I was super ready and excited for this marathon.  I had been training with a pace of 9:08 on pace runs and was planning on running an average of 9:45 so I'd finish just around 4:15.  The hills on the the elevation relief looked very manageable, but the reality was much different.

The run to the Golden Gate Bridge was stunning.  The run over the bridge was unique but really loud and crowded.  I spent way more time negotiating and managing my foot work so I didn't trample anyone than being able to take in the view.  After the bridge into The Presidio was also scenic and mostly downhill which lead to the Golden Gate Park segment.

Besides the climb up to and over the Bridge, the rest of the hills were in Golden Gate Park.  And there were a lot of hills.  I was fairly strong through most of them, but they never ended.  I poorly managed my effort and didn't let myself rest enough going up the hills thinking This Has To Be The Last of Them...but there was another hill and soon my heart rate was too high for too long and to make things worse it was right about then that the morning cloud cover burnt off and it was HOT.  So hot that I never recovered, even on the downhills out of the park.

Eventually at Mile 23, nausea and  a bit lightheaded kicked in and I stopped at a med tent.  I put ice all over and poured lots of water all over me.  I was there for 5 minutes before I felt ready to proceed....with a bag of ice tied around my neck.  I started off slow but never felt my body really hit back to a normal running mode and by mile 25 I stopped to walk and walked through mile 26.

Even with the 5 minute stopping and walking two miles, I finished at 4:37.  Even though I didn't improve on my time, I felt really strong until the heat hit and feel very happy with my finish.  I am looking forward to the next one in 8 week.