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 |
|
| 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!
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!
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2sparrows 
“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.
Congrats on setting a midrace goal… And attaining it!! That leaf was no match for your skillz!!!
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