I am sure
I am going to be leaving some stuff out, but here it goes my recap
4 am came
too quickly....after tossing and turning most of the night I was up. I guess I
did sleep a little as I had a terrible dream that not only was I running a
marathon but at every mile the only way you could continue was spell a word
correctly, a spelling bee and a marathon? I am a terrible speller and so
thankful that it was only a dream. I got up and dressed in my capri pants
(nothing worse than getting chaffed in between legs!) and my "Dream
Team" t-shirt from last year’s Akron marathon. I ate my pre-race breakfast
of a bagel, peanut butter, and string cheese.
I drove
to my friend, Shelley's, house and jumped in her car to drive up to Fairlawn to
get Megan and LaShell. Megan drove us up to Cleveland and Shelley got us some
rockstar parking (and NO traffic) right in between the start and the finish
line at tower city. We were able to use real bathrooms, no real wait either
time thank goodness, and stay warm while waiting for the race. I was also able
to collect myself and reorganize things. After Canton I realized that even
though you can attach/secure the GU's to the sides of the belt (so you don't
have to reach around and fumble to get them), I had trouble with them hitting
my arms while running and after grabbing one they all got loose and I had to carry
them for the rest of the race. So I decided to have a second (!) belt just for
the GUs that I could just reach right in front of me and grab them one at a
time and not have to worry about anything, which ended up working out really
well! I also had killed Matt's iPod, and was counting on music. My iPhone
wouldn't let me download iTunes from my computer so Amanda thankfully let me
borrow hers and I was able to download my playlist. I had to figure out how to
waterproof it and attach it to me somehow. I really felt like a nerd with my
running watch and iPod with a sandwich bag around it on my right arm wrist and
my fitbit on my left!
We all
got ready and unfortunately wasn't able to meet with Amanda who was running the
half with her brother and got to our corrals by the Q. I nervously looked
around trying to meet someone else who was running the full to maybe make a
friend and run with. Everyone around me was either running the 10K or the half.
Oh well, the National Anthem played and the race began with the song
"Cleveland Rocks" and it took several (maybe 5 minutes) to actually
cross the start line and start running. The first few miles were a blur, I wish
I knew Cleveland better as I really had no idea where I was most of the time,
other than running by the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame and the Browns stadium.
There was one huge incline/hill/bridge that I think threw everyone for a loop
but I really enjoyed getting to run through the downtown area.
This may
seem weird, but the hardest thing about this race for me was when the 10Kers
and the half marathoners turned and went separate ways. Don't get me wrong I
loved having more space to run but I got really confused. The 10Kers left at
around 4.5 miles and for some reason I thought I had already run 6 miles! I was
soo disappointed to see that only 4.5 miles had passed. It took probably a half
mile for me to realize it actually. Same thing happened at the 11th mile went
the half marathoners left. I think that time it took 3 miles before I started
to "remember" that I still had lots more miles to run. However, there
was NEVER a time that I felt like there was no way that I was going to finish
the race. From mile 12 – 23ish there was a long section of an out and back. I
had looked at the map but didn’t know when we turned around and asked a few
people and was “disappointed” to learn that it was like at mile 17.5ish. Again,
it was just a mental thing for me but actually it was fun to see all the
quicker runners on the way out and see people (“Hi Jen!”) on the way back.
Another distraction came around mile 14 when it started to rain. The crowd
support through this section (even in the rain) was GREAT, I remember seeing at
someone house a table set up with beer and bacon, yes bacon which I almost ate
but decided that wasn’t the best idea. Others were providing extra water tables
and watermelon. It was also fun to see the same volunteers at actual water
stations as apparently I looked better on the way back then on the way out…um
thanks! It may have helped at one point a police officer who told me after the
turn around it was “all downhill from here”…which it was in two ways, I only
had 9 miles left and I hadn’t realized that I had been running up a slight
incline the whole way out. Around mile 19 I met some “friends”, they were a
young married couple running their first marathon together. We ended up running
the next 6 miles together often taking turns pacing us and I did my best to
encourage them as they told me their longest run had been 18 miles. I wish I
had gotten their names but I was able see them at the end and took their
picture.
Hydration
wise I took GU even 5 miles and water and blue Powerade at every water stop. I
would drink the Powerade and then take a few sips of water and dumped the rest
on my head (even when it was raining) and towards the end I almost ended up
dumping the Powerade on my head. I ended up taking on more GU at mile 24 which
was a mistake. I had some stomach issues and I was forced to walk more than I
wanted to at the end. But really it was okay, and I got super excited at mile
25 and knew I was going to make it under 5 hours, the 4:55 pacer person passed
me but I realized that his group was ahead of schedule but I made sure that I
didn't lose them and ended up passing the pacer right at the end. My friends,
Megan and Shelley who ran the half, were cheering me on at the end and got some
good pictures of me.
Overall,
even though I am pretty sure that I am capable of running a faster marathon, I
am super proud of myself! I started something and I kept at it until I crossed
the finish line even if it took two attempts. And I learned something, well
maybe not learned but it was reaffirmed, I do NOT do well in heat! And that’s
okay! I just know that signing up for summer races I should stick to shorter
distances and not really race them but do them more for fun and not to be
disappointed.
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