Matt Morrisson's Sub 3 Hour Marathon Report...

2009 Capital City Marathon

Well, this story starts more than two years ago in 2006. Kathy and I decided it would be fun to run the Disney World Marathon in Jan 2007, and I set a goal to run under 3 hours. My PR was 3:05:00, so it seemed achievable. I trained well and around race time, I felt like I could do it. The Disney World Marathon starts at 6am, and race morning we walked out to 100% humidity and around 65 degrees (forecast was for it to be in the mid 80s by the finish). I tried to stay positive and stay on plan to run my goal pace. I was going OK in the early miles, but I could tell the heat and humidity was getting to me. By half way, I remember thinking 3 hours was going to be awfully hard. After mile 17, I was still doing OK. As I ran along, I thought "I should have seen mile 18 by now, maybe I missed the mile marker." A little further along, I thought "Maybe I missed a couple mile markers, if I'm really at 20 miles, I think I can still make 3 hours." Needless to say, I didn't miss any mile markers. When I saw 18, I was mentally toast. Looking at my watch, I was sure I couldn't go under 3, and I probably couldn't even get a PR. I really got down on myself, and once I hit mile 19, I started walking, and walked all the way to 20. I cursed the marathon many times, and swore I would never run another one again. I alternated between running and walking for a few miles and ran in the last couple. I finished in 3:34:12, which isn't a bad time, but quite a ways from my goal.

Lessons learned from that race:
- I don't run well in the heat, which I already knew.
- If I had modified goals to match the conditions, I likely would have had a much better finishing time.
- Stay positive. If I had hit 18 with a better attitude, I would have had a more enjoyable race.


Fast foward to January 2009. I finally felt like I could attempt to run a marathon again and I picked Capital City since I had run it before and did reasonably well. My original plan was to just run it with no time goals at all. Just a low pressure run to get my marathon legs back. My early training went well, and my fast runs went really well. I was able to do some long pace and tempo runs at a pace that would put me under 3 hours. The turning point came at the Fort Steilacoom 20 Mile race. The race was on Saturday, but my training schedule had a 9 mile pace run on Friday. I decided to stick to my original training plan with the pace run, and just use the 20 miler as a little faster long run. I ran the pace run at 6:44 pace, so I figured the race the next day would be maybe 7:30-7:45 pace. I ran the first 5 miles at what seemed a comfortable pace, and I was surprised when I looked at my watch at realized I was running under 7 minute pace. Since I was feeling good, I decided to just keep running at that pace. I felt great until about mile 17, and even then I was able to finish fairly strong. My average pace was 6:44 (a 3 hour marathon is 6:51 pace). My marathon goal went from "just finishing" to maybe a PR, and maybe even under 3 hours. The rest of my training continued to go well. I had one week with more miles than I usually run and started to get some minor injuries; a sore hamstring and sore foot. Luckily the next week was the start of my taper, and all the little aches and pains subsided.

The day before Capital City race day, I was nervous, with my stomach fluttering away. The weather forecast was for highs in the low to mid 70s, which would not be good for me, but I stayed positive. Race day finally arrives. It is still cool at the 7am start, which helps alleviate my fears of heat. The gun goes off and we head downhill toward the water. As I get close to the first mile marker, I think how that felt nice and easy. I glance at my watch and see 6:05. Oh crap! Way too fast. I calm myself by thinking "its OK, it was downhill". After that, I quickly settle into a better pace. I see Kathy on her bike around mile three. The miles click off easily for a while, running in the 6:40s. Around halfway, a guy catches up to me from behind and we run together for 5 or 6 miles. We chat as we run along, and he mentions that he thinks we might run 2:55:00. I tell him "all I am aiming for is 2:59, and I'm staying on plan". We start to make headway on a runner in front of us, and this guys says "I think we can catch him". My reply again is "I'm not running for place but rather for time, and I want a 2:59". A little after that he picked up the pace slightly and I just stayed on plan. The marathon course rejoins the half marathon course at mile 18. A little after that, I started seeing half marathon runners. Spectators were cheering everyone on, and when they would see a marathon bib number, they would cheer and say "great job marathon runner". At about mile 21, I could hear cheering behind me for a marathoner, so I figured someone was catching up to me. Farther down the road, I could tell the cheering behind me was definitely more enthusiastic than it was for me. Then I heard someone say "first marathon woman". Ah...now it was clear why the cheering was louder. At mile 22, there is nice downhill section. I checked my watch and saw 2 hours 27 minutes. I only had to run the last 4.2 miles in about 30 minutes, and I felt I could do it. This was followed by an uphill at 22.5. The hill is not particularly steep, but it goes on and on and on. It is more than a mile long. I could feel my pace slow, but I was still running past half marathoners, so I knew I couldn't be going too slow. A little past the top, the cheering behind me was getting closer, and it wasn't long until a pace car was driving along side me, then past me, then Annie (the eventual 1st place woman) passed me. There was still about 1.5 miles to go. At this point, I am running about as fast as I can, but it sure doesn't feel fast. Everything is a blur, and I don't hear anything in particular. I am focused, I just keep repeating to myself "...2...59...2...59...". My legs feel like mush and my breathing is labored. I pass the 25 mile marker, watch says 2:50 and change. "If I can run 1.2 miles in less than 10 minutes, I will have it!" The last mile is downhill, which is a blessing. I keep waiting to see the top of the finishing banner, but it seems to never come. Less than half a mile to go, I can see the finish, but it seems so far away. I was to stop running, but I keeping pushing. I can feel my head starting to tip backward as I run, and it takes a mental effort to force myself to bring my chin back down. The time clock comes into view. I see 2:59:30 and think "OH NO! I'm so close, and I'm not going to make it!" As I get a little closer, I realize it says 2:58 not 2:59. My head starts to tip back again enough that I feel like I will fall backward. I cross the finish line and fall into the arms of volunteers. Kathy is there to help me too. It is clear that I'm not totally coherent and I need some help to get to the medical tent. My head is swimming, and I feel faint. Blood pressure is strong though, which is good. I lay there and drink, not easy to do, but they get me a bendy straw :) My nose and lips are tingling, which I find strange. Once I recover enough to get up, I feel a lot better quickly. My legs are tired, but not totally shot. I walk over and get some food, and even have a slice of pizza.

In the end I finished 8th overall, and 1st in my age group. And I finally got my sub 3 hour marathon! 2:58:43!

Lessons learned from this race:
- Stay on plan. Even when feeling good.
- In the last few miles when you get tired, keep running hard. It might be unpleasant, but you can do it.
- Respect the race day conditions, but don't get psyched out by them.