IMT Des Moines Marathon October 18, 2009

Disaster Strikes

The IMT Des Moines Marathon on October 18, 2009 was the marathon-that-almost-wasn't for Rick and me.  I called it our unlucky state #14!  As I look back, it's probably the marathon that proved how tough I am and how much I want to be able to run marathons.  Not only would it have been easier to not run this marathon, it arguably would have been smarter and even safer too.  The things you really want sometimes involve risks, but they are worth it in the end.  They prove what you are made of.

Preparing for the Trip from Alabama to Iowa

 

We were preparing to run a marathon a month after our Maui Marathon on September 20, 2009.  It seemed like the best use of our training to find another marathon to run roughly a month after Maui.  We had done this before with good results, and we were eager to get back into marathons after a pretty big hiatus.  Iowa came up as a possible state since it was close to Wisconsin.  Wisconsin was where my younger sister, Laurie, lived at the time, and she was willing to come over to Iowa and watch the kids for us as we ran (to see the entry about how Laurie helped us during the Madison, WI marathon go here).  So that is how the IMT Des Moines Marathon came up as a possibility for us.

I am thankful for Rick, since he is a planner and I am more of a dreamer.  He planned this trip for us, mapping the route, making hotel reservations, and registering us for the race.  Everything was in place and going according to plan when his work called him to Cape Canaveral, Florida at the last minute, right before we were supposed to leave for Iowa.  I was crushed.  There was no way for him to make it back in time for us to drive up to Iowa together.  I started thinking that maybe I could drive up there alone.  Now, the kids were two and three years old back then, and the trip was almost 800 miles, or at least fourteen hours with stops.  And I never drive on our car trips thanks to a great husband who always drives!  All of these things were BIG obstacles for me to get around if I wanted to run the marathon.  And at the time, it was just for me.  We both decided that Rick's chances of getting up there to run it were very slim due to the work situation in the Cape.  I had decided to do the drive alone when, at the last minute, my mom refused to let me drive it solo and agreed to come along with me. 

The Trip Up 

The trip from Alabama to Iowa with two toddlers was pretty rough, and I really don't think I could have done it without my mom's help and a trusty GPS.  The thing that I remember most about the trip was stopping for dinner at Subway near the kids' bedtime (about 7:00 p.m.).  My mom was thinking we would be looking for a hotel in that city since we had been on the road all day.  I refused to stop, changed the kids into their nightclothes, and drove for five more hours while they slept in the back.  Those of you with young kids know that it is much better to get driving time in while they are sleeping.  I did not want to strap them in for five hours when they were fresh in the morning.  I wanted them to be in Iowa.  I was in rough shape when we arrived near 1:00 a.m. at the hotel.  As we shuttled sleeping children and luggage into the dark hotel, I wondered what I had been thinking when I decided that I could safely do this part alone.  I was thankful my mom was there.

At the hotel the morning after the day-long car ride

Day Before the Race

If I remember correctly, the drive occurred on Thursday, so we had all Friday to explore Des Moines. It turned out to be a great plan. We used a reciprocal gardens pass to visit their botanical gardens and shopped at a great mall.   Below is a picture of the yummy Cheesecake Factory cheesecake slice that we all split after lunch.

Carbo-loading?

We used the GPS to find the expo, since Rick had programmed the directions in it before he left for his trip.  I--of course--picked up his packet too, but we still didn't know if he'd be able to get here to run the race.  He was trying to fly from Florida to Iowa with a midnight arrival time.  Oh yeah, and we told Laurie (a grad student who had a ton of work that weekend) that she did not need to come watch the kids after all since my mom was with us.  It turns out that two years later, we eventually found another race for her to help out at!

The next two pictures show us outside of the expo and at the pasta restaurant.  We brought spaghetti home to eat in the hotel room.  My son loves to tell the story of how he spilled his pasta all over the white hotel bed as he ate.  I think it is one of his earliest memories!

Outside the expo

Getting pasta to go
This picture sums up this trip to me---a mom first and a marathoner second. 

I tried to get some sleep in our little room while waiting to hear Rick's arrival at midnight.  I was so glad to hear the key in the door!  He had made it and would be able to run after all!  Little did I know that his experience in the marathon the next day would be less than ideal.

The Race

I don't remember too much about this race, but here's a bulleted list of the things I do remember:

• Beautiful fall leaves on the streets (I loved the beautiful changing leaves!)
• Bagpipe music being played on the course
• Chatting with other runners
• Beautiful rainbow bridge we ran over with little rainbows cast from little prisms in the railings
• Getting sub 3:50 for the first time in five years
• Waiting for Rick while sipping a free beer at the post race party (good sized marathon)
• Buying our marathon medal display holder as an early Christmas present

Splits
1 8:35
2 8:13
3 8:16
4 8:39
5 8:51
6 8:33
7 8:25
8 8:28
9 8:27
10 8:20
11 8:20
12 8:07
13 8:29
14 8:32
15 8:27
16 8:22
17 8:19
18 8:42
19 8:50
20 8:56
21 9:14
22 9:24
23 9:40
24 9:54
25 9:23
26 9:31
.2 2:10

overall 3:49:19
8:46 pace
420/1367

We made it back to the hotel relieved that all had ended well (that is, we both finished the state!).  For me, the 3:49:19 marked the first time in five years to go below a 3:50.  I raised my bar after that and no longer made my goal sub-four hours.  I credit my time at this race for giving me the confidence to run the 3:35 I got the following February at the Mardi Gras marathon.  I was getting the hang of running marathons while mothering young children!
 

Iowa finishers!

Hard-earned

Returning Home

We returned home on a two day trip (yea!), stopping in St. Louis to stay the night at my aunt and uncle's house and to see Rick off on an airplane back to the Cape (where his hotel room there was waiting for him).  Above is the whole gang at my aunt and uncle's house. 

Below is a picture of the arch.  When I see this picture, I think about how I circled around and around the arch trying to get on a bridge that was on the GPS map but was actually closed for construction.  This picture reminds me of the hard work, courage, and pure stubbornness I used to make this marathon happen.  And that is why running was the easiest part of State #14. 

We circled this many times.

Things I am Thinking About Today....

*Packing!

*Carbo-loading
Runner's World had a great article about it in the November 2011 issue that I read with great interest this week.  Understanding the science behind what your body goes through to train and run a marathon is fascinating to me but also hard to understand.  I am not sure about gaining four pounds before I run the race like it says you will once you have carbo-loaded.  Wouldn't that make you feel heavy and sluggish?  

*The weather in Chicago
It is supposed to be warm on race day.  Like starting in the 50s and finishing in the 70s.  It's a hot topic in the Bank of America Chicago Marathon facebook page.  Yes, I've trained in much hotter weather, but I've also seen how the heat affects my times during training.  My training long run times were easily a minute off from what I'd expect with cooler temperatures.  Plus, I've run marathons in the 70s and hotter (see here and here), and they are tough. 

Of course the weather is out of my control, but it's still nice to at least have thought about how this can affect things.  On the facebook page, people are suggesting for future races everything from having the race run backwards (they say the first half has more shade and thus would be better run later in the day) to starting earlier (7 rather than 7:30).  It's just something we're all going to be thinking about as we run.

*Setting my time goal
See the item above for reasons why I am really, really going to be okay if I don't get my "A" goal.  These goals just give me something to think about as I am running. 
"A" goal 3:15
"B" goal sub 3:30
"C" goal to finish

Without a Garmin (Rick will be wearing ours), I may have trouble knowing my pace if I fall behind.  I am thinking about buying a 3:15 pace tattoo to wear on race day.  This will help me stay on track.

Pace is still hard for me to plan.  I have never run such a big race before, and I wonder about the crowds.  With all of the corrals, is it easy to move with the runners around you since they are all going your pace?  I doubt whether my own training can get me the pace I want (I know I shouldn't, but I do).  I will try to keep in mind my ultimate goal--to finish this race and check Illinois off the list of states!

*Looking ahead
To keep myself from feeling let down when the race is over, I am looking ahead to my other events for fall/winter: the Huntsville half marathon (first time to race a 1/2 in years!), the Rocket City marathon (pacing the 3:55 group.  Go sub 4 runners!!!), and Mountain Mist 50K 2012 (awesome, awesome race.  I think it filled to capacity or close to it already and registration only opened on October 1st!).  Having these races in my mind will help me if I start to feel down after Chicago is over.

It Takes a Village....

I'm sure you know the expression, "It takes a village to raise a child."  Well, it doesn't take a village, but it does take someone with a big ol' selfless heart to watch marathoners' kids so they can run a marathon.  That "someone" in our case has been a family member--my sisters, my mom, Rick's sister, or Rick's parents.  In the last four years, we have done seven marathons where we needed a sitter to come with us, to meet us in a different state, or to watch our children at our house so we could run the marathon.  This is huge.  Without them, we simply could not achieve what we have done over the last four years.  They have fueled our dreams.  "Thank you" does not encompass my gratitude for what they have done for us.  I liken it to give someone with a broken leg crutches so that they can walk.  I am not kidding.  It enabled us to do something that would be simply impossible without their help.  

My younger sister, Laurie, has gifted us once already with her babysitting skills.  Laurie was a twenty-five year old PhD student in chemical engineering with little free time and no children of her own when we asked her to watch our kids (1 1/2 years and nine months old) so we could run the Madison, WI marathon in May of 2008.  It was to be our first marathon since they were born.  We didn't know if it could be done.  It couldn't, without Laurie's help.  We were thankful for Laurie. 

Laurie is going to help us again this week so that we can run the Chicago marathon.  So again, we are thankful for Laurie.  

Do I envy people who can do it all themselves, as I used to before I had my kids?  No, I don't.  Learning to rely on others-- to meet me on early morning runs, to encourage me in emails and blog comments, and to watch my children so I can run---has made me a person who is full of gratitude, a person who realizes that it is not all about me.  

What is it like marathoning with young children?  Can you picture traveling with two babies for twelve hours in the car, having a sleepless night before the race, dropping them at a sitter's house in the early morning, running the marathon, and rushing back to nurse your nine month old?  So what is that like?  It is wonderful.  I am thankful for the chance.  And I wouldn't change a thing.  

I finished the race in 3:56:02, but it is was one of the races where my finish time was really irrelevant.  The whole experience meant so much more to me than my finish time.  I ran that race with my husband by my side, and I knew my children were being well taken care of while we ran.  I couldn't ask for more than that.

Here are some pictures.

Two pack 'n' plays set up in our hotel room side-by-side.

Carbo loading with Aunt Laurie

Back at Laurie's apartment after the marathon

Post race ice cream shared by the whole family

A tired little one after the big marathon day

Laurie with her two small charges

Committing to the 3:15 Marathon with Hal Higdon's Help

For the first time ever, I am trying to closely follow a training guide for the Chicago Marathon on October 9.  This will be my 23rd marathon, and, though I always follow a program for the long runs, I have never followed the speed, tempo, or hill workouts in any training program.  But I do think there is something appealing about being able to commit to a time goal and then lay the foundation to take you there.  I am willing to give it a try.  My usual race-day approach is to start way too fast and try to hang on until the end, and this has led to alot of misery during the last few miles.  Also, I feel like I could improve on my PR with a little more training. 

I decided to try for--well, at least to train for-- a 3:15, or a 7:27 pace.  This is a 3-minute improvement from my PR marathon last February, which was on another flat course.  Last week, I was shocked to notice that we are only 12 weeks away from Chicago!  I quickly looked up programs (after consulting with my "trainer," Rick!).  He recommended Hal Higdon's Advanced 1 program found here, though I am having to modify it since it's a 16-week program.  I started "official" training with a 12-mile long run that left me pretty drained (it is super hot and humid right now here in Alabama).  It's not a good sign to be that beat after only a 12-miler! 

Hal's descriptions state that less than 10% will commit to the advanced programs because they are so demanding.  I am not sure I can stick with it, but it sure helps that some of my friends are on board with also trying the speedwork, tempo, and hill repeats called for by this program.  My most uncertain workout is the weekly marathon pace run, which Hal calls for on the day before the long run.  The day before the long run?  I usually take it easy on that day!  I may have to run some of those pushing a single jogger too.  I certainly would slow the pace down a bit for that though!

Today was a 5x800 speedwork session.  I did not have my friend Julia's advice on how fast to do them (and I had forgotten the recommendations Hal gives on the link above), so they were all over the place as I found my rhythm.  The 800s are much harder to do than the 200s and 400s, and not just because they are longer.  I had so much trouble finding the right pace.

When I got home, I looked up my splits on my watch and averaged them to a 3:15:
3:25, 3:08, 3:11, 3:14, 3:19

And, lo and behold, I looked up Hal's suggestions and read this:
I've prescribed 800 repeats for this program, also done every third week. Run an 800 at faster-than-marathon pace, rest by jogging and/or walking 400, then start again. Further instructions are included in the Interactive emails, but you might want to consider running these like "Yasso Repeats." Regular readers of Runner's World are familiar with what I mean. Bart Yasso is Promotions Director for the magazine. Bart suggests that you run your 800 repeats using the same numbers as your marathon time. In other words, if you run a 3-hour marathon, you do the 800s in 3 minutes. A 3:10 marathoner does 3:10 repeats; 3:20 marathoner, 3:20 repeats, etc. It seems silly, but it works.

I am aiming for a 3:15 marathon, and my repeats averaged 3:15.  Now to get them to be a consistent 3:15!

If at first you don't succeed, try, try again

I am sitting here holding the Go! St. Louis Marathon medal and recalling this past weekend's events.  I am just overwhelmed with thankfulness to my husband for suggesting that I head back to St. Louis this year to try again in the marathon.  And I am hoping that this will make a great "If at first you don't succeed..." story for my children one day.  This marathon had lots of ups and downs, but in the end, my ability to not give up is what I hope to remember most.

Friday and Saturday Before
We left Madison at 8:30 a.m. on Friday, April 8th for a 6 hour drive up to St. Louis.  The day started with me jolting awake and realizing that I'd forgotten to set my alarm clock for my 4:45 a.m. run with my friends.  I settled for 30 minutes on the elliptical machine instead and considered it good tapering. 

We made it to the arch by mid-afternoon.  I don't think there's a better way to be welcomed into St. Louis then by riding up to the top of the arch and looking out at the city below.  But our 3 year old had had enough of sitting still.  She made her point to us by loudly squeaking throughout the tour.  "Squeaks" was getting quite a few stares and annoyed glances.  Here are pictures of the view from the arch and of "Squeaks" as she takes in the view (while squeaking loudly in protest and clinging to the wall for dear life):

View from the arch

Our little tree frog "Squeaks" holds on for dear life.

We also were able to fit in the Expo that same day.  "Squeaks" had gotten blisters after insisting on wearing red dress shoes on the trip up, so I agreed to carry her in her baby sling.  Well, it is good for up to 35 pounds, and I am glad to say that it passed that test with my 31 pounder that day!  I felt like I got quite the workout traveling with her on my front.  Don't be fooled by how easy it looks in the picture below--that thing will kill your back.

Heading to our car from the Expo.

On Saturday, we visited The Magic House children's museum for free using our local museum's reciprocal membership.  I think we may try to visit a children's museum in every state we run in too!

The Magic House fun

That night I carbo-loaded on pizza from Imo's Pizza that we ate in a nearby park.  Maybe not the best choice, but it worked.  We got more snacks at a Target.  The children marveled at the escalator that even had an adjoining escalator for your cart!  We took a quick dip in the pool (the highlight of the hotel or "hoe-tail" as my daughter calls it). 

Race Morning
As usual before a marathon, I tossed and turned quite a bit on Saturday night.  I got up at 5:20 a.m. to take a shower and get ready to go.  Rick had decided to drive me to the start line, a wonderfully chivalrous thing for him to do--and much appreciated!   Of course, the children had to get up and come too.  They were surprisingly chipper for such an early morning!  The traffic was pretty heavy going onto the exit ramps near the start line, but since we weren't parking he drove me right to the start area to drop me off.  I left my drop bag with him before he pulled away.  Not needing a drop bag was another unusual luxury for me!  I had about 45 minutes to wait in line for the port-a-potties, stretch, and find my corral (B) before the 7 a.m. start.  I positioned myself near the 3:20 pacer but tuned him out after noticing his tacky skirt (yes, skirt) and his talk about walking through the water stations.  Not for me.  The temperature was in the high 60s, and it was nice to start without being cold.  This would not feel so nice later on, though.

The Race
UPDATE: I have since learned that "Cliff Blocks" is actually spelled "Clif Bloks."  I like my way better, so I'm leaving it!)
My first mile was a fast 7:21, and things were going well until I noticed something in my pants!  My Cliff Blocks were crammed into a tiny jewelry baggie and safety-pinned to my shorts and tucked inside.  Well, at the last minute, I added 3 more Blocks to my original 6 (I just couldn't finish them before the race and didn't want to waste them).  I guess the baggie couldn't hold them all, so it busted from the bottom.  Two Blocks were dancing all over my shorts, and the rest were not far behind.  I fished them out (feeling sorry for those who saw me!) and debated about what to do.  So here I am, my sweaty hand holding 9 melting, sticky Blocks designed for mile 20, and I'm at mile 2 of the race.  A photographer happened to be right there, and I held them out for a picture to preserve the fiasco!  I decided to eat them slowly, thinking that taking them too early was better than not taking them at all.  I struggled to use my sticky fist to grab waters, hit "lap" on my watch, and hold the Gu given to me at mile 8 (which I had absolutely no use for at that point).

I still managed to fall into a nice rhythm for the first 9 miles.  Though I did have one foolishly fast 6:56 mile, the rest were a little closer to the 7:30's I was shooting for.  I was majorly buoyed by seeing Rick and the children at miles 11 and 13.  I felt the need to try to tell him the Cliff Blocks story upon seeing him the second time (see below). 
   

The children playing in the nearby park while waiting to see me running.

Mile 11

Telling my story at Mile 13 (and I'm sure making no sense!)

Oh my gosh, am I still talking?

My half split was roughly the same as my Myrtle Beach split time, but I didn't feel as confident at all at keeping that pace up for another half.  Looking back at my splits, I began to slow down around mile 14---way too early to be getting tired.  This course was hilly and the temperature was so much warmer than what I'd trained in.  My body was just trying too hard to keep it up in the heat.  Honestly, I felt a little dejavou about the whole race--in a bad way.  Could a race really beat me down twice?  In the war between me and this race, this race had already won one battle! 

I continued on with a sub-9 minute mile pace until mile 22.  Seeing the spot where I'd dropped out was such an emotional experience.  And Rick was there!  He was holding two cups of Gatorade for me (the person in front of me in the picture below--I guess--thought Rick was an aid station and tried to take one!).  I was so tired by then, so I croutched on the spot to drink the Gatorade.  I was thinking about how 365 days had passed over this very fateful spot.  "You spilled," mumbled my daughter, and I thought, "Baby, that's the last thing on my mind right now."  I must've said something like, "I don't think I can finish today either," and Rick used the opportunity to say, "Oh yes you will!" and swatted me on the bottom as I slowly began walking.  I was now wearing his hat, which he lent me for a bit of relief from the heat.  That mile was a 10:12.

I am pointing to the spot where I dropped out last year. 

I'd like to say that there was some crescendo moment as the last few miles passed by me, but that just wasn't the case.  They were very tough, very slow miles, though I appreciated seeing the part of the course that I'd so longed to see the year before.  I started pouring a water cup over my head at each aid station and even had a volunteer pour an entire pitcher over my head near the end.  I later learned that the course was closed to those people who hadn't yet made it to mile 9 by 9:15 a.m.  Strong, very fit men all around me were walking, (I guess) also surprised by the heat that I now knew would keep me from entering any more April marathons.  I walked two more times in this race and saw several women pass me by, along with my top-20 finish.  It didn't matter today though.  This race was about retribution, and finishing was the way I would get that.  I was pleasantly surprised to see a 3:35 time on the clock at the finish line and managed a faster trot to get under in 3:35:43.     

Rick calls this picture, "Take that, St. Louis, and your heat!"

I ended up going to the medical tent due to a pretty persistent volunteer who wouldn't let me sit down on the ground like I wanted.  My legs were hurting and my stomach was a little tight (probably from excessive Cliff Blocks).  I lay down in there for about 5 minutes, but I knew I felt fine (well, much much better than Myrtle Beach) so I left there quickly and went to find Rick and the children.  Rick took the picture above of me, capturing what can only be called a smirk of triumph.  We stopped for a post-race tradition of ice cream, this time at the "famous" Ted Drews for melty concretes.

"Necessary" post-race ice cream

Do you think the race shirts could get any greener?  Am I a highlighter or what?

Afterwards

I must admit there's a bit of a let down after so much anticipation over this race.  We don't have another marathon planned until October, which is fine since it is too hot for them anyway!  I surprised myself with a 6 mile run on Monday (I can't ever remembering running the day after a marathon before) and an 8 mile run today.  My sore muscles are returning to normal.  Three black toenails remain, little reminders of a story that was over a year in the making--one with a very good ending. 

1 7:21

2 7:10

3 7:24

4 7:12

5 7:28

6 7:29

7 6:56

8 7:19

9 7:17

10 7:34

11 7:33

12 7:39

13 7:28

14 7:51

15 8:05

16 8:14

17 8:23

18 8:18

19 8:38

20 8:48

21 8:50

22 10:12

23 10:43

24 8:43

25 11:55

26 8:16

.2 2:39    

3:35:43 27th Female

Fortitude And Running Marathons

I am working on a post about Sunday's race.  Life has caught up to me, and I've had a ton of obligations since returning from our weekend trip.  I don't want to rush the entry.  But it's a good story with a good ending...so stay tuned!  In the meantime, I've been thinking alot about what I learned about marathons on Sunday, and I wanted to share. 

I learned this quote in high school and fell in love with it:

 "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."  (emphasis added)

--Mary Shelley's Frankenstein

Something about those words struck me all of those years ago.  Now that I am a marathon runner, I feel those words reverberating in my soul every single time I push myself to the limit.  It is an incredible feeling.  Then I looked up the definition of fortitude: 1: strength of mind that enables a person to encounter danger or bear pain or adversity with courage.  How aptly this describes marathon running to me, especially the race on Sunday!  As the heat and hills were taking their toll on me, how wonderful it was to find solace in these words.  Though my body was weary, my mind was committed to what I had to do.  How amazing to discover this well of strength and courage inside of me! 

Here is what I know about marathons after having run twenty-two of them.  Each marathon is a uniquely different experience.  Yes, some are easy.  Some are very tough.  Some are crowded and frustrating and poorly organized.  Some are full of music and spectators and joyful energy.  Some are about who I meet along the way to chat with, and some are about the pleasant solitude.  Some are once-in-a-lifetime moments, and some are forgettable and mundane.  Sometimes they turn out just like I would have planned, and sometimes I look back and I'm glad they didn't turn out at all like I had planned!  I encourage anyone who is thinking about running a marathon to just give it a chance.  You may find your own soul-searching process awaits you!  

Flowers from my boy at the finish line!  Thank goodness for the park along the marathon course!



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



Shaving 35 Minutes Off the Marathon in Less Than 1 1/2 Years

My marathon times have followed a pretty clear pattern over the past 17 months.  They're getting faster!  And by leaps and bounds too.  Here are the dates and times of the last 5 marathons I've raced in:

September 20, 2009 3:53:56

October 18, 2009 3:49:19 (roughly 4 minute improvement)

February 28, 2010 3:35:57 (roughly 14 minute improvement)
November 7, 2010 3:29:25 (roughly 6 minute improvement)
February 19, 2011 3:18:05 (roughly 11 minute improvement)

Now, I'd love to share with you the secret "formula" that I followed to make this improvement possible!  Except... I don't have one!   I don't keep a running log (never have!), but I can't remember making any significant changes over the past 17 months.  About a year ago, I started running with my group of running friends.  They met in the early morning, and I quickly joined their group and began running 6 miles or so three times a week.  The miles were not excessively fast (mostly 10 minute miles).  This was the first time I was running this regularly and this far since having two children.  I think the consistency is such a key for me.  I was finally back to a regular running routine.  My body remembered marathons in the 3:40 pace, then the 3:30, then the 3:20.  It had felt all of those before, but that was before I had children.  I'd love here to insert something about how much I weighed back then compared to how much I weigh now, but I don't weigh myself either (see here).  So I'm not much help in figuring out the secret, now am I? 

Here's something that I do think is crucial to note.  Between October/November and February each time I shaved the most time off of my marathon times (roughly 14 and 11 minutes).  Each year I had run a 50K at the end of January.  In December 2010, I had paced a marathon.  From seeing this, I not only advocate using one marathon as a long run for another (the marathon a month philosophy), I also advocate using slower long runs and runs that are over the marathon distance as a means of training.  I think the 50K truly helped me perform better on the marathon that followed it.  It certainly made the marathon seem easier!

I am probably at a plateau for now (I'm not thinking I am going to get much faster than this based on my pretty poor--though consistent--training).  At this stage, I am planning to make small diet, workout, and running changes to see if I can take "only" 3 more minutes off of my marathon time.  I tried a yoga class for the first time this week and really noticed that I lack upper body strength.  Working my core out would really help me be a stronger runner.  I am trying to eat healthier (that is not hard to do since I love candy and junk food).  And I would like to use several of the 5K and 10K races as speed work for my upcoming marathons since I don't care much for "regular" speed work. 

It seems like the advice you can take from my journey is that speed may, ironically enough, come slowly over time or gradually over a series of marathons that you have planned.  I hope any other runners out there reading this might be inspired by my 35 minute improvement to see if you could do the same.  Maybe you will follow a more structured approach than I did, but the key is to find what works for you. 

Finally, this post would be lacking if I did not point out that the marathons listed above are about much more than the finish time.  I have included one or two pictures from each marathon below.  I hope you will be able to see some of the happiness that running marathons with my husband has brought me over the last 17 months.  The time on the clock is irrelevant to the joy I have felt at each of these races. 

Maui Marathon Maui, HI September 20, 2009 3:53:56

At the beach upon our arrival in Maui.

 

 IMT Des Moines Marathon Des Moines, IA October 18, 2009 3:49:19

A good ol' hotel picture after the race was over. 

 Rock 'N' Roll Mardi Gras Marathon New Orleans, LA February 28, 2010 3:35:57

Before the race began.  We had just watched the sun rise and were soaking in the other runners' excitement.

 Marshall University Huntington, West Virginia November 7, 2010 3:29:25

The shirts, numbers, and medals

A great spot along the course with beautiful changing leaves

 Bi-Lo Myrtle Beach Marathon Myrtle Beach, SC February 19, 2011 3:18:05

On the beach the afternoon of the marathon

Knock Knock Jokes and Marathon Pictures

This week, we've been hearing our son tell his first "knock knock" jokes with the insane repetition that only a four year old can appreciate.  I've heard this one literally dozens of times:

Knock, knock.

Who's there?

Banana.

Banana who?

Knock, knock.

Who's there?

Banana.

Banana who?

Knock, knock.

Who's there?

Banana.

Banana who?

Knock, knock.

Who's there?

Orange.

Orange who?

"Orange" you glad I didn't say banana?

Haha!  You know you think it's funny too!  Seriously, I love it when my children enter a new stage and I get to relive that phase of my life all over again.  I remembered the joke above from when I was a child.  I saved alot of my old toys, too, and I love watching them play with those.

This week I surprised myself with 6-mile runs on Monday, Friday, and Saturday and a near 9-mile run on Wednesday.  I definitely wasn't fully recovered and felt a little sore and tight during the runs.  The craziest thing was how I felt later on in the days, though.  Really sleepy and totally lethargic.  Rick says I need a steak!  Maybe it is low iron or just fatigue.

I received several congratulations from my fellow running friends following my PR marathon last weekend.  I really was touched when David Riddle made this comment on facebook:

Great job on your marathon. I have the greatest respect for anyone who is willing to push themselves to absolute exhaustion in a race. Reading about your finish was incredible. It's also impressive that you're putting in the training to shave minutes off your marathon time with the full-time commitments of family. Well done.

He is a very talented ultramarathoner who set a course record on a 50K the same day as my race.  It's interesting to note that other runners appreciated my "dramatic" finish, but most of my non-runner friends gave me one of those "you really must be crazy" looks after being told the story. 

Below are the pictures from Brightroom Event Photography from the Myrtle Beach Marathon.  It was fun reliving the experience through seeing these pictures!

My next event should be the UAH 10K on Sunday, March 6 at 2 p.m.  Hope to see some of you there too!

The marathon start

  

 

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