congrats Patrick on finishing Houston Marathon!!!!!

[texsooner]

Kay, that would really tick me off not having the timing chip work. The timing chip this year (called B-tag)...was inbedded on the back of the bib (number) that we wore on the front of our shirt or shorts. Your trainer is a premier runner if she was in the top 6 of her age group and top 60 overall.....that's very impressive. Maybe if she can prove that she ran with the guy you mentioned, they could load her time manually at the same time that he ran.

Patrick

[Keri]

It's great to hear a few more details of the marathon. Ugh... that humidity sounds awful! I'm so glad your sons could come out too and join your wife to cheer you on!

Rupert... what marathon did you run? and if you join us on our execise accountability thread (let's run, walk etc) we'll encourage you in running your mile! we have all types of people exercising.. those who are regulars, those trying to get back into it, those who just need accountability (ME!!) to keep them going when they don't feel like exercising.

Kay - your friend can also get her photos from the marathon photo place (brightroom?) and email those to the race director. that happened to me once too (but it was my fault). we had these tags we tied to our shoes... i took the part i was supposed to throw away and put that on my shoe, and threw away my chip! i kept the finish time on my watch, because it's always so different from the clock time. if she's that fast, she may have been trying to qualify for boston, and losing your chip time if you boston qualified would definitly be a bummer.

Patrick - again, congrats! i was so happy (after wondering if the race was even going to happen) when i looked up your time and saw your splits and how well you were doing. i signed up for it to text me when you finished, so when my phone 'beeped'  it was almost like i was right there at the finish!! (well, that's a bit of a stretch, but i was very happy for you)!

[Jill Marie]

Congratulations Patrick, so glad you were able to meet all your goals and from what I've read about the weather you did it under adverse conditions as well.  I did a little 7 mile walk a year after my surgery and remember how the crowds along the way helped me get through it so I'm glad you had so much support from Houston and of course the most important support of all, family and all of us of course!  Enjoy your VICTORY and your well deserved break!  Jill

[Soundy]

I'll steal a line from Yogi Berra and say that running a marathon is 90% mental and the other half is physical.

I
Patrick

I think my problem is that I am mentally week ... I think about things too long and get bogged down
in the what ifs  ( what if I don't go fast enough , what if I am last , what if I break a nail )
and it slows me down or stops me from doing things ... I worry too much about the physical end of it

so my goal of just finishing and not setting higher ones kinda works ... but then I sometimes feel like if
I had just did something different I could have done better ...

Know it is past New Years , but think I need to make a resolution to aim higher ... and will keep people
like Patrick in mind ... if he can improve him self and do better so can I ...

[rupert]

   Keri,

        It was called the Potter County Marathon.    Galeton to Coudersport  PA.   Ugh!   I remember it like yesterday,  but  it was   30 years ago.   I'm sorry
but I have no intrest in running now.   I used to run all the time.    I do a lot of walking though and I have a physically demanding job  so I stay somewhat fit.
But I do run out of air quickly.  I could use some cardio.     Bryan

[Brendalu]

 " It was called the Potter County Marathon.    Galeton to Coudersport  PA."
Wow....I remember that marathon.............that used to b my neck of th woods many, years ago!

Patrick, congratulations!  You amaze me and I am honored to know you!  Someday I am going to make the journey to watch that race.
Brenda

[rupert]

   Brenda,,
             My neck of the woods also,   still.    I think it was also called  "The Gods Country Marathon",    as it is truly Gods Country.     Bryan

[Keri]

i just looked at google earth to see where it was in PA. i think that's a bit far for me to try to do. looks hilly! maybe patrick can make that his next. is it a smaller marathon? i've always heard of the steamtown marathon, which my husband did.

[rupert]

   Keri,    just look up "God's country marathon  on google and you can get a lot of information.    It is run in June.

It is somewhat hilly.   What gets most people in trouble is the three mile steep incline at the seventeen mile mark.   Some like it though because
if you get past that point its all downhill to the finish.  Bryan

[Keri]

3 miles steep incline to take you to mile.. 20? lovely ! good for you for running it twice. i bet it's pretty. i've just run big marathons in cities. baltimore was hilly. i think some hills are good. flat for 26.2 is  too difficult, in my opinion. too much of the same. thanks for sharing!

keri

[texsooner]

Wow, 3 miles incline to run up sounds tough, but would be nice going downhill the last 6 miles. 3 miles consecutive going up would be tough enough on a bicycle, much less running up non-stop. I do agree with Keri though that some variation is good for training. While the Houston marathon course is mostly flat, there are a few small hills and most seem to be in the last 6 miles......I think one reason I ran so slowly the last 6 miles (other than the heat and having 20 miles on my old legs) is that I didn't do much of any hill runs in my training. I will do more of that next time in hopes of improving.

Patrick