AT
LAST, A ‘2-SOMETHING’ MARATHON
By Peter Coy
 |
The
last time I wrote about marathoning for this newsletter was in 1997,
after I hit the wall in an attempt to break 3 hours and trudged home
with a 3:17. I got quieter after that, but I didn’t give up. I
ran a 3:09 in 1998, a 3:07 in 1999, and just under 3:05 in 2000. Each
race got me closer to cracking 3. I skipped New York last fall because
of injuries, but this spring I ran my first Boston Marathon. I came
across the finish line with a chip time of 2:59:19. Success at last! |
I broke 3 hours in
the marathon only once before, and that was 25 years ago, at age 19, when
I ran a 2:46:39. That was exciting, all right, but this year’s achievement
was more satisfying because I worked more patiently for it. After failing
repeatedly to break 3 in recent years, I knew I would succeed only if I trained
harder and raced smarter. I put on more miles this winter and spring than
I ever have before, averaging 50 miles a week over a 12-week period and putting
in four 23-mile runs. On race day in Boston, I resisted the temptation to
start fast, which meant I had something left for the final miles. I did the
first (downhill) half in 1:28:11, and the second half, which includes the
three Newton hills, in 1:31:08.
Now that I can legitimately
call myself a “2-something” marathon runner, I plan to retire
from the event. I’ve enjoyed the long runs, and it’s great to
soak up the energy of spectators along Fourth Avenue in Brooklyn or Commonwealth
Avenue in Boston. But the marathon is not a natural event for me. As my heroes
Mike and Jim Hudick point out, based on my recent times for the 10K (sub-36)
and the half marathon (1:20) I should be running under 2:50. But while the
stats say yes, my body says no. So, now that I’ve finally proven a point
to myself by breaking 3, I can go back to distances that I’m more suited
for.