As I was reliving the race and analyzing my performance, I stated I had an excellent experience despite the cramps at mile 21. I enjoyed it more than NYC marathon in November 2009. There are several reasons for the better experience. I knew what to expect, so I was mentally prepared for it. And there was only about a half of the runners compared to NYC. So the organization was easier and the cattle hording effect was bearable.
I certainly wasn’t fully prepared physically. I didn’t run enough miles to endure the entire marathon. I may have maintained the same speed as in NYC, but the rolling hills in the second half revealed my weakness. That’s the part where the race starts, especially running down the Heartbreak Hill. And that is the point where I got the cramps. I had to stop for about a minute and stretch before I could continue. Then, I ran slower than I would run normally, as I didn’t want the cramps to come back. It cost me, perhaps, additional 2 minutes.
If I subtract those 3 minutes from my finish time I am getting very close to the 3-hour mark. Just 5 minutes to shave from the NYC marathon this fall. Is it possible? I think it is if the weather cooperates on that day. I will also need to train smarter and will need some help from a device monitoring my heart rate. I’ll read about training for better performance.