Though I originally set out with a goal of running in 4 hours, I quickly revised to 4:30. Just before the race, I hoped that 5 would be possible, which would still be faster than last year's time. Oh, sweet optimism.
Just before the start- feeling great.
The morning of the race day started out well. We arrived in time to drop off our bags and swing by the portopotties before joining the massive line of runners. This race, like most big ones, has different corrals to group people by estimated finish time. We didn't have enough time to join our respective corrals, so we both waited together at the end with the other people who either expected to finish post 6 hours or also showed up a little late. The good news was that we got to start together and didn't have to stand around freezing for long, the bad news was that we weren't in a group of other people at each of our own paces.
My first ten miles were great. I averaged a 12 min mile pace (as needed to finish in 5 hours) and felt really strong. I wrote my name on my shirt, which made all the spectators cheer for me. It was amazing- I felt like such a celebrity. I passed my sister in law around mile 5 or 6, which was a huge boost - and powered ahead. Everything was going great.
Around mile 11, my brother joined me and things started turning downhill. I wanted him to run that section because I knew it was where I started struggling last year, and right on cue my knee started to hurt again. We did a little walking, but mostly kept running until mile 15.
At mile 15, I found my mother in law, brother in law and nephews all cheering with signs. I picked up some aspirin from the fabulous Kim, dropped off my brother and picked up my mom. My knee was hurting a lot, but the drugs kicked in quickly, so I sped right back up. By 17, my friend Molly joined us, and the three of us were just running along steadily. The sun came out, making it a bit warm but really beautiful. The pace really picked up and I felt great. I was shocked to discover that I only barely beat the time cut off at mile 20, because I felt like I was just flying along.
Somewhere between mile 20 and 21, I totally hit the wall. My aspirin had completely worn off. My knee was excruciatingly painful and felt like it was about to fall off. I pictured the parts of my leg being held together with scotch tape. I couldn't handle the pain. From time to time I would try to run again, fighting the tears, only to give up again quickly. It was also much hotter than expected, which started draining my energy.
My mom and my friend tried their hardest to keep me moving, but I just couldn't do it. I walked as fast as I could, trying to run every now and then, but mostly hobbling for the remaining 5 miles. I was constantly watching my watch, recalculating my expected finish time. For the last mile, I realized I wasn't going to beat my old time and gave it everything I had. I pushed through the miserable pain and charged up the last hill- grimacing and crying as I crossed the finish. I ended up finishing almost the exact time as last year. [Sidenote- whoever thought it would be a good idea to put a steep hill at the end of a marathon course needs to be replaced, and/or forced to run it].
Because I love me some charts - here is the comparison in my speeds between the two years.
Both years I started at a 12 minute mile, and slowly crept up to a 15 minute mile. Both lines show a similar trend- I start out strong, get slower as I approach mile 10, and then get slightly faster to cross the half marathon line. Both years I slowed down a lot around mile 15 (when my knee really started hurting), and sped back up between 15 and 20 with the help of some aspirin and my friend Molly joining me for the more picturesque part. Once I crossed the bridge at mile 20 in both years, I started slowing back down, hitting the wall, until right before the end when I gave my last kick. Generally this year was slightly slower than last year, with two exceptions. My brother gets credit for the improvement you can see between miles 10 and 15. My mom was with me for the dramatic improvement in the last mile.
After the race, wanting to sit down.
After the race, I met back up with R, who finished at an exceptional time, and all of our family that had come out to support us. We headed back to a local bar and celebrated with beers and burgers and traded stories until I inevitably fell asleep. I did not get a chance to eat my celebratory brownie sundae that I was running for.
Now, five days later, things are slowly getting back to normal. My knee still hurts a bit, but gets better every day. Even though I haven't moved, I'm still starving and eating way too much. I'm also just disappointed and filled with regrets.
Instead of vowing to try again next year, I have decided to take a break from running. Maybe I'll try another marathon in a few years, but I think for now, I'm done. I tried. I did it, twice, which is still pretty awesome. Now it's time to focus on getting my knee healthy and strong to make sure I don't have any permanent damage and can run again sometime in the future.
My new goal for the next two months is to try as many different types of exercise as I can to break the rut of running, strengthen my legs and maybe find something fun and new. I'm going to take a full break from running for a while, to let my knee rest and because I just don't want to run right now. The spring is full of shorter races (10 milers and half marathons) that I may think about, but for now, I'm done.
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