The Philadelphia Marathon

Today was the big day:  The Philadelphia Marathon finally happened.  I woke up at the crack of 5:00 am before the sun had risen and walked downstairs to eat a slice of bread with peanut butter.  I proceeded to roll out on my foam roller to loosen up my muscles and began stretching.  I played some pump up music to wake myself up and get energized for the run.  Not only was I stretching, but I also drank plenty of watch in order to avoid dehydration.

Philadelphia Marathon course map (Credit:  philadelphiamarathon.com)

At around 6:15, I left my house and walked over to the Art Museum to the starting line.  It was still dark out but there were plenty of other people making the trek through the cold fall morning to begin the Marathon.  My outfit consisted of my American flag socks, florescent green shorts, San Francisco Giants t-shirt with a red, long-sleeve Under Armour shirt underneath, and my gloves.  I was a bit chilly, but I knew that I would warm up once I began running.  My adrenaline began to start pumping as I entered my corral and the first wave of runners were off and running.

Finally, it was my corral’s turn to go and the starting horn sounded—my first marathon was underway!  Going on in my mind, I thought of all the advice I had been given and the course route I had studied and ran so many times.  I made sure to start out slowly to not use up all of my energy in the beginning of the race.  After the first couple of miles, I was feeling really, really fresh and comfortable.  For several of my runs, there were times I could feel myself tire out quickly; however, running with a pack of people helped keep me from running too quickly and kept me going.

 

Micah running on the Falls Street Bridge during the Philadelphia Marathon 

(Photo taken by Island Photography)

The first highlight of the Marathon was between miles 7 and 8 where I passed through Drexel’s campus and by the fraternity house.  Many of my fraternity brothers were outside the house cheering for me and I gave them all high-fives as I passed by.  That was a huge boost for me to continue for the next eighteen-plus miles I still had left to go.  My pace was still a bit slower than I wanted it to be, but I was conserving myself for the second thirteen miles down Kelly Drive to Manyunk and back.

Micah finishing the Philadelphia Marathon and receiving a high five from Mayor Michael Nutter (Photo taken by Island Photography)

After passing the Art Museum (the halfway point), I felt I still had lots left in the tank.  I began to slowly pick up my pace to where I had ben training…roughly a nine-minute mile pace.  Unfortunately, the arch support inserts I wear in my shoes had slid up in my shoe and I had to take several minutes to stop and fix them in order to run comfortably for the second half.  I did so and felt great for the majority of the rest of the run.  It was not until about mile twenty-three where I began to feel myself running low on fumes.

Micah after finishing with Philadelphia Skyline (Photo taken by Matt Puzio)

Once I felt myself getting tired, I began to pick up my pace and let the adrenaline kick in to take me to the finish.  Many fans were beginning to line up and their energy pushed me through to the end.  I ran as fast as I possibly could to high-five Philadelphia Mayor, Michael Nutter, at the finish line.  I finished my first marathon in a time of 4:01, which is right around where I set my goal.  While I know I could have broken four hours, I felt very encouraged by how I ran and am motivated to run more marathons in the future to improve.

The Final Tune up was Brrrrrrrreight!

Well, my friends, today was the final tune up before running the Philadelphia Marathon.  My final long distance run was a short eight miles, but the temperatures were extremely cold; this temperature will be similar to the start of the marathon next weekend.  When I left the house, it was in the mid-30s and a bit windy.  During my run, my fingers had become cold and even breathing on them could not warm them up.

I began my run with two layers on top (including a long-sleeve shirt), my gloves, high socks, and leggings to keep my lower body warm.  Even when running, my body can still feel cold, especially when the wind is blowing heavily.  After running along the river for the majority of my training, I have grown accustomed to the wind blowing either at me or moving me forward.  Along the Schuylkill River, the wind never seems to be blowing sideways (East to West) but always blows forward or backwards (North to South).  When running along the river during the marathon, I will hope to get a nice tailwind running towards the Art Museum and finish line.  I know I can run the first leg of the second half of the marathon against the wind, but I could use a little assistance when finishing.

8 Mile Running Route (Credit to MapMyRun.com)

My eight-mile route took be down the Schuylkill Banks to the South Street Bridge, and back along the Schuylkill River Trail to the Columbia Bridge.  The Columbia Bridge is about a mile north of the Girard Street Bridge and is right before the grandstands for rowing regattas.  Once I reached the Columbia Bridge, I turned around and returned back across the Spring Garden Bridge and back to the friendly, warm confines of my own home.  This route is the typical eight-mile run I have done throughout my training. 

The last time I ran eight miles as part of my long run was in week four of my training.  I remember that run vividly:  I had gone out the night before, had work at 7:00 am, then went on my run still a bit hungover.  After that run, I had bad stomachaches and cramps for over a week until they finally went away.  A nursing friend of mine believed that I had a bad case of gas that had stemmed from what I ate prior to my run, which included ice cream and other junk food.  This was before I was taking extremely good care of my body and carefully watching what I was eating.

Early Morning Philadelphia Skyline (Photo taken by Micah Sokolsky)

With less than a week left before the Philadelphia Marathon, I feel prepared and ready to run the full 26.2 miles!  I tentatively have my running outfit picked out, but it will likely change day of depending on the weather.  I would prefer not to wear the leggings, but if Mother Nature wants it to be freezing, then so be it.  I will still be ready to take on the challenge!