JULIA STOWELL

SAN ANTONIO MARATHON 1999


Hello everyone

Well I made it! My time was 4.45.28 which put me 801st out of about 1500 starters. The results sheet at the San Antonio Marathon website only goes up to 5hrs 30 (1123 runners) but there were people finishing after that. I was 43rd out of 65 runners in my age group (35-39) who finished inside the 5.30 cutoff for official times.

In any case I had a blast!!

I hardly noticed the first 6 miles because of all the excitement but I was very good about not going too fast. I kept a steady 10.30 per mile pace for the first half. My legs did start tightening up a bit at about mile 8 which worried me but I kept churning and seemed to get through it. I went through the half way mark at 2hrs 18mins feeling good and caught a lot of people between here and mile 17. However, that's where the rot set in! I started to think about the mile markers and kept looking at my watch in anticipation of when they would come so I could walk for a half minute and have a drink. Starting running again each time was hard but I did and I continued to catch people so that made me feel a bit better. Some people caught me however, including a very small grey haired lady who steamed through at about mile 24!

I sucked a packet of GU at the 1 hour, 2hr and 3hr marks. The water stations were rather sporadic, particularly in the first six miles and only three had gatorade (they said there would be Gatorade and I thought they meant at all the stations) so I was glad I had taken my GU and a water bottle with me. The weather was warm and I got a touch of sunburn! The support along the course was great but there were some long stretches with nobody there. Some people had music playing and I was surprised what a lift that gave me.

Anyway, today I am as stiff as a board but otherwise feeling great.

See you all Wednesday although I won't run this week but will hope to join you next.

Julia


1999 UT Marathon Team