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Race Result

Racer: Jeff Wolfe
Race: Mardi Gras Marathon
Date: Sunday, February 27, 2005
Location: New Orleans, LA
Race Type: Run - Marathon
Age Group: Male 40 - 44
Time: 3:47:52
Overall Place: 285 / 1957
Age Group Place: 47 / 172
Comment: February Marathon - what was I thinking!



Race Report:



Last November I started running more with my wife Leslie after having finished my tri season with the Greetings of the Geese Duathlon. I quickly picked up my weekly running mileage so that by the end of November I was running 40-45 miles a week. In the back of mind, I thought I would like to run another marathon so I quietly started lengthening my long run. By mid-December, I committed myself to an early spring marathon, and I selected the Mardi Gras Marathon in New Orleans since there was also a ½ marathon that Leslie and my training partner, Mike, could run. Leslie and I had never been to New Orleans so the entry was submitted.

I have run 4 previous marathons, with the latest one about 3 years ago at the Flying Pig Marathon. Training in D.C. for a February marathon was certainly a challenge with most of my long runs taking place on cold and windy Sundays on my own. I ran 50 mile weeks most of January and February with a maximum week of 63 miles. I think two years of training for triathlons really helped me survive all this running. Although I missed a few of my long runs due to weather, I was able to get one 20 miler and two 18 mile runs in before the race.

I set several goals for myself not knowing how my training would go. My goals were as follows:

1. Finish
2. Finish without walking
3. Beat my time at the Flying Pig (3:50)
4. Set a PR (3:37)
5. Break 3:30

Pre-Race:

Got to New Orleans Friday nite, found some dinner and walked down Bourbon Street. I felt like I was back in college hitting the fraternity parties except the crowd was closer to my age. Not your typical marathon crowd at all. Hit the expo on Saturday and checked out the Garden District and Tulane and Loyola. Saturday nite was another adventure as we got to listen to the couple in the next room take turns throwing up after their Saturday nite binge. Needless to say, we didn’t get much sleep.

Race Day:

Woke up at 5:30 AM and it was cold and raining. Yeah. Great day for a race! The race started outside the Superdome and finished inside the Superdome so bathrooms were not a real problem and there was plenty of place to drop our dry clothes. Leslie warmed up inside while I figured that the first couple of miles would be my warmup. The rain finally let up as we lined up for the race start.

My goal pace was to go out at 7:45 pace. Race started out great. First mile was 8:15 but my mile 3, I was right on pace at 7:42. Took a quick bathroom break but got back on pace right away. The marathon and ½ marathon share the same course but at 13 miles the ½ marathon folks turned into the Superdome and the marathoners go do a 13 mile out and back loop. I stayed on track most of the first half crossed the halfway point in 1:44 right at 7:52 / mile even including the bathroom break. My most recent half marathon was 2 years ago and I ran 1:45 so I felt good about my pace.

The second half of the race was not so much fun. I knew I would slow down so I thought breaking 3:30 was out but I still felt that I was in shape to set a PR. It was mentally tough to pass the ½ marathon finish line and keep going. Mile 14 was fine but by mile 15, I started to slow big time with an 8:26 and my quads really started to hurt. There are no hills in New Orleans so perhaps that was part of the problem. The mile 15 water stop was manned by the Hash House Harriers in red dresses serving beer as well as Gatorade and water. Only in New Orleans. The next two miles were straight but by mile 18, I had taken my first walking break and ran a 9:41 mile. Mile 19 to 22 was a loop through Audobon Park. There was a Mexican water stop as we entered the park where they were also serving Margaritas. What a trip but I was not in an amusing mood. I ran walked the last 6 miles averaging between nine and ten minutes per mile and I finished in 3:47:52.

Overall, I was glad to be finished but I still know I can go faster. It was my 2nd fastest marathon (out of 5). My PR is 18 years old. I ran faster than I ran 3 years ago. I think I need to add some more fast running into my training, perhaps during my longer runs but it was hard to do during the winter. I did all my training outside except for one 5-mile tempo run on the treadmill. I had done one 3 hour run and 5 runs at 2 ½ hours plus but I started to struggle at 2 hours into the race so I have to figure out how to make that work. I met some of my goals but have left some for another marathon. I turn 45 next year and my Boston qualifying time will be 3:30 so maybe we will try for that next year.

Leslie had a lot of fun. She was the overall winner of the ½ marathon in 1:27:02. She was ahead of the women’s marathon leader so she was the first women for the entire race and had a bicycle escort from mile 4 to her finish. She had not won a race overall in about a year since last year’s Reston 10 miler so she was excited. There were no real prizes, she got a plaque for her efforts but I think she always likes beating the younger women.

Post- Race: Rested for most of the afternoon and then headed down to the French Quarter for a good seafood dinner. The next morning, Leslie made me shuffle through 2 miles but I was moving pretty slowly. My quads are still pretty sore. Now its time to get the bike back out and start getting back in the pool. The next big event on the calendar is the Timberman ½ Ironman late in the summer, which will be my second attempt at that distance.