I ran the Motorola Marathon yesterday, and I did about as well as I expected. I ran 4:51:12, chip time, about 11:07/mile. I took two brief rest stops during the race, totalling 3 minutes, which takes my actual running time to 4:48:12, right at my goal pace of 11:00/mile. It was a perfect day for marathoning, about 35 degrees at the start and warming to 55 or so at the finish, on a crystal clear day. No real wind to speak of, and generally nice all the way.

I like the experience of training for the marathon, perhaps more than the actual race itself, because of the comraderie of the training group I run with. But, the race can be fun, as a vehicle to watch the runners around you and the spectators along the route. I always marvel that so many people are willing to put themselves through the stress of running 26.2 miles for a t-shirt and a medal, but time after time, you see them out there. All shapes and sizes of folks, some in shape, some not, but all with a determination to finish the race, whether it's their first or fiftieth marathon.

So, now I get some time away from extreme distance training, as I focus on shorter races (and most races ARE shorter than a marathon) and getting faster.