Last Sunday, my wife and I journeyed to Goodale Park to cheer on our son-in-law Phil and other runners as they competed in the Nationwide Children’s Hospital Columbus Marathon. Phil did well; his finishing time of 3:31:02 was a personal best. Watching him and the other runners brought back a flood of “marathon memories” for me. I completed three marathons — two in Columbus and one in Cleveland. I also took part in one that I could not finish (see “The 20th Mile,” 3/20/16). As much as anything, I remember the many hours I devoted to preparing for the race. Sharon Woods off Cleveland Avenue served as the site for most of my training runs. The nicely paved, 3.8-mile running path offers pleasant scenery as well as two moderately steep hills. Few runners are happy to see hills, but mastering them is essential to preparing for a marathon. Sharon Woods was also the location for a half-marathon, which provided a good stepping stone to longer distances.

As for the race itself, I remember lining up with other runners according to my pace per mile. The slower the pace, the farther back from the starting line you went. Then came the crack of the pistol and down Broad Street I charged, past the Statehouse toward Bexley, doing my best not to collide with other racers. In the group I ran with,  pleasant conversation took place during the early miles. There was a sense of camaraderie, a feeling that we were with people who had goals similar to our own. I ran much of the 1983 Columbus Bank One Marathon with a colleague from the Ohio Department of Education. Lou was a little slower than me, so I probably lost a few minutes off my finishing time, but I welcomed his company. Not surprisingly, lots of people lined the streets to cheer us on, but there were also places where the crowds were sparse. Our splits were shouted out by volunteers with stopwatches; only in my post-marathon races were splits provided by special machines with glowing lights. And we didn’t have computer chips that began our race times when we reached the start line, so all my marathon times (4:20+, 3:41+, and 3:52+) were actually up to a minute faster than recorded.

The 1986 Cleveland Revco Marathon was my last and also the toughest one I finished. It didn’t help weighing four or five pounds more than I had for the earlier marathons. I also made the mistake of starting off too fast — about 7:50/per mile. I felt pretty good for 14 or 15 miles, but then began to slow. By the 20th mile, I was walking more than running. The Cleveland Revco Marathon followed a tougher route than the one in Columbus. It was an out-and-back course that took you through both the inner city and the suburbs. On the way out, I went down a steep bridge at the third mile. Unfortunately, this same bridge had to be ascended at the 23rd mile. My legs felt like melting rubber by the time I finished.

I  probably could have completed other marathons, but I just didn’t want to invest the time in the necessary preparation. Half marathons provided plenty of challenge for me. I have done six of them, most recently the 2013 Capital City Half Marathon. I’ve also devoted more time to biking, which is easier on my aging bones and joints. I don’t foresee running another marathon, but I’ll certainly be on the sidelines, cheering for those who do, and recalling my “marathon memories.”