Well the day finally came and twenty six miles later I finally get to lay claim to the title marathoner. The race was another fantastic event with a vibrant crowd, supportive runners and a well organized event staff. Joel cleaned up in the half marathon and Dan beat his best marathon time by about five minutes. I did not run as fast as I had wanted to, but I did have to overcome a cold and a hamstring I pulled while climbing. I even have the injury on video so check it out now.
The race started out well enough. Weather was just the way I like it – mid thirties, no wind and no rain. Since I pulled my hamstring I had only been on a slow three mile and two mile jog in the last two weeks. I hoped that it wouldn’t be factor with sufficient rest even if it meant cutting all training right before the big race. My goal was to run the marathon in under four hours which would require a 9:10 mile. So the big plan was to run the first half at about a 9:15 pace and then increase to a 9:05 pace for the second half. I found it difficult to not go too fast for the first few miles. Everyone seemed to be pumped up and running quickly. I clocked in my first two miles at an 8:40 pace and knew I had to dial it back. My bad hamstring twanged a couple of times so I made sure to take it easier and ensure my bad leg did not become a liability further on in the race.
Dan, Joel and I Ready to Rock
At mile two I saw my fans Gretchen, Brian and Kristyn cheering me on. Kristyn made some killer signs to cheer us on. So awesome of her! Having people along the course keeps your energy up. Then something occurred to me. I was running the full marathon and more than 80% of the runners were going to be gone at the half way point. All their supporters would be gone and I had a feeling it was going to get really quiet. I finished the first half in 1:55 or an 8:50 mile and still felt great. I could not have been more right about the crowd thinning out though. After having to listen to people say “only a few more miles” for all the half marathoners the last three miles the crowd was gone. From here on out it was event staff, police officers and the five or six people I could see around me. It was very peaceful for awhile and at mile 15 I was still going strong at a nine pace. Then a strong headwind came on and the temperature probably dropped ten degrees. Bummer.
Mom, Dad, Aunt Carol and Krystyn's Awesome Sign
At mile 17 I ran into real trouble. Leg cramps and in the worst way. I felt my bad hamstring twinging and then all of a sudden I got three simultaneous muscle cramps. Both quads and my bad hamstring. I turned into Frankenstein and straight legged my way over a nearby fence. Thank goodness it was close or I would have gone over like a tree in a twister. From there on I was plagued by muscle cramps, especially on the uphills. I could only walk uphill or I would turn into Frankenstein again. Fortunately I could still run very slowly. I loaded up on Gatorade at the rest of the water stops, but my time was suffering horribly. After maintaining a sub nine mile for seventeen miles I was having to stop every several hundred yards and stretch/massage my legs. My pace dropped to about a 15 minute mile for the next five miles. Eventually my leg cramps seemed to subside enough that I could run the last three at about an eleven minute mile without having to stop.
Finally the Finish Line!
Overall the race was still a success. If I had to redo things I would have taken it slower in the first half of the race and taken the potassium filled, cramp busting banana that a woman was holding out at mile 14. I thought maybe it was her banana, but I bet if I had taken it she would have let me go. I also have to give a shout out to girl on the trampoline at miles 10 and 23. She was bouncing on this thing with a field hockey stick and vibrantly cheering for at least two hours. Way to be hockey stick girl!
Will I run another marathon? Maybe. The amount of work is ridiculous, but it would be awesome to get back on that horse and run an even better race. I know I can so what’s stopping me!
Thar She Be!
