OKC HM Details

Well, I bested my previous HM training time by 6 minutes, so I feel good about that. I unfortunately pushed too many buttons on my Garmin Forerunner 305 about an hour into the run and didn't realize it so I think I lost about 45 minutes of detail out there somewhere.

Mile 1: We started downhill in a HUGE sea of bobbing heads. It took us (I had two running partners to start) about 7 minutes to cross the start line after the gun. In fact we stood in place for over 2 minutes before even moving. The three of us were doing a 1/1 run/walk race. The first mile was great though, no pain.

Mile 2: Included the Walnut Street Bridge, something that from a runners perspective looks almost vertical. However it was overcome and on to the 4th street turn towards Lincoln. Still no pain and running easily. The run/walk was giving me what I needed a restrained slower start than I had done when I ran this route in practice back on April 1. In Mile 2 we saw my wife Bonnie and my daughter Lindsey for the first time, they had some welcome Gatorade, cheers and encouragement.

Mile 3: Took us on up Lincoln past the State Capital Building. Not much to offer here other than still no pain. It was great to run without something hurting. Somewhere in Mile 3 though Rachel and I moved ahead of our other partner Clyde.

Mile 4: We circled around to get onto 23rd Street through our first neighborhood. For some reason I really don't have much memory of Mile 4. I think I was looking ahead to Mile 5 where my daughter would be joining us for a brief run-along.

Mile 5: At the corner of Robinson and 23rd Lindsey stepped off the curb as a bandit runner and ran most of the next mile with Rachel and me. This is also the beginning of several of the older lovely neighborhoods that we would work our way through. This one goes thru a series of "beltway" types of parks along side of Harvey Parkway. A friend from church found me at the entrance to these parks and provided another Gatorade. I was surprised that he also decided to run along with us for a short while. Toward the end of Mile 5 Lindsey started to cramp and dropped back and called Bonnie to pick her up. My church friend ran with us to the corner of 35th and Walker. Somehow I noticed that they had interrupted my pace and I felt different as we started north on Walker. I just didn't feel the same and commented to Rachel about this.

Mile 6: We continued to wind through other neighborhood running over on 38th Street to Shartel, up another good hill and then cutting over on 42nd Street to Western. Western is another north running street and is somewhat downhill to 50th Street.

Mile 7: Finds us still on Western approaching 50th Street and the point where we will deviate from the full marathoners. We turn left onto 50th Street and it immediately starts to climb, but only for one short block to Military. It is in this climb though that I realize my legs are starting to hurt some, not a bad pain but from the knees down I know they are struggling.

Mile 8: Is a turn south onto Classen Blvd. and starts a very gentle 2 mile climb towards 23rd Street from 48th Street. I don't remember if it is in Mile 8 or Mile 9 that I see a port-a-potty and decide a quick break is in order. However, the break is anything but quick. I stand in line behind only one person for over 3 minutes before deciding to look up the road for another spot. Now I've lost my other running partner, she kept on.

Mile 9: Onward to the top of Classen. I find yet another church friend, Bonnie and Lindsey waiting on me at Classen and 23rd. Another Gatorade. Just past them is Mile 10.

Mile 10: My legs are hurting more, but not enough to stop. At times they are beginning to feel rubbery. Another port-a-potty and I walk right in, what a blessing.

Mile 11: Enters Mesta Park and then into Heritage Hills. Heritage Hills lives up to it's name, down to one intersection, up to the next. I do catch Rachel on Mile 11 again, but I fear my legs may have paid the price. Very rubbery now. While on 18th Street heading to Hudson we encounter our last hill as we get ready to exit Heritage Hills. My legs are getting weaker it seems.

Mile 12: A radio announcer informs us that we've just done the last of the hills. Woohoo. We run down Hudson and turn left onto 12th Street. Now we can see the last turn of the course, right onto Broadway. After making the turn onto Broadway we can see the Finish Line, only 7 blocks away. We continue our run/walk pace though, until we are within a block and a half of the finish. Then Rachel tells me to go for it and from somewhere I find energy that wasn't there just minutes earlier and I finish strong with Rachel right on my heels.

What a great day for a run. Temp was 55 to start, finishing up in the mid 70's and almost no wind all morning. Thank you Lord for allowing me to finish safely. Thanks to Clyde and Rachel for their running support. Thanks to Bonnie, Lindsey, Bart, and Dean for their support.

M