Derby Marathon Race Report

My first road marathon, the Derby Marathon in Louisville, KY was yesterday. Gary and I decided to drive to Louisville Friday afternoon so we would be able to pick up our race packets, relax in the hotel and get a good night's sleep. We did just that. The expo was not crowded and we were in and out and to the hotel in minutes. When we got to the hotel Stumblers Jill and Tracy were also checking in. Gary and I had a nice relaxing evening and ate salmon and spinach (my favorite night before race meal) that we had brought from home.

We woke up about 4 and started I began fueling by drinking Boost Plus and Powerade. My stomach was feeling a little queasy but it seemed to be just due to nerves. My dad and sister drove down from Chicago late last night and met us in the hotel along with Lynn. My sister would be running the half and Lynn and I planned on running together.

The four of us rode the shuttle to the start. I was pleased that the sky was overcast and the temperature was in the mid 50s. I couldn't ask for better conditions. As we were walking to the start line we saw several Stumblers - Jill, Tracy, Rhonda, Judy, Gene, and Skip (and maybe a couple more that I can't remember). Lynn, Tracy and I lined up by the 3:50 pace group. I was very glad to have both of them to run with at the beginning. Having them there kept me calm and positive.

Miles 1-3
Lynn, Tracy and I ran this part together, and I felt like the pace was perfect, nice and easy which is what I wanted. I really did not check my splits too much, but we stayed right by the red hat that was pacing the 3:50.

Miles 4-7
Iroqouis Park. During the Papa John's 10 miler this park kicked my butt. The hills seemed long with little recovery between each one. This time however I didn't even seem to notice them. As we were running someone around us started talking about how we were going to run through Churchill Downs. He said something about running on the track and how he was a "mudder". I wasn't really paying attention, but my sister asked him what his odds were. He said 3000 to 1 and I thought, hmm I know that voice. It was Jeff Buhr! He was pacing his friend Dena for the half. I was very surprised and happy to see him. She was running strong and passed us soon after, but it was great to see him on the course.

Miles 8-15
Running through Churchill Downs was so amazing. I was unsure if we were going to run on grass, but there was a paved walkway the whole time. We ran up through a tunnel and came out to a loudspeaker of a horse race announcer. As cheesy and that sounds I got goosebumps. The really cool part was to see the horses practicing and warming up on the track. Watching a thoroughbred sprint was pretty inspiring. After we came out of the track Lynn and I started chatting about pretty much everything. It really made the miles fly by, and I was feeling great. I am so grateful that we ran together, she kept me strong and distracted. Its amazing the support you get running with a good friend. I have to admit that I had a bit of a sinking feeling when the half marathoners split off at mile 12. There were significantly less of us left to run 14 miles. One guy said, I guess this is where they separate the strong from the week. I was feeling pretty strong so I took that as an encouraging statement.

Miles 15-20
We met up with Lynn's friend, Julie around mile 15. I was feeling really strong, so I picked up the pace with Lynn and Julie just behind me. I ran through Cherokee Park feeling very strong. When we turned sharp corners I tried to look for Lynn and Julie, but I couldn't see them. I figured the rest of the race would be just me.

Miles 20-26.2
This is where the pain starts. It's amazing how a 10k can seem so incredibly long at the end of a marathon. I think I slowed down a bit, but still felt like I was running strong. At the aid stations I really took my time taking Poweraid and water, and walking through the entire station. It was pretty painful to start running again after walking, but I know this helped me finish strong. I saw my friend, Dave from the Starbucks Tuesday Thursday group. He gave me a pat on the back and said I looked strong. He was looking good too, and I was glad I got to see him since it was getting pretty lonely. Around mile 22 I ran past our hotel and saw Jill and Tracy. I felt pretty tired, but they were so encouraging, and spirited. I was so glad to see them. The course turned a corner shortly after the hotel to a crowd of people lining the street. This was the most people I had seen on the course cheering so far, and I actually got really emotional and as soon as I passed them I found myself very short of breath because I was trying not to cry. It was a weird but wonderful experience.

At mile 22 we crossed the bridge over to Indiana and I thought I might have to make my way to the edge to throw up. Luckily that feeling passed and I made it to a water station. On my way to Indiana I saw Kristin running back to Kentucky. We exchanged encouraging words. I was glad to see her too. She was making great time. The small incline coming back over the bridge was tough, but at the water station on the way back I knew I only had about 2 miles to go. Coming in to the finish I was only able to pick it up a bit, and I was frantically scanning the crowd for Gary, my dad, and sister. I saw them right at the finish line. They were cheering and whistling. I loved it! I crossed the finish and was just so happy to be done.

My Times:
10k - 56:06
15k - 1:21:41
25k - 2:18:24
30k - 2:44:44

Finish - 3:55:32

Lynn and I ran the first half in 1:55:xx. So I slowed down about 5 minutes for the second half, which I am pretty happy with. I am actually really really happy with my race. I didn't really know if I could go under 4 hours on my first road race, but I did and I couldn't be happier. It was a great day.

Pre Race Thoughts

Today is Wednesday. The race is this Saturday, and the nerves are already here. After a few weeks of feeling absolutely crappy (which I suppose is how I should feel during a taper) I am feeling rested and ready to go. I have my marathon "outfit" picked out, and my gel belt came in the mail today. I am actually wearing it right now (yes, I'm a dork).

Although I feel calm right now I thought I would share some of the obsessive thoughts I've been having this past week:

Should I be eating this? I have been trying to be more careful about what I am eating this week, and the carb loading started Monday. Gary made pasta with vegetables and dished me out an enormous serving. I looked at him and said, "I can't eat all that!" He replied, "You're going to eat all that", and I did. It really wasn't that hard to do. Yesterday was 2 bowls of cereal, pasta, fruit, chips (oops), yogurt, dried cranberries, edamame, a bite of catfish, and quinoa (what?? It's the seed of a leafy plant that is a distant cousin to spinach. Carbs with a little protein. Honest, it's good). Today I actually turned down McDonald's breakfast. I must be obsessing! Instead I had 2 bowls of cereal, pasta, dried papaya, pretzles, dried cranberries, brown rice with vegetables and shrimp, and 3 pieces of dark chocolate (sometimes I just need it). I think I am doing pretty well...besides the chips pretty great actually. It's amazing how improving your diet can make you feel so much better physically.

What will the weather be like? I am constantly checking weather.com. Right now it says high 65 and isolated thunderstorms. Hopefully the storms come later in the day. A high of 65 sounds nice, though. I am trying to tell myself that I am just checking the weather for my curiosity, but I would be lying if I said the heat didn't worry me. These past few days I have been trying to put more positive thoughts into my head and not worry about things I cannot control, like the weather. Whatever the weather will be I will not be deterred. Unless it is called off due to the conditions I will remain positive and excited to run.

How fast am I going to run? I am a VDOT, and pace calculator spaz. I am constantly trying to figure out how fast I am going to run this marathon. I would like to do well, but I also need to remember that I run because I enjoy it. I know if I am obsessing about my time during the race and feel like crap I will not enjoy it. 26.2 miles is a long distance when you feel good, but I can't imagine how long it will seem if I am feeling miserable. Also, this is my first road marathon, so any time will be a good time. The plan for me is to enjoy the company and the race, and if I happen to do well then all the better. I am very fortunate to have Lynn as my running partner during the race, and I know I always have a good time when we run together.

As I was running with Hayley, Tracy, Ernie, and Kelty this morning I had none of these obsessive thoughts, and I simply enjoyed my feet hitting the pavement, the cool dark air, and the company of some wonderful people (and pet). Hopefully that feeling will carry on to the race on Saturday.

My Running Peaks and Valleys

OK so it's been a while since my last post. I'll start with the Anthem 10k in Louisville 3 weeks ago...

The race came after a relatively large volume running week, so I was unsure of how I was going to feel. I would say that this year is the year that I turned into a distance runner. I have run 5ks in the past, and done two half marathons, but I have never trained as much as I train now. I competed in 3 10k races this past summer, and my PR was 54 something. I always had the thought that it would take a lot to break 50 minutes. So I figured out that I would have to run at about an 8 minute pace to do this. It would be a stretch, but I was willing to try.

I ran the first mile easy, and I got to mile marker 1 and was surprised to see it read 7:35. Way too fast! I tried to slow down and got to mile 2, again 7:35! I still felt really good so I decided to just try to keep that pace and see how things went. I really expected to be walking at mile 4 or 5.

I ended up finishing at 47:00. I couldn't believe it. When we got home I quickly looked up my VDOT number in several different tables and saw that it predicted my marathon times to be between 3:33 and 3:40. 3:40 is Boston! This got me really excited until...

The Papa John's 10 miler this past weekend was a tough race. It was hot, and since last summer I haven't run in weather that warm. I was not prepared for the heat. The course takes you through part of the marathon course through Iroqouis Park which is full of hills. I ran with Kristin for the first few miles until the park. We were talking before the race about possibly running 1:18:00 which is a 7:48 pace. (This would keep me on track with my VDOT for a 3:40 marathon). We decided it might be tough but thought we could do it. We took the first mile easy, but it still felt quick. This time we got to the mile marker and I was surprised to see it read 8:30. Surely we were running faster than that. Kristin was much stronger during the race than I was. She was strong in the hills, and definitely had more kick than I did at the end, but very generously stuck with me and brought me across the finish line with her. I was grateful also to have Hayley to run the hills with. I couldn't have made it without the two of them.

I finished in 1:24:37. Quite a bit slower than I had hoped, but with the heat and conditions it wasn't a horrible run. I am still running faster than I ever have, or thought I could have, so I am happy with that. When I looked up my VDOT after the 10 miler I would be lying if I said I wasn't a little disappointed. I just need to keep in mind that it's my first road marathon, and any time will be a good time.