26.2 miles.
The Des Moines marathon was held in perfect fall weather. A nice chill at the start followed by a gentle warming sun and no real wind.
I ran slowly with my friend who was doing the half for a little over 2 miles before the course split.
From there, I picked up the pace slowly until I was running full speed for good stretches, trying to catch up to faster groups.
I was surprised by the steady uphill climb that I ran into on this course. But once it flattened on top, it was easy going and the course went through some gorgeous stretches, all highlighted by the turning leaves.
I was treated to a glimpse of the eventual Kenyan winners. All I can say is...wow. It was like watching deer sprint through the streets. They are that fast. The winner finished in 2:14.
In hindsight I'm curious as to how I would've fared if I'd run hard from start to finish, but I have no regrets. This was the first opportunity I've had to run with a friend and it was a real treat.
Two big surprises on the day -- one, there is no food whatsoever during this marathon. That was a huge disappointment and I would've crashed hard without my crew. Two, I felt like I could run much farther without any problems. I am finally getting into real shape.
That's a good thing, I suppose.
