since July, about 2 weeks prior to my 50 mile White River race, i suffered a stress fracture in my right shin. i was also nursing a stress fracture in my right foot, where my second toe connected. both were slight but noticeable. and both made running especially painful. but i kept it in my head that even with those, running the Maine Marathon on 10.02 hadn't actually felt all that bad once i got the legs moving and loosened up. so i figured i would be fine to complete the race. i had no expectations of Boston qualifying, or even of making a PR. BUT, i did have every intention of beating my last marathon time from Vermont City int he spring of 3:55:xx. i figured it wouldn't be hard. just go out, find a comfortable pace and stick with it...for 26.2 miles. Since i hadn't run any (aside from 3 short speed runs) distance since Maine Marathon, where i ended up running to the race and home from the race completing the whole day with 32+ miles, i thought my legs would be anxious to get some good miles logged.
before i go any further, i want to mention my marathon history in brief. the 2009 Maine Marathon was my first race ever. i had never competed in any race at any distance prior. i hadn't trained and didn't even sign up for the race until 30 minute before cut-off the evening before the race at the expo. it was just one of those "got nothin' better to do" things. i killed half a bottle of wine the night prior and got no sleep. i woke up sunday morning and ran the race, finishing with a time of 3:42:23. i hit the wall hard and ended up stretching/walking/jogging the final mile or two to the finish. i hated my body and my dumb head for thinking it would be "fun".
then Pat signed me up for the Chicago marathon in October 2010. it was a birthday gift. he can be an ass at times. i thought i could BQ and do pretty well given i had plenty of time to train and had even started to enjoy running since Maine. so i worked my but off running. didn't follow any plans, just started increasing my mileage by 2 miles for my long runs every weekend until i hit 22. during the week i would just run for as long as i could however fast i could. come Chicago i felt strong and anxious and ready. heat crept up and it was in the mid 60's by 4 am when i went out for my warm up run. by race start it was at least 70 and rising. i went out too strong and crumbled at mile 19, dropping to ground as my calves cramped up so hard they seized and my ass hit asphalt. i did my stretch/walk/jog routine till i hit the finish. i completed in 3:51:xx and sobbed because of how poorly i felt i did. not so much that i didn't BQ, but that i had done even worse than i had done the year previous after i had trained so hard.
so i picked Vermont City in May of 2011 and trained through the winter. screwing spikes into my shoes and taking on long run in the snow after the plows had gone out. i incorporated speed work. even though i still wasn't following a dedicated plan, i picked and pulled pieces from existing plans to forge one that worked out for my work schedule and my physical capabilities. VCM came and i was ready. i had someone who i had race the Eastern States 20 miler with earlier in the year, completing that race in 2:22:xx. so i felt more than ready, i felt almost god-like in my strength and will to crush both my previous times, and even BQ. especially given my 20 miler race! i crossed VCM in 3:55:xx and was in the med tent with full body cramps from hyponatremia. worst race of my life.
so fast forward to Columbus. shortly after VCM, i was back on the road logging as many miles as possible to prep for the 50 miler. training runs of 30-37 miles of hills at times, 3 hour LR's around town, and NO speedwork. i get to Columbus just hoping to enjoy it. it was going to be Ellie's first marathon, and given how much i enjoyed seeing Sara run and complete her first, i knew it would be great to get to experience another virgin marathoner entering the club. so i just wanted to run. i also decided to do my first race in my Vibram Five Fingers. i always just enjoyed running in them. it made me feel like i was kid again just running around the yard. i figured i had nothing to lose so why the fuck not.
i stepped into coral A and was only 20 or so feet from the start line. i knew that would be dangerous for me. i knew that i would be more likely to go out WAY TOO strong and cramp up again, as i had done in all my previous races. but i was there and nothing could change that. i just had to be smart...for at least once in my life. gun went off and my feet began to turn over. i watched as others passed me and i had to keep reminding myself that i needed to not be so damn competitive this time around.
i found my groove and settled in. after about 5 miles my stomach began to act up. i had to poo. i couldn't get it done at the hotel before the race, which had worried me a bit. i decided to see how far i could go before it got too bad. around mile 8 it was too much. i knew i could probably keep going, but my pace was going to suffer and i would just be miserable. better to stop. 6 minutes later, i was charging out the port-o-potty door and making up lost time. i was cruising past everyone and feeling so much...lighter!
eventually i came up on the 3:15 pace group and i was a bit shocked. i don't run with a garmin, so i was having to calculate my pace in my head. coming to an estimated finish time would too hard of math for me to comprehend, so i was only focusing on keeping a steady pace from mile marker to mile marker (7:30 first mile, need to make mile two by 15 minutes, etc.)
i ended up passing the 7:15 group and kept charging ahead. i passed mile 23 feeling strong and no signs of cramping. then around mile 24, i turned slightly to give props to a woman with a sign up. the ever so slight rotation made a tingle come up in my upper right calf. the first sign of a cramp and i knew it was going to come if i kept up that pace. so i slowed back a bit and the twinge dissipated. i kept the slower pace for a moment longer and began to push again. i felt good and kept pushing. slightly after mile 25, the twinge came back. i slowed a bit and it subsided. so i fucking pushed! it was the home stretch and i was not about to bow to a fucking cramp!
coming down the final .2, i began to raise my arms to get more cheering going. i am sure i looked like some sort of injured, mentally handicapped bird. i was in pain, my face was contorted and i don't believe i had enough upper body strength to actually raise my arms properly. but they got the picture and the volume got louder. it was great. i was pumping as much as i could into my legs and i even cruised past one more runner with only 30 feet to the finish. i could have sworn i was in an all out sprint. well, as much as you can sprint after 26 miles.
i crossed the line, not even looking at the clock and tried to remember to stop my watch. shortly after i was on the shoulders of two volunteers because i could barely stand. i was emotional and i could hardly breath, but i felt amazing. i immediately went to a person handing out medals and said "i NEED one of those!" my watch read 3:14:26! i had shattered my VCM time by more than 41 minutes and improved my previous best time by 28 minutes! i didn't BQ, but i also didn't expect to going into the race. but i know now that it is possible for me to. in fact, i feel so damn cocky from the race that i honestly think i can have a sub 3 hour marathon net year.
the down side to the race: i can't walk! literally, i can't flex my right ankle because what was a minor stress fracture prior to the race, is probably nearing a full blown fracture now. it is so bad, i was contemplating getting a wheelchair to cart me around the airport. elderly women with tennis ball-capped walkers move more gracefully and faster than i could right now. but fuck it, the body heals...right?!?!
so that's my race report. i know it's a bit long, but for someone to understand how much of a victory this is for me, i feel it's only fair to share how many times i have fallen to get here now.
p.s., major congrats to Ellie for completing her first marathon...and under the time she had expected to do it!
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