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SRRC Race Reports
Philadelphia Marathon , Philadelphia, PA—Sun., November 18, 2007
by
Scott Smith
It was like an early Christmas present to look out the window and see dry pavement on the streets! Although cold, it would at least be dry for the start. It was a relatively short walk to the starting area from the main part of the city, but if you wanted to check anything, add a long walk to the Museum of Art and back. The corrals divided the half-marathoners from the full and were both relatively empty until 10 minutes before the start, when they filled quickly.
The start was all flat, with wide street but plenty of elbow bumping and an occasional car left parked on the street. Wondering why it wasn¢t towed, runners covered it in clothes! One lady fell directly in front of me, Philly streets aren't like the freshly paved South Riding roads.
The streets were relatively flat the entire way with some occasional long gradual uphill climbs. There was only one climb that challenged you, and some people were walking up. Most of the downhills were also fairly gradual allowing me to stretch my legs and get some momentum.
Crowd support, compared to MCM, was about a 5. In many places there were spectators watching. In a handful of places they were actually cheering, and an occasional snack was offered, my marathon favorite being the Peppermint Lifesaver--now two for two! Nutrition on the course was scarce, and I discovered that gels have a new all-time worst flavor—double espresso cappuccino, which I forced down reluctantly.
The last 12 miles was an out and back, mainly a long gradual downhill—like barely downhill—but if you wanted to make any speed, you had to kick in going down, because there was no way to get minutes back on the return. We passed the leaders (or they passed us) and they were cruising full stride and fast, with the escort and all. At the turn, ~mile 20, they knew what it was about, and the crowds were in full force cheering, with several people with oranges (which I fumbled and dropped sadly) and then luckily apples, which I was able to hold on to. A slight drizzle began to come down, and the temperature seemed to drop.
I had paced myself faster than usual, but kept an eye on my time and Heart Rate Monitor hovering around 155 (maxed at 178 at the "sprint" finish) and was still in good shape for the last stretch. At mile 25, I was at ~3:48 and knew I could make sub-4 if I finished strong. One other guy was trying to make a strong finish, and he and I pushed each other to the end. At the 26-mile marker, my time was 3:57, the crowd was now lining the street and cheering. I couldn¢t see anything, with my head down and just pushing to keep going strong. The finish was still not in sight the whole time, and only appeared with about 200 yards to go, and I realized that I had plenty of time, having practiced finishing sprints for the last 100 yards of my normal run!
Post race was okay, there was a big concrete block you had to step over—my legs wouldn't go that high, so I went around—and a tent for food and beverages. A changing tent was available, and plenty of park benches for tired legs. Discarded clothing was in bags on the streets, and trembling from cold, I borrowed a sweatshirt, which I later gave away.
Summary: The course was great—perfect for my type of running, where I can endure some uphill but prefer a downhill. Relatively scenic course, Rocky Theme pumps the spirit in various areas, but deathly quiet along at least half the course.
November 2007
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