Short version: 4:11:54, fast first half, survived second half, new PR for marathon (surprised me too).
Long version:
The feeling of going under 4 hours in a marathon is still missing from my life, and soon 3 toenails will be missing as well. We’ll come back to that.
As I drove to the race it was pouring rain. I was very worried about a long run in that weather, but it cleared up mostly by the start. The 8k folks got drenched big time. My new job has a parking deck near the start so I had a really easy time getting in to park and arrived at 7am for the 8am race start. Not worrying about parking was sweet.
Race time came around and I was waiting with Jeff at the start. Jeff had been my super-fast training partner all season long. I wasn't going to run with him because he had been so much faster than me. Soon after the rolling start (300 ft. before the actual start line we were running), he left me to go beat some Kenyans (I think).
On my last long training run, I averaged 9.33 for 20 miles. I was hoping to do the same for this race. The problem was I felt really good, crazy good in fact. I let my body set my pace and only looked at my watch to see how fast I was running. I never looked at my watch once and decided to speed up, but I did look at it and decide to slow down (when I was at 8.01 pace).
After I settled in, I just started cruising. Jeff was in front, no worry I’d catch him, my sister Kris was at mile 6 with my Oatmeal Crème Pie and I was good to go. I saw Kris and Scott (her BF) near the start and I couldn’t figure out how they would be able to get to mile 6 with all the traffic blocked. Turns out they didn't meet me there, or at mile 7, or at 8, or at 9, or 10. At this point, I had been kicking ass for 10 miles and that whole time I was banking on food to keep the engine running. It had been an hour and a half and I was getting hungry. I skipped the first couple water stops because they were complete chaos, but without my supplies, I’m screwed.
Just before mile 10, you take a right and head up a decently steep and long hill. During my 20, I hammered this hill for the first time ever. I decided to attack it again (my 3rd fastest mile). I started passing people who were walking or slowing and then I hear “Scott!”. It was Kris and she had food! I gobbled up my pie and ran the rest of the hill chugging Accelerade. It was a beautiful thing.
Sufficiently fueled, I continued running. The next section was hilly and that took its toll on my quads, but I kept running hard. I saw Carrie around mile 11.5 and she snapped some “action” shots with her new camera. I later heard that Kris and Scott were waiting for me at mile 12 when Carrie texted them to say I was already passed that point. I was running faster than everyone expected – including me.
Somewhere around mile 15 or 16 Kris caught up with me to give me some more grub and some surprising news. I was ahead of Jeff. Carrie figured that around mile 13, I was about a mile in front of him. To myself I said WTF, to her I said, “Are you kidding me?” Now I had a reason to crush the course! To beat Jeff would mean I wouldn’t get crap from him about another race where he beat me.
Sadly, the feeling of euphoria didn’t last long. The constant pushing of my quads to go harder was catching up with me. My knee problems from the last few weeks were catching up with me. The fact that I was going to pass within a short distance of the finish before turning away, mile 16.5, was in my mind. Almost, I stopped running, luckily, the pain in my knee quickly went away and I continued on.
Somewhere around mile 17.5 I ran into my old neighbor Bobby. Bobby is a marathon training team coach, and he’s pretty good at it. I had already been dragging by the time I caught up to him, but he said something that picked up my spirits. He simply pointed out the 4:00 pacer that was no more than 50ft in front of me. The mythical 4:00 pacer, just like the unicorn, had never seen in the wild. The news that I was in front of Jeff and within striking distance of 4 hours was insane.
For every race you should set a few simple goals. Goal B, something you really think you can achieve – mine was to finish (before the race I told Carrie I was 55% sure I wouldn’t be able to finish the race due to knee pain). Goal A – finish with a 9:35 pace – close to my 20 mile run. Goal A++, the stretch goal, beat Jeff and break 4 hours. Here I am at mile 17.5 and my stretch is in sight!
I stopped around mile 18 and tried to stretch out my quads and calves. This didn’t do anything to the growing pain I was feeling. It was odd. I’ve had cramps before and the pain wasn’t cramps, it was just pain. This pain stayed with me as I turned onto the Boulevard (of broken dreams). Sadly, it is an apt description. Prior to Boulevard on Main St., I also ran into Coach Debbie, the speed demon coach from my training team. She was looking for, and worried about, Jeff. She expected to see him in front of me and was worried that he wasn’t. I passed on word that he was a mile or so behind me – dreading that she would tell Jeff that I was in front of him.
Apparently, she did tell Jeff I was in front when he caught up to her. She then upped his pace until I was in sight and on Boulevard, he pulled in beside me. Had I been feeling better, I would have been more upset, as it was, I just said, “Poop”.
After a minute of catching up, he pulled away.
The next 8 miles were a blur of food or drink from Kris and the volunteers and fits and starts of speed. I kept calculating my finish time against what I remembered (incorrectly) was my PR, 4.08. At mile 20, I had my last Ibuprofen and pie. I didn’t want to eat or drink any more. This whole time I had been listening to music while I ran and I noted that even when tired, some songs picked me up more than others. Around mile 23, I started walking the beginning of the songs and then would run for the remainder of the song. It was a good strategy, but it hurt on the long songs.
I kept that strategy and it worked well enough for me to keep a good pace while running. I also forced myself to walk faster than I’ve done in previous marathons.
By the time I saw Bobby at mile 25.8, I was done. My legs hurt like hell and my interest in running was low. He forced me to run the last block to the last turn onto 5th street. He didn’t run my pace, he ran faster than me and made me run faster too (thanks Bobby!). With his help, I made the corner and started the long descent to the finish.
I got a few more shout outs by some coaches and running friends and didn’t walk again. On the last few hundred steps the road has a pretty good decline. I noticed that I was almost stopping myself with each step trying to control my downhill run. As two young ladies passed me, I decided I need to change my stride. I lengthened it by about a foot, started pumping high knees and only landed on the balls of my feet. In my mind it reminded me of a dog running in deep snow. The changeover worked and I was the one that was passing people.
I rolled into the finish and felt… Great!? Huh? Like I hadn’t just run? It was odd; I’ve never felt so good at the end of a race. My legs didn’t hurt, my knee was fine, I wasn’t out of breath, I felt, in a word, normal. I got my finishers medal, my drop bag and finishers blanket and walked around normally. It was really odd. It didn’t last of course, within 10 minutes, I ran into Carrie a couple former co-workers and the tightness set in. Eddy, one of my former co-workers, asked if I was doing the Muddy Buddy. I smiled and said I’d talk about it another day.
An interesting note, until I started writing this, I didn’t know that I had PRed this race. Everything I did and the help I got (thanks Kris and Scott), gave me the 29 seconds I needed to set a new personal best. How about that?
I mentioned my toenails in the beginning. I have no idea what I did to my toes to make them want to leave, but I did something. Being a runner, I’m used to losing toenails, but one is flat out messed up looking.
I should note that Jeff came in at 4:01:25. He beat me, but the elusive 4 hour mark got away. Will he run again?
Pace (minute per mile):
- 9:17
- 9:08
- 8:45
- 8:56
- 8:49
- 8:43
- 8:23
- 8:40
- 8:34
- 8:41
- 9:10
- 8:56
- 8:52
- 8:49
- 8:57
- 9:30
- 9:59
- 9:41
- 10:10
- 11:13
- 10:00
- 11:16
- 10:59
- 10:46
- 10:35
- 10:29
Results:
PLACE
|
NAME
|
BIB
|
AGE
|
10K SPLIT
|
HALF SPLIT
|
20 MILE SPLIT
|
NET TIME
|
GENDER PLACE
|
DIV PLACE
|
DIVISION
|
1943
|
3515
|
39
|
55:48
|
1:56:37
|
3:05:16
|
4:11:54
|
1247
|
195
|
MEN -- 35 THROUGH 39
|
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