[Edited to add: Jaymee put up a very nice race report. Inspiring indeed.]

That’s right, we’re throwing the rules of grammar right out the window. Defenestration indeed. I’ve posted recently about one of JT’s Houston Hopefuls, Jaymee Marty (her HH interview). She’d been going through some head issues, and had some good suggestions about how to deal with them. Trying to get an OT-qualifier, I also observed that “for Jaymee a 2:46:01 might as well be a 3:46:01.” She’s been kind in commenting here, telling me, as I told her, that I’ve done “it” before and I can do “it” again.

Modern technology being what it is, this morning saw me sitting in my kitchen with my laptop. Bacon, cheese omelette, toast, coffee. Check.

  • LetsRun
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • NBC Chicago streaming-video of the race
  • Chicago Marathon tracker

Check.

I knew JT was on Facebook and TK on Twitter. I had two interests. The elites and Jaymee, gunning for her sub 2:46:00.

Multi-tasking at my best, back and forth and forth and back I went. While the elites were interesting of course, my focus turned to Jaymee’s race since I could relate so well with her recent struggles. The tracking system chimed in every 5K and at the HM. So we could watch her, although we’d have to wait until she covered the next 5K for an update. Here’s how it went from the 30K:

JT can do nothing but sit in front of her screen, manically hitting “Refresh,” until around 11:15.

JG She just did 19:33.

JT Jaymee Marty has just passed Joan Benoit Samuelson!

JT Only 8 miles to go and she’s got 1:25 extra to play with.

KB The temp is worrisome. There will be much carnage after 30K for the women.

JT Oh, God. I can’t stand this.

MS how hot is it at this hour out there? i thought it was going to be fairly nice in the morning. or am i being a naive californian?

JG ‎19:38. Projected: 2:44:00

JG ‎2:16:03 at 35K

JT Still on 2:44 pace…

JG How lame are we?

MS i think it’s potentially going to be close… if you see, her pace is getting slower. i know from experience how fast a good time can slip away in that final 10k. if she slips to 6:30 pace it’s going to be very, very close.

JT ‎@Joe, I’ve got a dog in this fight, so I’m going to cheer my heart out.

JT Me too, M, I’m really hoping she can hold onto 6:20 or 6:25 for the next few miles.

JG She’s been holding her pace pretty well. 30-35 was at 6:20.

MS actually, the projected pace isn’t meshing with her times. the time she came thru 30k suggests slower then 2:44.

JG Not sure of my math, but I have her making it with a 6:39 pace through the final 7.2K. I know it’s easier said than done.

MS actually, if your math is right then i would think she would make it with a little time to spare, i don’t see her falling to 6:39 pace. she’ll hold on to 6:25-6:30 pace is my prediction!

JG Of course, that’s the whole ballgame, holding it in that stretch.

JG ‎2:36:16 at 40K

JG That was a 6:31 stretch. 2:44:50 projected.

MS you see? it’s amazing how fast the time can slip away.

JG I know. I’ve stopped in that stretch.

JG With so many folks waiting for her, you’d think she’d pick it up a bit.

JG ‎2:45:09

JT ‎02:45:09. Hooray!

JH Awesome!

Jaymee Marty You guys just crack me up. So fun to watch the play by play through your FB eyes. And for the record, it was 62F or so at the start and probably mid 70s when I finished. Not ideal, but my lazy ass late morning training runs sure paid off!

What hit me was the disconnect between saying “All she needs to do” and the actual doing. Like a brick it hit me that things can go south very quickly in a marathon. So there was a collective holding-of-breath over that last 7.2K, and then the final 2.2K. And quite a relief that she had made it by 51 seconds.

I’m sure she’ll have quite a fine report of the race and everything else. I don’t know how I would have felt with a 2:46:01. I felt drained by the 2:45:09. And quite inspired.