Ridge to Bridge Marathon – Random Thoughts by Mile Marker

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I’m going to try something new with this race report…  Random Thoughts by Mile Marker.  Not that I can remember all the thoughts I had exactly when I had them, of course, but I’ll give it a whirl none-the-less.

Just a bit of background, or many of the thoughts might not make sense…  I had relatively good training for this marathon, up until about mid September, when many of my runs just started feeling a bit off — heavy legs, sluggish, etc.  So while my original stretch goal was a sub 3:15, and my main goal was a sub 3:20, I figured both of those were out of reach and I was ok with that…  I didn’t have great expectations going in, but I’m also experienced to know you might just have “one of those days” out of the blue, so I hadn’t given up!

Here’s the Garmin Elevation profile:

Mile Pace Thoughts
1 7:23
  • “I’ve been housing all these doubts, and insecurities” lyric won’t leave my head!!  GET OUT!
  • hmm, feeling ok, could I have found my run?
  • don’t go out too fast!
  • dang ipod won’t work!
2 7:25
  • oh, finally got the ipod working!
  • uh-oh, feeling wheezy!  Not good! I haven’t taken albuterol in years….
  • oh, there goes Jason — bye!
3 7:31
  • wheezy wheezy wheezy
4 7:50
  • wheezy wheezy can’t breathe
  • there’s Kelly on the out and back, grab a kiss, scream “I can’t breathe!”
5 7:49
  • can’t breath
  • wow these people must think i’m crazy huffing and puffing like this so early…
6 8:21
  • ugh, a “hill”
  • can’t breathe…can’t believe I’m thinking of walking already
  • eat a gel before the water stop so i can wash it down..
  • just make it to the big downhill! then you can see what happens!
7 7:02
  • weeee!
  • wow that guy in orange is flying
8 6:57
  • woohoo — passing all those people who passed me on mile 5 and 6!
  • wonder if this is too fast??
9 7:13
  • weeeee!
  • man i wonder how my quads will handle this — hopefully not like when i previewed this hill in july
10 7:18
  • man that guy seems to be swatting flies with his right hand every step…  what crappy form!  wonder what I look like?
  • i wonder if i will have jello legs later?
  • can you run on jello?
11 7:32
  • hey, there’s the guy in orange not too far ahead
  • man that guy passing me sounds terrible!
  • hmm, I probably sound worse
12 7:23
  • passing the guy in orange!
  • Diana Krall — are you serious??!!!

 
13 7:44
  • Yeah, half done!
  • wonder if that is my half pr??
  • hmmm….
  • Oh no, half done means half to go.  wow.  :-/
14 7:30
  • Will this hill ever end?
  • Hmm, do I want it too?
  • oh no, getting passed by a couple of folks i passed up top…  :-/
15 7:33
  • there’s the bottom, finally!
  • cool, 7:30 average pace so far!  wonder what i can hold the rest of the way?
  • probably not 7:30, maybe sub 7:40 for a 3:20?
  • i can live with that…
16 7:48
  • oh, a little out and back…
  • checking out the runners in front of me
  • oh there’s Jason, check watch to see how far ahead he is
  • turn-around — oh wow all that was up hill, didn’t even notice
  • Jason is about 5 minutes ahead of me
17 7:57
  • uh-oh, wheeziness has turned into chest constriction, mostly in the back
  • can’t get a full breath
  • hold on hold on hold on
18 8:14
  • wow this is way to early to enter the pain cave
  • pain cave
  • pain cave
  • pain cave
19 8:27
  • pain cave
  • wonder if i can catch one of these pretty leaves falling down?
  • pain cave
  • come on hold on!
20 8:18
  • wow feels like back cramps whenever I try to breath
  • hold on hold on
21 8:25
  • need water
  • need energy!
  • doh, my 3rd and final gel i’m gonna need more
  • man 3:20 is probably not happenin’ maybe i can go sub 3:28 for a pr
  • hold it hold it hold it..
22 9:23
  • ugh
  • ugh
  • stop try to stretch back but how do you stretch chest constriction
  • hands on head not really helping
23 8:54
  • wheezy wheezy wheezy
  • i’m ripping this stupid shirt off man it’s hot hot hot!
24 9:22
  • am i really walking on this DOWNHILL
  • ugh look at all these people passing me
  • come on run!
  • i caught a leaf i caught a leaf!!
25 9:24
  • ooh Johnny Cash’s Hurt — “I hurt myself today…”
  • how apropros
26 9:44
  • oh there’s the finish over there!  but i know there’s a ways to go…
  • sub 3:30 still possible?
  • hmm probably not  😦
26.2 9:15
  • ugh will this parking lot ever end???!!!
  • 3:32, sigh…  not disappointed per se but what could have been if i could have taken a full breath today?
finish
  • need water
  • need calories — ooh chocolate milk?  No HFCS?  score!
river
  • whoa that is cold!
  • ah, numbness
  • can I sit?  should I?  will I be able to get back up?
  • shiver
  • time to get out
  • Jason look that guy is about to fall in — doh!  that’s gotta be cold
  • uh oh left foot middle toe is locked — please rest of foot don’t follow suit!
  • need warm clothes!
  • need more food!  burgers and dogs

A few photos:

Check out this bib number!  I certainly didn’t have “The Answer” for R2B!

The Answer

I never get blisters! Well, scratch never…  My “footpads” were on fire for about 45 minutes after the run…  I guess I was sliding a bit too much in the shoes on all that downhill.  But no blisters there and the burning subsided and was fine.

There is NO WAY I could have been this happy at mile 16 or so, where Shannon got this shot of me!!!

Here we are all at the finish… Jason rocked a 3:11 BQ for 3rd in the 40-44 age group and top 20 overall!  Kelly and Lauren came in around 4:50 and Heather came in at 5:30 after struggling a bit with digestion…

Post race thoughts:  I’ll be back!  Maybe not in 2013, but in 2014 or 2015.  A 3:20 is possible for me…  Assuming I train well and don’t have breathing issues.  🙂  And in two years I only need a 3:25 to BQ.  Though a 3:20 is still one of my running goals!

I’m already anticipating Uhwarrie 40 sign up later this week — hope I can get in!  So while my lower body is completely in pain, it’s not so bad I’m not thinking about what’s next!

3 thoughts on “Ridge to Bridge Marathon – Random Thoughts by Mile Marker”

  1. “Can you run on jello?” LOL! I’m glad I’m not the only one who has these sorts of random thoughts during a race. Sorry about the breathing difficulties, Sean. Sounds like you had the legs for a big PR, but the lungs weren’t in the game.

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  3. Pingback: Uhwarrie 2013 | 2sparrows

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