I knew I wanted to do a fall marathon this year, but I wasn't sure which one. I started my training schedule planning to do the Freedom's run again, to "redeem" myself... but thinking on it now, I did pretty darn good on that course! It was hard and had some killer hills, and I still did about as well as I'm doing now.
So, Linda mentioned there's a marathon relay for the NCR trail... AND it's in MD (I haven't done a marathon in MD yet), AND it's flat, AND it's close. OK, I can do this one. And it was helpful that it was a little later in the year, so I got to start the training plan OVER again, which meant shorter mileage for a few weeks.
I completed about 60% of my training plan, which is not wonderful, but it was better than when I trained for the April marathons - I did about 45% of the training plan.
So, most of the runs went fine. The first 17 mile run was AMAZING! I wore new shoes, and was so excited to stay on pace until about mile 13. My shoes felt like they were cutting into the tops of my feet. Loosening didn't help much at this point, but I tried anyway. I made it to mile 15.5 before the major pain set it. My left foot (top) and the outer side of my right knee were in BAD shape. I didn't think I'd be able to finish the run, but I kept going... a little more walking, and made it to the bridge area of the Patuxent trail. I managed to get my 17 miles in.. I have no idea how, but I did.
And again on my 19 miler, I'd had a severe cold/flu the week before and felt like crap, but I figured if I was in bad shape and could still do the training run, then whatever happened on race day - I should be ready for it. I made it through that training run without too many problems.
When I did the 20 miler - a few days late, with substandard sleep the night before, and NO prerun hydration or fueling - I did ok. No, I didn't. It was terrible. I got about 2 miles in before I realized I forgot to do all of the necessary pre steps. I didn't WANT to do that run. I was tired. I made it to mile 11 and my right knee locked up. I couldn't run at all, but I was still able to keep up a 16 minuteish pace. I walked the last 9 miles to the car. I wound up with a REALLY sore right knee (IT band) and a knot behind my left knee.
I skipped the rest of my runs that week (long run of 8 miles) and did a 3 mile run on the Tuesday before the big day. My left IT band was tight, and painful to touch around my mid-thigh. I got a 'Stick' and used that, I tried to foam roll, but that hurt too much. The stick helped the pain, but 'moved' it up to my hip. It felt like the muscle in my hip was burning... so THAT was really concerning to me.
I was really nervous about doing the marathon if my IT band was in this bad of shape. I didn't want to seriously injure myself, so I decided I would just do what I could, for as long as I could and hope to finish within the 6 hour time limit.
As usual, I didn't get excited until Saturday morning. When I took my stuff out to the car and realized it wasn't freezing cold, I was SO excited! Earlier in the week the weather report said the high was going to be 46*, which is not bad, but when I left the house it was 51*. PERFECT weather for a marathon!
There was a BEAUTIFUL sunrise on the way to the race. I found the parking lot and was assessing my gear, trying to figure out what I wanted to take with me. I had planned on using my hydration pack, but bagged that idea. It was a nice cool day, and I should be fine with the on course hydration.
I got on the bus and was still excited. It was full, so I had a seat partner and I chatted her ear off for the couple mile ride to the starting line, which was at an elementary school. I went in and got my bib and tshirt, and checked that. I had about 30 minutes before the start of the race and I felt SUPER awkward. Everyone seemed to have groups of friends and I had NO idea where to stand... should I stay inside and keep warm, should I go outside and start stretching, should I eat my gu now?
I wound up standing off to the side and people watching and trying to get my brain ready for what was going to happen. I went outside a little bit ahead of the main group of people so I'd have some room to stretch out.
I was so excited and didn't have anyone to talk to, so of course, I started talking to random people around me. I found a newish runner doing the first leg of the relay. Then I found someone who did the Freedom's run and we complained about how HORRIBLE the hills were. Then I found someone with AWESOME shorts - they were so awesome I took a picture of them to remember them... but I don't know what was so awesome about them anymore. I think it had something to do with pockets....
There were lots of high fives and good lucks and we got started!! I was so excited! I wound up running next to a woman named Freedom for the first couple of miles. I'd driven the road part of the course a few weeks before, and I was really nervous about the hill around the end of the first mile. ESPECIALLY when I realized we were running downhill for a LOOOOONG time during that first mile. I was trying to keep an eye on my watch and pace, but it was too easy to just relax and go.
The hill was NOTHING like I thought it was going to be. It seemed so much worse going up it in a car... but it wasn't too bad. Suddenly, it was over and we were crossing the bridge (openwork steel... NOT my favorite) and onto the trail. I was still nervous about my knees, but the trail felt good. When I ran it with Beth a few weeks before, it felt like going out was ACTUALLY uphill... but it seemed ok during the marathon. I don't know if it was more people around, or what, but went with it.
Everything was pretty steady for the longest time. I didn't walk the full .25 miles like I had done in training. I'd budgeted a 12 minute mile every fourth mile, but kept my pace pretty steady for the first 19 miles at 10:30 - which is A LOT farther than I thought I'd get.
I'd come up behind someone who I thought was holding a decent pace, and draft them for awhile. Then they'd walk, or stop for a potty break, and I'd move on to the next person. I ran with a 70+ year old guy and his nephew for awhile. I think they were both Indian. The older guy was AWESOME, and crazy! He'd be yelling or cheering or just be LOUD about something. It was fun and encouraging, but I can't remember a single thing he was being loud about now. I *DO* know he had 11 kids, and his great niece is a neurosurgeon at John's Hopkins. He dropped off pace around mile 10 and his nephew and I played leap frog for the rest of the race.
I had an AMAZING surprise at mile 11!!!! Several ladies from my Team Challenge group came to cheer me on! They had signs and everything! I was so shocked and excited and happy and SHOCKED! I was trying to run, while smiling like CRAZY and trying not to cry!!! Oh my gosh, if I'd been feeling tired AT all it was GONE! In fact, when I looked at my watch a mile later I was running at a 9:24 pace... instead of a 10:30 pace. WOOPS!
So, I slowed down and passed the point where I turned around on my 20 mile training run. It really did seem like the trail got steeper after that... and by steeper it might have been a SLIIIIIIGHT upgrade. LOTS of people were going the other way now, and I was hoping and wishing and praying for the stinking turn around! I knew it was somewhere slightly past the half way mark. As I was coming up to the half way point, there were cones separating the relayers waiting on their partners. The dude in front of me decided to walk/dance/I have no idea what through this tight area. I JUST.WANTED.TO.GET.THROUGH.... so I may have been less than pleasant, but not quite mean.
The turn around was GLORIOUS! The half way point was nice, and it was a 4 minute PR for me, but the turn around did wonders for my psyche... it's all downhill from here - until mile 24, and who cares about that right now?! And there were OREOS! I know you're not supposed to try anything new on race day, but dude... Oreos! They were delicious! AND I was going downhill, AND I would see my friends again in a couple miles!!!
So on I go. la la la la la. The runners are getting more and more spread out. There are still people passing me in the other direction, so I felt like I was in a decent spot in "the pack". I called Meghan at mile 15 to see if they were still there. I told her I was planning my walk break, thinking they might walk with me for a minute, but that didn't happen. It was SO cool to have my friends there. I still can't get over how awesome that was!
After that... it was more of the same. I started playing leap frog with some guy in track pants and a bandana. He'd pass me and I'd run for awhile, and then he'd pass me again, and it would happen again, and again. I was SO confused! Apparently his race strategy was to take complete breaks at the water stops. I guess I was too intent on getting my water and Gatorade that I didn't really notice who else was around me... THAT'S a comforting thought! I already forgot his name, but he's from Silver Spring and avoiding me like the plague after the race... so either I smelled bad (I'm sure I did) or he didn't want the chick with him to think he was hitting on me.
At the 3 hour mark (I have NO idea what mile it was now) I realized I had 3 hours to finish the race, and if I had to or WANTED to, I could actually walk the rest and finish in time!
Anyway - at 21.75 (Very specific, I know) the wheels fell off. We were all really spread out. I was tired. Nothing really hurt drastically, but I didn't want to do it anymore. Marathons are overrated. I kept thinking about how long it would take me to finish if I walked the rest. I figured I could finish at around 5:15... not too bad. I walked until mile 22, and then sucked it up and started running again.
My goal in life was to make it to mile 24 so I could walk up the hill I knew was coming. Who on earth dreams of coming to a hill at mile 24 in a marathon??!! I was still tired though, and at a road crossing around mile 23 the course marshall/crossing guard person stopped a car for me so I could pass. I thanked him, but asked him to let the car run me over in the future. He laughed. I cried. I kept going :) Ok... I DID ask him to let the car run me over, and he DID laugh, but I DIDN'T cry... not enough energy :)
amazingly - mile 24 HAPPENED! I was finally back on asphalt (note to self - GET TRAIL SHOES!) and cruising a long. And by "cruising along" I mean deliriously moving in a forward fashion. not amazingly - there was a lot of road where I expected there to be a HILL. WHERE.IS.MY.HILL?! Also, the road crown was pretty steep to the right, which is the first time I felt a pain. my right knee was doing a poppy-clicky-yucky thing that I was NOT excited about. I told my knee (out loud) to KNOCK.IT.OFF! I guess it was scared, because it straightened out and was fine. THEN I thought to look around to see if anyone was observing me have a conversation with my knee.... I was fairly alone - good news :)
Then comes the hill. My beloved hill. my new best friend. what a GREAT hill. Ok... it was a hill. It wasn't NEARLY as nasty as the first one at Freedom's, but it did go up for awhile. I didn't really care because I got to walk it, and that was the most fantastic thing of my life at the moment.
It crested, I started running again with renewed sprits. Life was GREAT. I made it to the hill. I will probably finish within 5 hours. Good stuff. AND THEN IT GOT BETTER!!!
Some people with an crazy huge house set up a beer stand at the end of their driveway!!! Mile 25 and beer?! hell yea!! I drank my beer and immediately after that drank some Gatorade. and then regretted life... but there was another hill, so I caught up to someone in front of me, made it to whatever cone was my goal point, and walked. I burped and IMMEDIATELY felt like superwoman. I knew the rest of the course was mostly uphill, but I also knew that if I got my butt back in gear, I could have a pretty awesome PR. AND that's what I did.
I didn't go crazy, but I felt good mentally and physically. I kept a steady pace and just did it. I didn't see my friends at the finish line, but someone who must have been near them cheering saw me and cheered for me with about .2 to go. THAT was awesome!
I turned the last corner and kicked it into gear and FINISHED MY 5TH MARATHON!
It was awesome. Someone put my medal on me. Someone handed me the finishers blanket (best blanket ever, btw!) and I moved somewhere to the side to watch people come in. I kind of stumbled around for a little bit trying to figure out what to do with my life. stand over here and stretch? nah. Stand over there and stretch? ok... no... nah. Go down to the school? yea... oh wait, watch people come in. Oh... ok.... nah.
I stumbled down the hill to the school, it wasn't TOO far away, but not really close either. Maybe a city block... but it felt really far. I saw the jogging pants and bandana guy, and he saw me (I'm hard to miss in a tutu), but looked away quickly - ok... fine... I'm NOT going to go congratulate him. I congratulated myself instead :)
I went into the cafeteria and got some soup and pretzels and some chips and an apple and some fruit snacks and found a table to put all that down. Then I went back for a soda and a water. I still hadn't stretched and I was concerned about that, but I didn't really care either. I'd just hurt more later. right now, I wanted the soup! It was delicious.
I wound up hanging out for about 15 minutes and made my way out to the bus. The guy in the seat across from me told me I should be a stand up comedian at the pre race pasta parties. I guess I was extra funny b/c I was tired :) The ladies in front of me told me they were doing the Dopey Challenge... right AFTER I told someone else how HORRIBLE that had been! WOOOPS! I did tell her I thought it was an amazing experience, but still needed some time to get over the trauma :D
When I got home, I saw something bright and strange on my neighbors door. I was trying to figure out and park and talk to Ari on the phone when I realized that they were the posters my friends were holding and they were on my front door!!!!
I ran in and showered quickly, and then went to Heather's for a dip in the hot tub. My legs were surprisingly ok. My knees and hips didn't hurt AT ALL. I had ONE chafed spot from my capris in the center of my back - but if that's the worst problem I had after 26.2 miles, I vote it's NOT TOO SHABBY!!!
New Orleans, here I come!
Love!!! <3
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