The 2008 Harrisburg Marathon Report

(Kelly and Melissa holding me up after the Harrisburg marathon)

First of all, I want to thank all that wished me luck before the race. I am always grateful of people, who only know me through this blog, who still take the time to think about me and wish me good fortune.

Second, I want to congratulate my Blue Dawg friends, Melissa and Kelly, who went out to Harrisburg with me and kicked the course's butt. Melissa set a new marathon PR by almost 10 minutes and Kelly broke 4 hours for the first time and lowered her own marathon PR by over 20 minutes!!!! Just a great effort from both.

At the bottom, is a short video clip of the start of the 2008 Harrisburg marathon. I want to thank Melissa's husband, Garth, who shot this video, the pictures above and below and for his support this weekend. We really appreciate it. (The first picture below is Melissa's finish. My finish is the second picture.)

Highlights of the race:

• The Radisson Penn Harris Hotel, which was the host hotel for the event. The expo was right across the driveway. The pasta dinner was about 10 yards from my room. Good food as well. (The people we met at our table were very friendly.) The shuttle was right outside the lobby which took us to the start and back from the finish. And, we had a late checkout so we could shower after the race. They did an excellent job overall.
• The event was very well coordinated, and on a brisk, windy day, the volunteers out on the course, were cheerful and supportive even for us back of the packers.
• The day was beautiful. Could not ask for a better temperature to run a race.
• Parts of the course ran along the Susquehanna River, which overlooked fall foliage in the distance, and we ran past the Governor's Mansion and other historic sites.
• It was the best I've felt after a marathon. My cardio was fine. I usually feel sick but felt fine afterwards. Probably due to the temperature.
• The price. $45 entry fee. And the pullover jacket that was given to all participants.
• The start/finish line. It was right next to where the Harrisburg Senators (minor affliate of the Washington Nationals) play.
• Nobody was wrong and everyone was right on what to wear. I opted for short-sleeved shirt and shorts but started with a long-sleeved shirt on top. I carried that and wore it off and on for 15 miles before ditching it. I was a bit chilled at the end.

Lowlights of the race:

• It was VERY windy after mile six. The Susquehanna River was beautiful but ran into a headwind for about 4 miles.
• We ran through an industrial park which was kind of bland. On a hot day, that area would have been a killer.
• Miles 17 through 19 which was through a wooded area and loaded with hills.
• My left ankle. It felt better than previous weeks but still was sore to run on.
• Cramps in my calfs and thighs. It hit me at mile 21 and I could only run as far as the cramping would take me.
  
  

This was the perfect race for me this year. It was a low-key event that felt like a 5k. And it felt there was a 2:1 ratio of volunteers to runners. The people there were tremendous and I can't thank the Harrisburg people enough for their goodwill.

I thought about running with Kelly until she told me her plans to run a 4:10 marathon. Yikes!!! And, after the first 5 minutes, I knew my ankle was going to remain sore for the race. So, I ran/walk the course. I ran the first half in about 2:27. I was on pace until I hit the hills. Trying to run up hills was an impossibility as my ankle was screaming at that point. And, then at mile 21, my legs were cramping up, probably due to the wind off the river.

At the end there were about 6 of us pushing each other along. At mile 25, Melissa, Kelly and Garth, started to cheer me up on the bridge I had to get up to and cross. What a lift that was!!!

This was the 36th running of this event. We were surprised because of the small number of participants in comparison to Marine Corps, Philadelphia and others. But, in speaking with people there, that was precisely the reason they entered. The 10,000+ participant-marthons can be overwhelming. This was not. I would recommend it to anyone.