amazing pictures since I ran the race without taking a single picture!

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Philadelphia Marathon Part 1: Saturday

I haven’t really come to terms with the marathon itself yet, so instead, I’m going to start by sharing Saturday with you all. Looking back, I really believe that Saturday was key to my performance and confidence during Sunday’s marathon.

After sleeping for 8 hours Friday night, Bo and I woke up Saturday morning in time to meet Kristin, Nadia, and Beth. Kristin was so kind to offer a ride down to Philadelphia for all of us in her car as long as we were okay squeezing and of course providing a Starbucks coffee. We spent the next 2 hours laughing, talking about the marathon, discussing our strategy, and just relaxing. This time was exactly what we all needed to relax after a long taper period. It was also great to get to know everyone better since I only met Nadia that morning and Beth and I had only hung out in larger group situations.

We may or may not have made a scenic stop in Princeton for some leaves and stretching action!IMG_5931

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After reaching Philadelphia our priority was picking up our bibs and running any errands that we needed to do so that we could be relaxing on the couch by 3pm, a personal goal of ours. Many of us have historically spent the day before a marathon exploring a city with out of town guests, on our feet all day and stressed to the max. Since it was Nadia’s first marathon, having hours to relax during the afternoon and evening was her sole request. In theory, our checklist for a succesful pre-marathon Saturday looked like this:

  • Arrive at destination before noon.
  • Hydrate and eat healthy, non stomach irritating food all day.
  • Pick up bib and any last minute supplies early in the day.
  • By 3pm be back home and have marathon gear set out so any last minute supplies aren’t forgotten.
  • Cook dinner in so we’re relaxed and not dealing with crowds or reservations.
  • Be in bed by 10pm.

As soon as we saw the finish line, while heading over to the Pennies in Action tent to pick up my bib, everything became VERY real!

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After making my final donations and hugging the ladies at Pennies in Action I finally had my bib in my hand and was excited beyond words! It was like everything I’d worked for the past few months was finally coming together! It was so nice to meet them in person and they welcomed not only me but our whole group to their tent, provided us with water, and suggested that we use the tent as a base on marathon day!

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After picking up my bib and packet, which was in the charity tent area near the start line, we headed over to the Philadelphia Convention center to check out the Philadelphia Marathon Expo and pick up everyone else’s bib. We parted ways with Bo at this point who was spending the evening with his best friend Scott. I knew that he would have more fun with Scott than with four girls who were all hyped on marathon energy.

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The walk was only about a mile from Michael’s apartment which was a perfect way to take in some sites and shake out our legs after the car ride. Since we were all just at a race expo two weeks prior we had no interest in shopping. Instead we were in and out in less than 30 minutes.

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On our way back to Michael’s apartment we ran into Meghan who was with her wonderful family heading to the expo and also Santa! We asked him to wish us speedy strong feet and good marathons. I think this thumbs up means that our wishes would be granted.

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Realizing just how hungry we all were, we stopped in Pine Street Deli, thanks to Yelp’s recommendations, and each ordered a delicious deli sandwich.

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By 3pm we were sitting on the couch eating our lunches, amazed at the simple flavors and how delicious it all tastes when you aren’t used to Kaiser rolls.

For the next 6 hours we literally did nothing other than chat, foam roll, stretch, organize our marathon gear, make dinner, and watch a mix of college football (Go UGA and Notre Dame), watch Friends episodes, and make it through 30 minutes of the worst movie ever, Magic Mike.

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Later, to relax us, Kristin even read good luck wishes to us from her students. Each student wrote her the sweetest letter wishing her good luck on her marathon!

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Around 8, I called Gia for one last word of advice and strategy session. She was thrilled to hear that our day had ended just as we’d hoped and we were each feeling relaxed and ready. We discussed the two most important things for me to do in the marathon: go out slow and fuel consistently. It was as if our discussion put me at ease because as I crawled into bed that night my whole body was relaxed. I slept for 7 glorious hours, only waking one time. My body and mind were both ready for a great marathon.

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Philadelphia Marathon Tips

I had to laugh when last week, after I announced that I was running the Philadelphia Marathon instead of New York, a few people emailed, tweeted, or left me Facebook messages asking if I’d do a tips and tricks post for the marathon in advance of November 18th. My first reaction was laughter as I knew very little about the marathon when I signed up. Sure I lived in Philadelphia for 3 years and ran the half multiple times but I don’t know the full course very well.

So what do I do when you’re confused or don’t know the answer to something? Ask for help!

I quickly reached out to a few friends and acquaintances who have run the marathon multiple times and am now able to share with you a pretty amazing Philadelphia Marathon Tips guide for both runners and spectators. If you find this helpful, please feel free to share with friends or across your social networks! If I missed anything, feel free to ask in the comments and I’ll do my best to get you an answer before Thursday!

The Course: I am inspired by my co-worker Mark on a daily basis. Not only is his 40 something body able to run a 3:17 marathon, but he is the most helpful and kind runner I know! He has sent me multiple inspirational messages during this training journey and has accompanied me on many a run. As soon as he heard I was running Philadelphia he put me in touch with his friend, a local Philadelphia runner, so I could understand the ins and outs of the course. After training for New York, a marathon that I’ve run twice before, it felt weird to sign up for a marathon whose course I don’t know very well in advance. I was amazed when his friend sent over a VERY thorough course description which included his tips. I asked him permission and he was more than happy for me to share it directly on the blog for everyone’s benefit!

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Happy to help – the course has been essentially the same for a while now.  Apologies for the length here, but I’m avoiding election coverage and welcome the distraction.  

Overall, it’s fairly flat and known for being a pretty fast course.  If you’ve been training for NYC in the city itself (including bridge work and/or the hills of central park), none of the hills that are on the course should adversely effect you. Philly used to be one of the marathons people ran to qualify for Boston. 

Start is by the Art Museum – they’ve made a lot of progress with corrals and spacing, in the past few years.  My recommendation is to be at or near the front of the corral behind the one to which you are assigned.  This way, you can help avoid getting stuck in a crowd and can find whatever pace you feel comfortable with, early on.  Also, you’re more apt to start catching runners in the group in front of you, as you go.  (Always good for the psyche.) Keep in mind, unlike NYC, you’re also running with half-marathoners.  Slightly different crowd. 

Anyway, the first 6 to 6.5 miles run through the flat streets of Philly proper: center city (which is the closest Philly comes to nyc midtown environment) and old city (which can include brief sections of cobblestone).  You’ll know you’re heading into old city when you run through Independence Mall.  Through this section of the race, you’ll find a few turns along the way, which can slow you down, depending on crowds around you.  Also, the streets get more narrow in sections.  They don’t always clear the streets of cars, so it can get like the sections of NYC you find in Brooklyn. (Think bay ridge).
Bw 6 and 7, you’ll cross a bridge into west Philadelphia.  That’s when you’ll notice some hills starting.  You’ll also get some nice energy from the greeks at Penn. (Don’t feed them.). The hill at mile 7 or so isn’t going to kill you – especially if you’ve done your bridgework.  It’s a little long and the pitch is roughly equivalent to the Williamsburg bridge. Keep your pacing honest and respect the hill here and you’ll be fine. I mention this because the worst hill on the course comes at around mile 9 or so, when you start to head to the zoo.  Before you hit that hill, you’ll notice you’ve lost the crowds.  They largely stop when you’re past Penn and Drexel. There will be select areas w some crowds as you go – but they can get kind of sparse for prolonged sections of the remainder of the race.

One more word about the hill at mile 9 – it’s a solid hill. Fairly prolonged, good steepness to it.  A lot of people run it really stupidly.  Expect to slow your pace here.  I’m always conservative with this hill, unless someone’s chasing me. Good news is, you’ll know this hill when you see it and the rest of the course is frankly pretty routine.  After the hill at 9, you’ll get a downhill return for roughly 4 miles – you’ll see "Boathouse Row" on the left and you’ll see you’ll find yourself back at the Art Museum.  This is where you’ll lose the half-marathoners. They’ll go straight to their finish, while you’ll head left out to a town called Manayunk. 

The Manayunk leg is an out and back: 6 out, tap Manayunk and run the 10k back to the finish.  Depending on who you talk to, some describe this leg as downhill out and uphill back – others describe it as a series of mini-hills.  Both descriptions are basically right.  This section is part of a very popular running route in philly: tree lined, right along the river and largely scenic.  You’ll get some crowd support in a couple of sections of this leg – depending on the weather, it can get very strong. 

I’m not a fan of "out and backs" generally, but this one is tolerable.  Just ignore the mile markers and runners in the opposite direction (ie ahead of you) when you’re heading out.  
Preparing for NYC will serve you well here, because good training can put you in position to make up some time on this section. The one thing I’ll mention on this section is to remember that, near the very end of the return (and the marathon itself) you have a gradual hill that’s roughly 1 mile long.  After 24 miles plus, it has beaten up many a runner and it’s a frequent mistake for people to forget about it.  Don’t forget it’s there – it starts at the end of Boathouse Row on your return.  Can’t miss it. Save some energy for it.  Once you’re atop the hill, with the Art Museum again on your right, it’s the last point 2 to the finish.  Empty the tank then.

I think that’s about it.  It’s a pretty well run race – the water stops are stocked and staffed well.  They’ve expanded the field to try to accommodate the abandoned NYC marathoners (adding 3k more).  So, it should be more crowded than usual.  But, it doesn’t get more crowded than the upper deck of the Verrazano.  You should be fine.

Spectating: The Philadelphia Marathon is known for amazing spectators the majority of the first 13 miles. After that, it’s a bit of a mixed bag. There are always a number of spectators at the end and in Manayunk. Therefore, I would highly suggest asking your friends and or family to spectate in one of the “dead zones” if at all possible. Since it’s an out and back course for part of the marathon, if they chose a spot along here they could not only see you at the beginning and end, but also the tough parts. Here are my suggestions based on course research and where I’ll be requesting the amazing BETH to try and spectate if possible.

  • Do not attempt to spectate in the first few miles of the marathon. Due to the start, which includes half marathon runners, it is pretty crowded at this point and will make finding people very difficult. The crowd spreads out a bit after mile 3 so this is the best place to even consider spectating during the early miles.
  • If you hang out on Kelly Drive towards the Mile 15 point, you’ll see your runners at mile 15 and 24. These are both pivotal miles as 15 is when it has truly set in that you’re running a marathon and you’ve broken off from the half marathon crowd. Mile 24 can also be a tipping point in a PR so knowing that you’re going to see someone at that point can really help push you through mile 23. The great thing about this location is that it’s only 2 miles down Kelly Drive from the finish so if you’re a runner, walker, or jogger spectating you can walk back to the finish to meet your runner.
  • Tell your spectators to wear something that will stand out to you. For example, I may have Bo where his bright red North Face jacket or a Georgia Tech baseball hat. Things like this, or an I Love Sweat T-Shirt, make finding your spectators easier!
  • Make super fun signs and come up with a few cheers. In addition, do not say the following to marathon runners UNLESS you are standing at mile 26. (pictures and suggestions on what not to say from Erica Sara’s blog)
      • You’re almost there (when they are NOT almost there)
      • This is the last hill (when it’s NOT the last hill)
      • Run faster (trust me, they are trying)

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I hope these tips help!

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