Myrtle Beach Marathon - Rick's perspective

I guess to a large extent, I find running/racing to be a personal thing. Although I enjoy running with others, I can’t say that I feel a compulsion to blog about racing to share my experiences with others in written form. That’s something I’m working on and my wife is encouraging me to do. Katie says she can’t wait to blog about a race or a run and even has them half written while she’s still out on the course. I don’t think I’ll ever get to that point, but I feel encouraged hearing about others’ running experiences. So there may be some benefit to sharing my experiences too. This blog entry is to share and document my experience leading up to and at the Myrtle Beach Marathon on February 19, 2011.

Background

The Myrtle Beach Marathon was supposed to be the last in a string of longer races for us. That string started with the Marshall Marathon on November 7, 2010 and was supposed to include Mountain Mist on January 22, 2011. Honestly, in my mind, the marathons before and after Mountain Mist were secondary; a warm up and a cool down if you will. I started focusing on Mountain Mist 6 or 7 months in advance and printed out multiple training plans (including this one from Dink Taylor) to compare that were between 17 to 24 weeks long. I started seeking out the “euphoria” that only hill work brings and the adventure and solitude of running on trails when I could. I even stopped shaving my goatee in November as a reminder every time I looked in the mirror that I had a mission. The mission was to be well prepared for Mountain Mist and finish feeling pleased about it. The fact that I ran a PR and my first BQ at the Marshall Marathon (I wrote about that experience here) was a bonus the way I looked at it and an indicator that I was on the right track for a satisfying Mountain Mist. Well. I pushed myself right off that track. Looking back, I think I got a bit greedy. I went from averaging a little under 200 miles and less than 5,000 feet of elevation gain per month to 260 miles and close to 10,000 feet of elevation gain in December. On January 2, my body pushed back in the form of Piriformis Syndrome. It took me a little while to figure it out, but a pinched sciatic nerve shut my running down. I went from a hilly 20 mile run with Teddy on Sunday morning to walking during an easy warm up on the way to a track workout on Tuesday. As I was limping back to my car, I remember seeing Greg Reynolds on his way to the track and wishing I could run half as fast without pain. I had felt some discomfort in my left hamstring near the end of the 20 miler, but now I couldn’t even jog slowly due to the pain. So here it is, early January and I can’t run five feet much less 50 kilometers. I tried to hold on to the momentum and fitness I had by training on our elliptical machine, but that got old fast. I visited a chiropractor, finally figured out what was causing the pain, but wasn’t healed up in time for the race at the end of January. God had other plans for me and was likely telling me I was in danger of tipping the healthy balance between family, work and running. But I’m thankful about what He planned to happen next. I made a recovery that was nearly as quick as the onset of the injury. My running log shows several elliptical machine entries, then a “slow and uncomfortable 3 mile run” on February 1, a couple of runs on a treadmill, and then a run I titled “getting there” on February 8. I averaged under 8 minute miles for six miles with a left hamstring that felt mildly sore and tight at 11 days before the race. So, now it was time to taper for the Myrtle Beach marathon…

The Marathon

Katie does a good job documenting our marathon trips on this blog, so I’ll stick to the race here. I knew this race would be slower than the Marshall Marathon. 3:40 or so is what I estimated was a realistic goal. I made a deal with myself to start out with 8:30 miles or slower for the first 8 to 10 miles, and see what happened after that. That deal, based in logic, went right out the window when I got to the start line. The excitement, adrenaline, and ease of the early miles had me clocking in sub-8s by mile four. I talked myself into this pace by saying that I was coming off of a PR in November, this was a flat/fast course and I was “well rested.” Even though I reasoned that a 3:40 would have to be a satisfying finish time going into the marathon, now that I was racing, I really wanted a sub-3:30 marathon. There’s that pride and greed showing up again. So I went for it. “And why not?,” I thought. Aren’t runners encouraged to go for it? We hear stories all the time about people going for it and succeeding. So, I cranked out several miles in the 7:40s and 7:50s, and really enjoyed them. The course was nice, the crowds were good, the weather wasn’t bad (a bit warm and windy) and I was feeling good. I saw Katie at one point where the course turns back on itself and was glad to see her looking strong as I cheered her on. I caught up to and ran with the 3:30 pacing group (running with a pacing group isn’t something I normally do). Well, I went for it, but then I paid for it. At mile 21, I was reminded what I have learned at several other marathons. It pays to run to your ability level at that race. A negative split at the Marshall Marathon was so much more pleasant than this approach. Being properly prepared for and correctly executing a marathon makes for a much better experience. My mile 20 split was a low 8 and the rest of the way would be north of 9 minutes per mile. I hit the wall because of my foolish pride. My mind calculated how much longer I would be running at a 9ish pace for 5+ miles. Running that much longer was a dreadful thought. I remember really pushing to maintain a pace I would call a “slow run” and I was going to have to do that for quite a while. “Slow run” later became a “slow jog.” “Slow jog” became “stopped off the side of the road with a cramp in my hamstring” at one point. Those last miles were tough. Making it through those miles was an accomplishment. I ran a 3:41; almost exactly what I thought I could run going into the race. Running a 3:41 was tougher than 3:14…tougher but it didn’t have to be. Even though I couldn’t do much to improve my preparation because of the injury situation, my execution during the race made it unnecessarily tough. Even splits or a negative split would have made for a far more enjoyable (and possibly faster) marathon. I hope to learn not to let my pride trip me up. This experience has made me think about why I run. I’ve always thought that I run because I simply enjoy running. I enjoy being outside, having a chance to clear my mind from distractions, feeling closeness to God, sharing the company of another runner, feeling fit and healthy, getting a runner’s high…basically I enjoy the benefits running offers to mind, body and soul. Did the primary reason for running become so that I can look back at results with a feeling of pride and accomplishment? That will always be part of it, but I want to prevent that from being my main focus. I’m not fond of the outcome when it is my focus. That brings two scriptures to mind: Isaiah 40:31 and 1 Samuel 2:3

Unexpected Surprise!

I opened my mailbox on Friday and was surprised to see it stuffed full.  A package AND a large envelope!  The package was from the Myrtle Beach Marathon, and boy was I surprised!  It was my age group award, the one they weren't supposed to be able to mail to me (I read that from their website and had given up on it).  And here it was!  I don't know how or why they decided to mail it to me, but it was a great surprise.  It is nice and GLASS, so it's amazing that it survived the trip in the mail!  The marathon also provided free finisher's certificates from Brightroom Photography, so I ordered one of those, and it came on Friday too.  They were great reminders of the marathon, one month ago exactly.

Certificate and Age Group Award



Bi-Lo Myrtle Beach Marathon 2011

Prerace

We had a pretty uneventful trip over to Myrtle Beach and broke the trip into two days of driving.  We left on Thursday, February 17th around 2 p.m., stopping first to pick up my mother who was coming along to watch the children for us.  We arrived at our hotel around 8 p.m. after making a picnic dinner stop at a cute park near Augusta, GA with a great playground for the children.  Saturday was a busy day with a near four-hour drive, a stop at Ed Venture Children's Museum in Columbia, South Carolina, a visit to the Expo to get our race numbers, a quick check-in at the hotel, a pasta dinner with our friends Teddy and Angie, and a little swimming in the hotel pool.  We loved the Expo since it was a good size and was well organized.  I liked the free beer!  Saturday night's sleep was pretty bad for all of us adults due to some pretty uncomfortable beds!  We woke up at 4:08 a.m. our time (they are an hour ahead).

 

Race Morning    

We arrived at the start line at about 5:45 a.m.  The race had a 6:30 a.m. start.  We hit the line of port-a-potties first thing, and then Rick went to check our bags while I made a second trip.  The full and half started at the same time (nearly 7,000 runners total), but I had no trouble getting into my pace area in plenty of time.  I couldn't find Rick, but that was okay.  He had planned to start around a 3:40 pace, and I wanted to start at a 3:30 pace.  The race started with a cannon going off (!), and we began.  It was dark still with a pretty nearly-full moon, and the weather was perfect.  I guess it was near 50.  I was in shorts and a singlet and felt great.  I thought back to last year, when the race was cancelled due to a freak snowstorm.  Wow, what a difference!

The First Half

I covered the first mile in 7:29 and felt very good.  I could feel the adrenaline.  I kept thinking, "I guess I won't be starting off smart after all," because I did not want to slow down at all.  In fact, I felt like I was holding back.  I wasn't breathing hard or in any kind of pain.  I was passing people and enjoying the pace alot.  I saw a girl wearing hair scrunchies on her wrist that she had used to attach two plastic straws to her arm (I guess for sipping water at the aid stations?).  That seemed odd to me and sticks out as something I thought about for awhile.  The first few miles went back pretty fast and stayed at an under 7:30 pace.  The sun was rising, and we started on the stretch along the ocean.  The course is known to be flat and fast. 

Around mile 10, I thought of how nice it was to have not encountered a hill of any kind yet.  I occupied myself by looking at the hotel signs and the many spectators, some of which were on their hotel balconies cheering for us.  I saw a pug that looked just like our dog, Monte.  The running still seemed pretty easy at mile 13, and I made the half in 1:36:29.  The woman there cheered for me by name since my chip displayed my name as I passed over the sensor.  I figured there would not be a negative spilt for me today since that seemed like a very good half.  I doubled it in my head and knew I was on track for a 3:13 or so.  At this point, I thought I had a possibility of setting a new PR, something I have not done in any distance in about 7 years.  That was thrilling, but it was way too early to get excited yet.

The Second Half 

I had eaten a Cliffbar before the race started, and at mile 12, I had taken some Sportsbeans.  I took a mandarin orange Gu at mile 16.  My pace for that mile was a 7:26.  I thought I'd hate that Gu flavor, but it was actually okay.  I used this part of my race to start thinking about my old PR race.  I was so glad that I'd looked it up because the splits were very fresh in my mind.  I had alot of sub 8's in that race.  Since I'd done all sub 7:30s so far today, I thought I could slow down to 8:30's for the whole second half and still come in with my Marshall Marathon time (8:00 average pace).  But I thought I would try to get the sub 3:20, breaking my old PR.  I thought today was the day to do it.  I just hadn't known beforehand!  I was so tired from Mountain Mist and didn't feel like I'd done enough speedwork to maintain the needed pace.  The miles were proving to me that I could do it though.  I thought about the "A-B-C" goals and about how helpful it was to me to actually think about that beforehand.  It really gives me something tangible to reach for.  I thought about Jane's quote from Jason about just taking each mile one at at time and making your watch say what you wanted it to each mile.  And I tried to distract myself from feeling the fatigue that was settling in.  The best "mantra" that I was able to use was "disassociate yourself."  I kept telling myself that my body wasn't really here at all, but rather it was on the beach laying out.  That helped alot and made me push through some of the tougher miles. 

I held the sub 7:30 pace until mile 20, and then I fell to 7:45 for mile 20 and 8:00 for mile 21.  I took my 1/2 packet of Cliffblocks at mile 20, hoping to hold off the inevitable slowing down.  I also broke the race up into two-mile segments at this point, so I went from 16 to 18 ("the wall"), and then 18 to 20, and then I said, "It's just an ordinary 6 miler, like I do with my friends all the time."  It really helped to break it up and not think about the whole distance left.  Mile 22 was back to 7:53, and I took the last Gu offered on the course, though I fumbled clumsily for it and almost ran into a volunteer handing out orange slices.  We entered a little paved running trail around this point.  I remember seeing a policeman pointing for me to get over to the right but thinking he was pointing to a car behind me.  I was pretty out of it.  I really wanted to stop and walk or to slow down.  Miles 23-26 were 8:22, 8:22, 8:03, and 8:13 respectively.  So I did slow, but not as dramatically as in the Marshall Marathon. 

As I started recognizing the finish line, I began to get excited.  The whole last mile, I was telling myself, "You're almost there!" and using my time on my watch to gauge how much time was left.  At one point, I knew I only had to keep it up for another 10 minutes.  The crowd was so awesome and was yelling things like, "You go, girl!" and "Girl Power!" and "You're one of the top women!" and "You're top 10!"  I was so encouraged by that and humbled that they would take the time to encourage me so specifically.  When I saw the Mile 26 mile marker, I was turning the last corner.  The finish line finally came into view.  I could stop pretty soon!

The Finish

I was checking out the finish line as I approached, and I saw two black strips on the ground.  I wanted to know which one was the finish line one so I could stop there.  Then, I looked over at the computer screen and saw my name and time come out at the top.  I assumed I was done and finally hit "stop" on my watch and tried to stop running.  I had gotten a 3:18:05.  I had beaten my old PR by nearly 4 minutes and had beaten my most recent racing marathon by about 11 minutes.  I was happy but oh so tired.  My legs just gave out on me, first my left leg and then my right.  I saw a volunteer asking me if I was all right, and I remember saying something like, "No, I think I'm gonna pass out."  I fell down on the pavement, hitting my right knee on the asphalt, just as that volunteer and another one grabbed my elbows and held me so I wouldn't fall completely over.  My head was cloudy and I was seeing black, but I never lost consciousness.  Someone with a wheelchair emerged, and they hoisted me into it.  We stopped to get my medal from a volunteer (I loved the flip-flops on it!), and then they wheeled me out of the finishers' area and into a locker room that was being used as the medical tent.  I remember feeling so glad that I wasn't running anymore.  Sitting in the chair felt so good. 

Inside, they laid me down on a cot and took my pulse, temperature, and blood pressure.  My BP was fine, but my temperature was a little warm (99.4) and my pulse was around 90 (a little high).  They gave me ice water to drink and asked me all sorts of things, like was this my first marathon ("No, it's my 21st"), had I drunk water on the course, had this ever happened before, etc.  I remember looking around and seeing a guy next to me puking and a girl coming in who was crying since she had dropped out.  Thoughts of my St. Louis experience came pouring back.  And here I was again.  The doctor there was very nice and sat chatting with me for awhile.  He'd been a volunteer for all of the 13 years the race had been held.   He let me borrow his phone to call Rick and even went out to find out if he'd finished and to look for him (they weren't able to find him though).  I tried sitting up, and a little while later, I tried to stand up.  I felt weak and almost like I was going to faint, and I got short of breath.  They took my BP and pulse, and my BP was fine again but my pulse was up from 90 to 130 and racing.  They asked me to sit down and stay awhile longer.  I thought about Rick and how he'd be looking for me and about how I'd missed his finish. 

Finally, I stood up and was able to leave (with an escort back to the finish line and an admonition not to faint in the parking lot!).  I got in line for my finisher's photo (couldn't pass that up!) and spotted Rick right after I had it taken.  I told him quickly all about my little adventure, but he'd already been to the race time kiosk so he knew my time.  I was very impressed that he got a 3:41, especially given that he'd been injured the last two months.  I had seen him once along the course when we looped back, so I knew he was looking strong and would finish.  We met up with Teddy and Angie.  I had also seen Teddy on the course (he was in front of me), but we got their times and stories.  Angie had broken 2 hours in the half and was very happy with her time, and Teddy got a 3:12, just short of his goal. 

Rick and I grabbed some food for the road.  I ate an orange slice and drank a beer (couldn't pass that up though I was warned at the medical tent not to drink any alcohol that day!).  We met my mom and the children back at the hotel, where my mom snapped a quick picture of us before we got ready for a long, fun day in Myrtle Beach.

Post-Race
  

I later learned that I was indeed the 10th overall female and second in my age group.  I was confused because this race provided a little printout with your chip time after the race, and mine said "Division Place 56."  So I didn't think I'd won anything and left without checking on the awards.  I still plan to see if I can get it mailed to me somehow.  We walked all over Broadway at the Beach, a really neat boardwalk-type shopping center with all kinds of shops and restaurants.  I was a little woozy and gladly stopped for an ice cream.  Sitting felt great.  Rick got a Quizno's sandwich later on, and I bet it hit the spot.  Hunger, when it returns after running a marathon, is nothing to mess around with! 

We took our children to the beach since they were begging to go.  The 60-something degree weather felt perfect.  They played for a couple of hours, and I walked up and down for about 50 minutes, taking my mom for part of the walk and Rick for the other.  It felt good to work out some of the soreness that was creeping in.  The water was freezing cold, but the children ran up and down the beach in the little tide pools, jumping and splashing each other.  It was just wonderful watching them enjoying the day and running for the fun of it. 

We ended the day with Mellow Mushroom's mega-veggie pizza (no peppers, no olives, no onions, and add pepperonis!) and another dip in the pool.  On Sunday, picked up the local newspaper from the hotel and read the results.  A woman was the first place overall finisher!  We left at 7 a.m. our time and drove until 6 p.m. with a couple of stops for food and gas.  We ended up letting the children run around Little River Canyon.  The stiffness had really set in for me by this point, and I hobbled stiffly down the hill to see the waterfall there.  Today is Monday, and I managed a 6 mile run with the girls this morning without too much stiffness or pain.

Here are my official time and some photos:

102 1271 KATIE MAEHLMANN half time 1:36:29 gun time 3:18:33 chip time 3:18:05 pace 07:35

Don't we look so peaceful and happy here?  I could've stayed at that beach for days.

The children got their running done along the beach after our race.

Post-race ice cream tradition.  Yum!

Myrtle Beach

The medal

When we came back from the marathon, the children had necklaces on too!  I thought that would make a great picture.  This is the only race picture I have for now since we did not take the camera to the start line.

1-7:29
2-7:22
3-7:19
4-7:25
5-7:21
6-7:22
7-7:13
8-7:12
9-7:17
10-7:24
11-7:18
12-7:20
13-7:24
14-7:26
15-7:17
16-7:26
17-7:26
18-7:19
19-7:23

20-7:45

21-8:00
22-7:53

23-8:22

24-8:22

25-8:03

26-8:13

.2-1:37

My watch said 3:18:10 but the chip time was 3:18:05

10th OAF, 2nd in my age group

Inspiration and Myrtle Beach Marathon Goals

I am running the Bi-Lo Myrtle Beach Marathon this Saturday (take a look at the pretty beach scene on the home page of that site!).  The Monday before a marathon weekend, I begin focusing my mind on the race.  The training has already been done, but the mental aspect is the last crucial remaining piece of the puzzle.  I begin thinking about the race and picturing myself out there running in less than a week.  I start imagining a strong finish.  And I recall previous races where I was able to let my mind pleasantly distance me from the physical discomforts.  I've done this before, and I can do it again!

I don't always reach a point in the marathon where my mind has taken over my thoughts; sometimes the discomfort that I feel is much more central to my thoughts than anything else.  I think about my splits and how I'll get done faster if I keep running fast.  I try to mentally figure out what my time will be if I continue at the pace I'm going.  I think about every little ache I feel.  But then, there are those other times.  I clearly remember the point in several marathons where I've gotten absolutely lost in my thoughts, to the point that I don't feel the discomfort anymore.  I've gotten covered in goosebumps and feel what I imagine is what others call the "runner's high."

I can't predict what will help me reach the point of distractedness where I actually feel a runner's high.  Sometimes it's when I think about motivating song lyrics, like Destiny's Child "I'm a Survivor" (the lines "I'm not goin' give up, I'm not goin' stop, I'm goin' work harder.") or Pink's "Just Like a Pill" (the lines "Run, Just as fast as I can, To the middle of nowhere, To the middle of my frustrated fears.").  I sometimes think about the line in Mary Shelley's Frankenstein where he says, "Did you not call this a glorious expedition? And wherefore was it glorious? Not because the way was smooth and placid as a southern sea, but because it was full of dangers and terror; because at every new incident your fortitude was to be called forth and your courage exhibited; because danger and death surrounded it, and these you were to brave and overcome. For this was it a glorious, for this was it an honourable undertaking."  There is something in those lines that make me feel the importance of sticking it out when the going's getting pretty tough in the marathon.  I guess I see the marathon as something to defeat, and I think that I'd better keep fighting it.

I draw inspiration from reality shows too.  I love the personal trainers' tough attitudes in NBC's "The Biggest Loser" and MTV's "I Used to be Fat".  I recently heard a trainer on "I Used to be Fat" shout to his trainee that she had to "make the body follow."  Her plight was trying to run a 10-minute mile, and mine's trying to run 26.2 at an 8-minute mile pace.  But we both have to make our bodies do it.  It's not easy for either of us.  The question I have to ask myself is, "How bad do I want this?"  I look at each marathon as a chance to perform to the best of my ability.  I don't want to waste that opportunity!  Rick likes to say it like this: "Empty the tank."  Lay it all out there, and leave nothing left.  And when the going gets tough, he says, "Suck it up."  I can look around me at the later miles of the marathon and think, "Do you think you're the only one in pain?  Do you think you're the only one who is uncomfortable right now?"  Of course, everyone is feeling some level of discomfort and pain.  You have to really dig deep at the end, and I think having my mind ready for that helps me.  I've done this sort of mental rehearsal all week long.

Each marathon presents its own challenges for me.  Sometimes I've just raced another long event, sometimes I've just had a baby (or two), or sometimes I'm recovering from an injury.  My challenge for this marathon is having done Mountain Mist a month ago with little speedwork since then.  My legs are tired.  I have tried two sub 8-minute mile runs, one being 10 miles and one being 12 miles.  In both, it was a struggle to stay under the 8:00.  In trying to figure out what I might be capable of doing, I pulled up my splits from the Marshall Marathon, my last marathon not counting when I paced Rocket City.  These splits are pretty telling and gave me some food for thought.  

1-7:36
2-7:50
3-7:33
4-7:35
5-7:29
6-7:20
7-7:35
8-7:32
9-7:30
10-7:31
11-7:33
12-7:29
13-7:37
14-7:32
15-7:36
16-7:40
17-7:38
18-8:16
19-8:06
20-8:13
21-8:34
22-9:01
23-8:54
24-9:11
25-9:22
26-9:09
.2-1:50

The first 17 miles were between 7:20 and 7:50.  Then I slowed dramatically.  There were 6 miles of 8 something miles (one was actually 9:01 but close to 8!) and then 3 9-minute miles.  You can tell that I was fighting the 9 minute miles in mile 23, where I got an 8:54 after the 9:01 previous mile.  I remember having some foot problems in that race, and I don't remember feeling very good at distracting myself from them in this race.  They may have played a factor in the slowing down at the end.  The pace in this race ended up being an 8 minute mile pace.  These splits show that I started too fast (the last 9 miles were much slower than first 17).  There's the temptation to start smarter in this race, though my method of starting too fast is the one I prefer (I know, call me crazy!).  For now, my plan is to try to do 8:00 minute miles and maybe be a tad more consistent throughout.  I think the 7:30 miles were a bad idea, and I should stick closer to 8:00 at the beginning if I want to run smarter. 

So here are my goals based on all of that.  My A goal is to go sub 3:30 (or essentially to beat my Marshall Marathon time of 3:29:57).  My B goal is a 3:40 (Boston Qualify).  My C goal is sub 4 hours.  Of course, I will be happy just to finish, especially if I feel really tired as I get in the later miles (I do feel sort of silly even admitting that I still feel tired from MM; I know plenty of other runners who have raced since that run and who did really well in their races.  But I have felt very tired since then, so I have no choice but to admit that it could slow me down).  I'm ready to give it a try!

UPDATED 2-16-11: I looked over my splits from the New Orleans Marathon February 28, 2010.  They were much more consistent.  Overall time was 3:35:57, and the average was 8:14.  The slowest was 8:42 (mile 26), and the fastest was 7:59.  Miles 12-17 were amazingly consistent: 12 8:02, 13 8:04, 14 8:02, 15 8:03, 16 8:03, and 17 8:04.  These six miles were within all within 2 seconds of each other.  Talk about some even splits!  At least there is proof that I can run a marathon with even splits!