RACE REPORT: Tobacco Road Marathon

Submitted by: Brian Lankford

Note: Brian sent this email to Frank Lilley, when he asked him "How did it really go"

It was a good day. In fact it turned out to be a great day. I just didn't know what was in store for me when I was standing there with you in the starting choral. It could very well have been a very miserable and demoralizing experience.

13 weeks ago I started my official marathon training with Ashley "Smoke" Bass. I made it to the point of a 16 mile long run when the neuroma became unbearable. That was the end of my marathon training and the beginning of the alcohol injections. I could still do the typical 5k training and speed work and run the 5k races in the Spring Series that is going on now. I just couldn't do a long run. After 8 weeks of injections, the neuroma seemed to be pretty much "sclerosed". Ashley and I figured that I had paid my entry fee, I had a hotel reservation and I had run 16 miles once, so what the heck.

We decided I should go out at a 7:30 pace and try to hold it for the 16 miles that I had run 8 weeks before. After that point I would just hang on and try to get to the finish by 3:30 and qualify for Boston.

I made it to mile 16 at a 7:30 pace then 17 then 18. I knew I was 9 minutes ahead of the 3:30 goal. At mile 19 I began to realize I was running a marathon. At mile 20 and 21 I knew I was running a marathon. At mile 22 and 23 I was having my ass handed to me by a marathon.

I was putting forth an incredible effort with very little results. I was beginning to appreciate the whole marathon experience. I knew I only had 3 miles left but I was at a point in my running career that I had never experienced before. I was tired, damn tired, I mean I just wanted to move forward with a semblance of a running motion. I was running just to reach the next mile marker and so happy to go past it. I honestly remembered what you said in the starting choral about "you will not quit, you will just keep moving forward". The last couple of miles seemed to take forever and I got a little frustrated because the mile markers seemed to take so long to come into view. I never got a "second wind" or any kind of kick at the end. I just ran!...and ran!...and ran!

I believe that had I been able to get in the recommended number of long runs, my endurance would have been better and maybe I could have kept the 2nd 13.1 time closer to the 1st 13.1 time.

I would say my training got me to 20 miles. Determination and guts got me to 26.2. Do I have more running talent today? Probably not. Do I have more self confidence? Definitely!

So Frank, my answer to your question, "How did it really go?" It went absolutely great!