What better way to explore a city for the first time, than running through 26.2 miles of its streets! The Philadelphia Marathon was great! I ran a PR of 3:47:45 (including stopping for 6 minutes to leave the restroom). I accomplished every goal I set out to - I ran negative splits (1:55 for the first half, 1:52 for the second), I didn't walk at all, and I even ran the last 10k faster than the first 10k. The weather was perfect, the crowd was great, and the race was certainly one I'll always remember.
During the process not only did I rack up some more miles, but I broke my marathon goal for an extra donation. As the end of the year approaches, I really need to figure out where I am going to donate the money. It will be 20 cents per mile, plus extra for the race goals I have achieved.
I'll be taking a little time off from training - but definitely not from running. I want to try to maintain a good base of 20 miles per week while not training, and start working out more at the gym to get stronger. That way, next time I start a training program I can be even more aggressive in my training. This race really makes me excited since I trained harder, and saw the effects. Maybe I'll throw in another 5k before the end of the year if I feel recovered - but part of me wants to end this racing year on such a high note.
