Team Hair: Jesse "He Hate Me" Morrow and Seth "Seth Tank" Maleri get ready to race
Race: Pittsburgh Marathon
Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Goal Time: 3:10:00
Actual Time: 2:16:04
I heard a large cheer and looked back. It was the leader of the marathon coming down the last few blocks. With less than two blocks to go for me, I thought: "I should at least try to beat him." And I started to run. But, two problems came up:
1. If I didn't have a badly sprained ankle he probably would have been able to run 4 blocks faster than I could run 2; and,
2. I had a badly sprained ankle.
Quickly I realized how dumb that was.
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The day had started awesome. Corral A was filled with SRRs: Me, Dan, Anthony, Tommy B, John, Lino, Larissa and Tim Harden.
Dan and I determined to run with the 3:10 (7:15/mile) pace group. That would have been a mistake. By the end of mile one, Dan and I had run a 7:05 and the 3:10 pacer was GAINING on us. By mile 3, I never saw him again.
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At mile 4, we were able to get cheers from the girls: Urvi, Shark Tank, Rachel and Remlee.
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We had crossed the 10k right on 3:10 pace. Both Dan and I felt great and motored toward mile 7. Right after mile 7 I got myself trapped on the wrong side of a median. Dan was on the right and I was on the left behind a woman running much slower than us. I decided to hop over the median.
That's when I twisted my ankle.
I stepped on the curb and it was over. Within a couple of steps I knew my race was over. But, 5 months and 1000 miles of training, I wasn't about to just quit.
So, I continued with Dan for another 2 miles. At mile 9, I knew even the charade was over. I told him to go on.
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The split between the marathon and the half marathon was at mile 11. After making the full marathon loop on the Southside back to the bridge crossing the Monongahela, I walked over to the half marathon side of the bridge and resigned myself to walking the rest of the half.
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Walking in at 2:16:04, it was a personal worst half marathon. I got my half medal but was placed - with 326 other people - on the list of "Did not Finish Declared Event."
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SRR Shoutouts
Bradley broke 3 hours
Tommy and Anthony ran in the 3:03 range to each qualify for Boston
Larissa won the 5k
Daphne had a PR
Seth had a PR
Pam finished her first marathon.
Sorry to hear about the ankle Jesse, it must have been a tough decision to bow out early and keep the ankle in better shape than it would have been if you pressed on. You'll get it next time! Rest up and get that 3:10, I know you've got it in you!
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