Philadelphia Marathon, 2009

Here are some photos and videos from our Marathon Excursion this past Sunday. I was running with my son Jody, and we stayed the night before with friends Dolly and Joe. I rate this experience as OUTSTANDING! I don't know how to make this slide show go slower, but you can click on it to go to picassa web albums.



As we came around the Art Museum towards the finish, I took this video. We were still a half a mile from the finishing line, but spectators were yelling our names, since the race organizors had the good sense to print our first names in huge letters on our number bibs. I had no gas left in my tank, but Dolly and I were side by side, and we were both bearing down with everything we could muster (at least I was. Dolly never let on if she was trying hard). To watch Picassa vidoes you click on them, then "back" to return to this blog post. Not sure I like that system.

From Philly Marathon

In this next video we were heading around the last corner and in to the finishing shutes. I was sooo happy, and sooo ready to be done. Dolly was constantly checking her Garmin and doing math calculations about our pace. You can even see her do it here, 200 yards from the finish, with the Art Museum steps in the background! Without Dolly's experience and encouragement all along the way, I would have been at least 10 minutes slower.

From Philly Marathon

Dolly's garmin recorded from very cool results. You can watch it here. Click the triangle and watch the race. Dolly's heartrate is in the lower right. She kept saying that it would take a higher heartrate to run the same speed as we got closer to the finish. She was correct, of course! My heart got to eleven some time on the way back from Manayunk. I especially remember mile 23 being one of the longest, grueling miles I ever ran.

I signed up to have our split times sent to my email. Here they are. Which one is not like the other one? ("NET" means that it's timed by your chip from when you actually cross the start line, not the actual clock time)

Alan Jacobs
@ 10K in 01:02:10 (NET). Pace: 10:00. Predicted: 4:22:18.
@ Half in 02:09:00 (NET). Pace: 9:50. Predicted: 4:18:00.
@ 30K in 03:03:24 (NET). Pace: 9:50. Predicted: 4:17:57.
@ Finish in 04:18:07 (NET). Pace: 9:50.

Dolly Dennery
@ 10K in 01:02:09 (NET). Pace: 10:00. Predicted: 4:22:13.
@ Half in 02:08:59 (NET). Pace: 9:50. Predicted: 4:17:58.
@ 30K in 03:03:24 (NET). Pace: 9:50. Predicted: 4:17:57.
@ Finish in 04:18:06 (NET). Pace: 9:50.

Jody Lopez-Jacobs
@ 10K in 00:48:35 (NET). Pace: 7:49. Predicted: 3:24:59.
@ Half in 01:43:16 (NET). Pace: 7:52. Predicted: 3:26:32.
@ 30K in 02:33:56 (NET). Pace: 8:15. Predicted: 3:36:30.
@ Finish in 03:58:45 (NET). Pace: 9:06.

I think Jody may have gone out too fast. But it's arguable that this gave him a great time, because he was blisteringly fast for the first 1/2 to 3/4.

In this final video we are freezing, and walking to the car. We are walking as fast as our bodies will let us! At one point, we needed to cross a busy street, and Jody just stood there, trying to figure out how he would ever accomplish it. Luckily, a lead car saw his predicament, and stopped to let him slither across.

From Philly Marathon