AW: My marathon race report! (VERY LONG)

[shellfish26]

Before I get into the actual report, I wanted to thank everybody here for all of the incredible advice throughout my training.  I can almost guarantee that I took something from each of you into this race.  Since I registered for this in October, I have paid close attention to everyone's race reports and training schedules and I can honestly say that it was a HUGE factor in why this went so well for me.  I can definitely say that I thought about thom's comment about not letting the adrenaline take over until later in the race, and that was something I really focused on.

So, here is my loooong report: 

(the tl;dr verson:  I am a first-time marathoner. )

Training/pre-race

I initially started with the Higdon Novice I plan but ended up switching it up a few weeks in once I realized that I would be doing long runs with training partners who were doing a different plan.  I did a "builder" plan developed by my running club for a training group they have.  The basic framework of it was:  M: easy, T: hard (hills, speedwork, etc.), W: easy, T: moderate, S: long run.

Honestly, I can't recall a single week that I didn't miss at least one run.  In the last 2 months, the "hard" run turned out to be more of a tempo run.  I did manage to make every long run, except for the single 22-miler, when I was injured and had to stop at 16.  I was feeling SO discouraged when I looked at the mileage.  If this marathon was to fail, I could have pinpointed the exact reason why.  Thankfully it worked out, but due to injury, PT appointments, the weather and poor time management, I fell short nearly every week.

Our long runs were an incredibly consistent pace, every single week.  We never strayed more than a few seconds off of 9:49.  You'll see how this turns out on race day...

It probably goes without saying that I did zero cross-training.  And I am absolutely positive that was a huge factor in why I was injured so often. 

As for my diet, I really didn't do anything different.  Race week, I added sweet potatoes for breakfast, and increased my water to about 100oz. a day (much to the dismay of my coworkers in our one-bathroom office).  I didn't cut out caffeine entirely, but did switch from coffee to green tea.  I also gave up alcohol for about 2 weeks, somewhat for hydration and immune reasons, but more because I knew there was beer at the finish line, and I wanted a little more motivation!

Two nights before the race, I had a ginormous full-fat lasagna and bread dinner, and my traditional pizza the night before.  

Race Day

I went to sleep at 9 the night before.  I had been experimenting with melatonin for a few months since I tend to have trouble sleeping before a race.  I took 2 1mg. tablets and slept soundly until 2:30 when I woke up and my mind started racing.  I took one more tablet and slept straight through until right before my alarm at 7. 

The weather was forecast to be cloudy and in the high 40's. I decided that, with the lack of sun, I would wear a thin long-sleeved top and shorter capris with flip-up gloves.  That turned out to be perfect for me.  I tend to run cold, but I was comfortable.  The sun did end up coming out in the last hour, and I was getting annoyed with my gloves, so I left them in someone's driveway.  They were my good gloves so I hope they are put to good use!

Race start was at 8:30 and just a few blocks from the hotel.  I took Belvita cookies and a banana to eat along the way.  I was SUPER excited and emotional and even teared up when I was saying goodbye to H. 

I was running with one of my training partners (the other was a corral ahead).  We had never really planned to run together, but decided to see how things went.  We had talked about our pace and I hoped to stick to a 10:00/mile pace for the first half at least.  Mile 1 was 9:59, so we were right on track.  From that point on, though, our pace stayed at 9:49 for 20 miles.  It was quite impressive, actually.  I was afraid that we had gone out too fast, but I felt comfortable so we went with it.

Miles 1-10 were an out and back through some neighborhoods and then Camp Pendelton.  My favorite part of the entire race had to be here- when the Marines were lined up, high-fiving us. 

After that section, we stayed on the beach for a few miles. 

Funny story time: Our hotel was at about the mile 13 point.  I knew that H had plans to meet a friend for breakfast so I told him not to rearrange his plans if it didn't work out that he could see me.  I meant that at the time, but was secretly disappointed when I didn't see him around the hotel.  I needed a little boost.  But then about 3/4 of a mile later, my Garmin buzzed with 'phone connected'.  It took me a second to realize that meant my phone was nearby. Sure enough I looked up to see H standing there cheering! 

The next 3 miles took us through a residential community with tons of crowd support.  Many of the houses had parties and there were signs and spectators everywhere, offering beer, mimosas, bacon...pretty much everything!  Plus, we started seeing the race leaders coming the opposite direction, which was so inspiring.  One of my friends finished 26th overall, so seeing him then was pretty awesome. 

Once we exited the neighborhood, we hit the toughest part of the race.  It was about a 3 mile slightly inclined stretch through swampy woods.  To pass the time, we started talking about the most random topics- like our last meal on earth.  Eventually we made it out of that section, and decided to hit a port-a-potty.  I only mention this because I am proud that it only took 26 seconds!   Well, that and the fact that I obviously chose the wrong one in the bank because it was nothing short of horrifying.  ::shudder::

Anyway, once we finished there, we turned into Fort Story, which also wasn't that exciting. Plus, it was starting to warm up. 

And then mile 20 came.  Remember, I had never run more than 20 miles so I was pretty excited to get to that point. All the while, I was waiting for the proverbial wall to hit.  Oddly enough, I had a sudden burst of energy.  I also remembered that my ipod was in my pocket with a marathon playlist.  So, I looked at my training partner and said "I'm going to put my music in and see what I can do here."  My pace just kept getting better and the realization of what I was about to do started to hit me, and I kept tearing up.  I could see my other training partner up ahead and was struggling with the decision to pass her or not.  I caught up to her, checked to make sure she was ok, and she yelled "JUST GOOO!!!".  And I did.  My last miles were 9:41, 9:27, 9:28, 9:30, 9:33, 9:10 and 8:45. 

Once I turned onto the boardwalk, my watch hit 26 and I could see the finish line.  It ended up .37 mile away but took what seemed like forever to get there.

I crossed the finish line, and started through the corral, which was my ONLY complaint about the race.  Every few feet, someone was handing me something- a medal, a hat, a banana, pretzels, water, Gatorade, a cookie, a beach towel.  My hands were full and I was like a zombie walking through.  It took forever and I just wanted a bag to hold it all, and an exit.  H was alongside the fence yelling "Just keep walking straight!!"

Once I finally made it out, everyone was waiting for me (at least 15 of us traveled together), and I made a beeline for the beer.  The party tent was awesome with beer and music.

The aftermath and final thoughts

Fueling: I had trained almost exclusively with Honey Stingers and the occasional Gu.  Before the race, I made sure that my chews were in a Ziploc bag in my pouch in the order I wanted to take them.  I had a new Fuel Belt pouch that was easy to take on/off when I needed one. I took one chew at every 2 mile mark, starting with the orange (non-caffeinated) and switching to the lime (caffeinated) in the second half.  At every water stop (~2 miles), I took water, but mostly just a few sips while running.

Pace: In retrospect, I don't think I would change a thing. I liked having energy at the end.  It was faster than I had planned, but in the end, it was the training that took over.  My body just seemed to know to do 9:49.  It's probably also important to mention that where I train is very hilly with quick ascents/descents on neighborhood walking paths, and the race was mostly flat with gradual inclines, so it was much easier to maintain a consistent pace.

My body:  Yeah, that's another story.  The good news was that my right foot and left ankle were non-issues on race day.  Now, there's my knee.  But we'll worry about that another day.  For now I will take as much time as I need to heal, and it will.  And at the recommendation of my PT, I will begin the transition to a stability shoe, which will hopefully help.  And I want to look at some options for cross training.

Other than that, I am having no soreness at all, and am feeling quite recovered, thanks to some serious foam rolling.  And lots of cookies.  And wine. 

I don't know if there will be a marathon #2.  I'm not saying never.  Right now, I want to rest and recover and spend the summer running for fun, and trying to fit in a few halfs where I can. 

(Applause for you if you made it through this...)

[sassystace]

Wow! Amazing! Congrats! That is a really impressive race. I can't believe your pace was so steady and then you were able to speed up at the end. And I can't believe you are not sore today. I was SO sore those first few days after my first in Oct. Thanks for the recap and inspiration! Great job!

[Mushe]

What a great recap and race! Way to finish strong. So inspiring!

[jamalynn]

Yay! I loved your recap. I can't believe how well you rocked it, especially at the end. I usually drop by mile 23 so that is so great the way you handled your pace. Congrats!

[MrsE]

Congratulations!!

Hope you enjoyed your race through my home town

[ktzmoh]

Congratulations!! I loved the recap and I'm so glad your ankle is better. Hope your knee feels better soon!

[mrshandy]

Congrats on a great race!!

[setsail1999]

What an awesome race for you!! I'm also very jealous that you aren't sore lol! *hobbles away*.

[cole]

Congrats!! Great recap, you're a rock star!

[elynne2012]

that is awesome and you are an inspiration!

[thom]

Congratulations Shellfish!! You are so strong, and your training shone through. I really do think you found a sweet spot for pace. I always have some rough miles in the last 6, so you took my advice better than I do.

It also sounds like you prepared really well with eating and hydration the week before. Smart!!

Definitely take some time to heal up and celebrate. You did SO amazing!

[Wines Not Whines]

Congrats again! You ran such a steady race!

[ilovecandy]

Congrats on such a great race! Definitly rest up now.

[cinco]

Congrats on such a strong race. I'm so impressed w/ that final 10k. You must have been passing people left and right. What a finish!

[labbie]

Great job, and great recap. I appreciate your perspective and all the details on what worked for you, since I hope to tackle this distance next year and like you, take something from each of the awesome ladies on this board.
Happy recovery, and congrats on a kick ass race!!

Sent from my XT1080 using proboards

[jene]

Congrats on running such a strong race, you killed it!

[gt7301b]

Congrats! Great job, I am a bad influence and I think you have another marathon within you.

[oliviapope]

Race recaps are my favorite! I totally get you on the emotional aspect of it. I get super emotional just thinking about crossing the finish line. Congrats!

[runblondie26]

Congrats again! So much hard work and determination go into a marathon. Even if the training plans are identical, no two stories are ever alike. Thanks for sharing your journey!

[sadlebred]

Awesome race report!! I really enjoyed reading it. Congratulations!!

[libbygrl109]

That was an awesome race report! So inspiring! Congrats on an amazing race!

[hannahb]

You had an amazing race! I'm so so proud of you. Now rest up and drink lots of wine

[bostonmichelle]

Awesome race and report!! I'm in awe that you were able to speed up so much at the end of the race. That is truly amazing!

[juliabug]

Awesome! That sounds like an incredible first marathon.

What was your final time?

[shauni27]

what an amazing recap and race! I am so proud of you, that was seriously impressive!

[shellfish26]

Mar 24, 2015 23:25:13 GMT -5 juliabug said:

What was your final time?

Lol, I was so focused on the report that I kinda forgot that part.  4:14. 

[eponinepontmercy]

For some reason, race reports always make me tear up. Why I am so emotionally affected by your husband waving at you?

Congrats on an awesome race!

[juliabug]

Mar 25, 2015 7:15:18 GMT -5 shellfish26 said:

Mar 24, 2015 23:25:13 GMT -5 juliabug said:

What was your final time?

Lol, I was so focused on the report that I kinda forgot that part.  4:14. 

You gave all your splits, I probably could have figured it out if I weren't so lazy. Congratulations again. That is a great time!

[irene adler]

That's amazing! Way to go!!!

[nichelobe]

I love love love this! The way you kicked ass in the last 10k is crazy!! Great job!