Sunday: More ABout My Marathon

So, there are a few more things that I would like to impart about my marathon.  It was an interesting day.  For one thing, I was unrealistic in my expectations, which is not unusual for me as a person.  I am, after all, the selfsame person who plunged herself into the waters of Alcatraz and thought it would be a lovely day.  Now, my expectations were that I would run something like my Boston Marathon time, when I had had a recent hospital stay and virtually no training.

So, I traveled to Huntsville with a bit of trepidation, but felt pretty good about the situation overall.  I raised my mile times at mile 20ish and got passed by the 3:35 pacers.  I found the pacer's themselves to be rather frustrating creatures, as they can clearly run three hour marathons and running a 3:35 is just a chance for them to converse for 3 hours and 35 minutes about the next races that they will likely win in the cheerful tones of those who are not making a lot of effort.  It was rather demoralizing, as they passed me and chatted like it was nothing to charge past the grumpy girl running the 3:38.

Also, I wore my Boston Marathon technical tee shirt to run the marathon, which actually drew much more comment than you would think before and during the marathon.  There were many people who struck up conversations, to ask me about my time and people who even said that they were going to run with me based on my time, SO when my time fell apart, it seemed that my fellow runners were somewhat disappointed in me and my efforts.

Also, I was stranded in the race with a rather frustrating runner.  I could not lose him.  He was a loud cougher, a frequent spitter, a yeller at the crowd, he became more cheerful as my attitude declined, and he sometimes, for seemingly no reason, would fist pump and say "YEAH!!!!", in a way that made me want to strangle him while fist pumping and saying "YEAH!!!".  It was hard times.

But again, under the circumstances, it was a fine race, perfect weather and a lovely post race lunch with hot soup and tasty bagels.  It was nice, and I will not take the Huntsville Marathon off my list of marathons which I will run.