OMG, I'm pretty sure I've completely lost my mind!!! I just ran yet another marathon (2nd in 3 weeks). I was attempting to run a Boston Marathon qualifying time (3:45) since I was so close in Chicago (4:01). I figured, "why not", I'm already trained...I have plenty of time to rest and recover, plus I'd be in "taper" mode...my favorite part of training!! I ended up taking it easy during the weekly runs...ran 12.5 miles a couple weekends ago, then 8 miles last Sunday.
I was planning on going down to Indy solo and was a bit nervous...here's the cool thing...my girls Melissa and Cyndi juggled their schedules so they could come with me!!! We met up on Friday night after trick-or-treating....I picked up Cyndi at the office and we met Melissa in Rensselaer. We arrived in Indy around 11pm or so...I got my stuff organized and went to bed just after midnight EST...
Alarm was scheduled to go off at 5:30, but I was awake at 5am...ahhhh, less than 5 hours of sleep...not enough!! To follow tradition, I took the longest, hottest shower possible (of course I had to shave my legs)....oh, it felt so good!! I threw my hair up in 2 buns again, got dressed and headed over to pick up my race packet. I walked over from the hotel...was about a 10 minute walk there...I got my number, stuck around for a bit, stretched out, relaxed and focused...I had plenty of time, so I walked back to the hotel (found a short cut and it only took 5 minutes). I found Cyndi and Mel eating breakfast in the lobby...oh, I was so jealous...it looked so yummy! I snagged a bite of Cyndi's waffle...mmmm, good!! I had already eaten a Cliff bar (not so yummy) and a banana earlier. We all headed over to the starting area around 7:30am or so...of course I had to pee one last time and stood in line at the port-a-johns FOREVER!! What the heck takes people so long to use the freaking bathroom!?!? I had only a few minutes to spare, but made it to the starting line just in time. While waiting, I saw a couple of guys from OE (Steven and Jeff)...Steven was running the 1/2 marathon and Jeff the full....Jeff also cramped up in Chicago...seemed to have been a common theme, so he thought he'd redeem himself today in Indy (guess I'm not the only crazy one here)!! I didn't find a 3:45 pace group as planned...only saw a 3:30 and 4:00....too fast and too slow, so I decided to pace myself...LOL!!! We started at 8am EST...it was in the upper 40's and still dark...it was great running weather!!! Oh, it feels so good in the beginning...I can't help myself but to run fast even though I know I'll run out of steam in the end. I tried to refrain from running fast and attempted to slow down...first 3 miles were under an 8 minute mile...the course was good...I actually really enjoyed it!! I was afraid it might be a little desolate and boring (especially just after running in Chicago), but it wasn't...AND the spectators were GREAT!! I was pleasantly surprised...so, here's the deal...hips started to hurt at about mile 6...I tried really hard to push through the pain...even tried "exhaling" the pain out of my body!! I think it may have worked for a little while...at least it distracted me some. I ended up running behind a group of 3 runners (2 guys and a girl who looked about half my age). I decided I'd try to hang with this group for as long as I could...I was with them until about the half marathon mark and they stopped to use the bathroom...oh crap, now what?? There were a couple other people I kept my eye on, but by about mile 14, I was ready to be done!! I was starting to struggle a bit at this point, but was still running pretty strong...there was a long hill around mile 13 or 14 and that may have had something to with it (oh, I hate hills)! Quads were starting to burn which may have masked the hip pain I was having...I also had side stitches (cramps) pretty much the entire race and I tried to massage them out...I kind of got to the point where so much stuff hurt, I didn't worry about it anymore!! I saw a dead squirrel on the side of the road and thought at this point that I'd almost rather be him...LOL!!! I started to feel my calves tweak a bit around mile 18, but I wasn't concerned about it at this point...the fun started at mile 20...damn muscle spasms started in the calves, but I kept charging forward. I tried to continue at the same pace, but it became next to impossible...every time I'd speed up, my muscles would lock up...Cyndi and Mel were waiting for me with their yellow cow bells at around mile 21. They had the whole crowd cheer for me when I went by...I was pretty emotional at this point and started to cry...they jumped on the course the last 5 miles taking turns running with me...OMG, it was the best having them there!! One would run for a bit, switch, jump in the van and shout out the window while driving next to me...they'd park and run with me...then drive...etc...I think it may have hard for them to see me in so much pain...my legs would lock up, then I'd shout out loud...they kept telling me words of encouragement to get me through...THANK YOU Cyndi and Melissa...you have no idea how much it meant to me to have you there and I wouldn't have finished as strong without you!!!! Surprisingly, I was still on target for a 3:45 finish until about mile 24 (that is if I could have managed to run an 8:35/mile pace)...what a heartbreaker!! A guy in a red shirt who I'd been running by heard me moaning....he asked what was wrong...I told him about the spasms...he encouraged me to keep going...I know he heard me cry out in pain numerous times...poor people around me...I must have been so annoying....LOL!!! I have to say as much as I wanted to stop and walk, I didn't...I kept plugging away, even though it was sllllooooowww. I remembered to run the first 3rd of the race with my head (although I started out too fast), the second part with my personality (stubborn and determined) and the last part with my heart (I really wanted it bad). I actually ran through all water stops except for 2 or 3...I normally walk through all the water stations to catch my breath and to regroup, but not today! Okay, so with 1/2 mile to go, the legs totally locked up and I crumpled to the pavement...a police officer picked me up and a nice guy offered me either bottled water or sports drink. I chose the sports drink...I opened it, took a few sips, threw it on the ground, then took off again...OMG, it felt like I was running sideways at times...I willed my legs to keep moving even though they were stuck...I did anything I could to get to that finish line. I usually finish hard...run as fast as I can, but today, I was just trying to GET to the finish...no sprinting today....once I crossed the finish line, I collapsed to the ground. A fellow runner came over to me and told me to get up...I couldn't move...I think about 4 people came over to get me to my feet (I was crying the whole time...mostly in frustration). Two stayed with me and walked me over to the building where the medical staff was. I remember how they were holding me...guy on the left, girl on the right with their arms hooked under mine...my god they were strong, but I needed them to help me walk. I sat down on a cot and had my blood pressure and pulse taken...I just sat there drinking water feeling defeated, frustrated and upset...my god, I just finished another freaking marathon and slashed 11 minutes off my time from 3 weeks ago and 31 minutes from my first marathon in April...what is wrong with me?!?! I'm okay now, but it still stings a bit...my time was 3:50:25 (8:48 pace)...4 minutes & 26 seconds short of my 3:45:59 goal (but 10 minutes under my original goal of 4 hours). I ended up finishing 380 overall out of 1,109...13th out of 66 in my age group...first 1/2 marathon time was 1:46:28 (8:03 pace)...second 1/2 marathon was 2:04:51 (9:32 pace). I have decided to take a much needed break from marathon running (at least until I start training for Chicago next year)....I'm so glad I had to opportunity to run today...all I can ever ask of myself is to do the best I can and that's what I did today...I did the best I could and couldn't have changed anything...
Sooo, after the marathon, I was reunited with Cyndi and Mel...we went back to the hotel where I showered and changed...we then went out to lunch at Houlihan's downtown. We had a blast at lunch...Mel had a frozen margarita and filet mignon...Cyndi had a Coor's Light and an Asian chopped salad and I had a two Blue Moons and a 1/2 slab of ribs (mmmm, yummy)...I ordered oatmeal cookie shots for Mel and I (I had two) for dessert, oh so good!! I was feeling pretty good and wanted to continue the party...I offered to get a hotel for the night, but Cyndi was being rational and said we should go home (especially since she had a sick son at home)...now, we're all back at home and back to reality!! Thanks again Cyndi and Mel for coming with me....we have yet another great experience under our belts!!!
I was planning on going down to Indy solo and was a bit nervous...here's the cool thing...my girls Melissa and Cyndi juggled their schedules so they could come with me!!! We met up on Friday night after trick-or-treating....I picked up Cyndi at the office and we met Melissa in Rensselaer. We arrived in Indy around 11pm or so...I got my stuff organized and went to bed just after midnight EST...
Alarm was scheduled to go off at 5:30, but I was awake at 5am...ahhhh, less than 5 hours of sleep...not enough!! To follow tradition, I took the longest, hottest shower possible (of course I had to shave my legs)....oh, it felt so good!! I threw my hair up in 2 buns again, got dressed and headed over to pick up my race packet. I walked over from the hotel...was about a 10 minute walk there...I got my number, stuck around for a bit, stretched out, relaxed and focused...I had plenty of time, so I walked back to the hotel (found a short cut and it only took 5 minutes). I found Cyndi and Mel eating breakfast in the lobby...oh, I was so jealous...it looked so yummy! I snagged a bite of Cyndi's waffle...mmmm, good!! I had already eaten a Cliff bar (not so yummy) and a banana earlier. We all headed over to the starting area around 7:30am or so...of course I had to pee one last time and stood in line at the port-a-johns FOREVER!! What the heck takes people so long to use the freaking bathroom!?!? I had only a few minutes to spare, but made it to the starting line just in time. While waiting, I saw a couple of guys from OE (Steven and Jeff)...Steven was running the 1/2 marathon and Jeff the full....Jeff also cramped up in Chicago...seemed to have been a common theme, so he thought he'd redeem himself today in Indy (guess I'm not the only crazy one here)!! I didn't find a 3:45 pace group as planned...only saw a 3:30 and 4:00....too fast and too slow, so I decided to pace myself...LOL!!! We started at 8am EST...it was in the upper 40's and still dark...it was great running weather!!! Oh, it feels so good in the beginning...I can't help myself but to run fast even though I know I'll run out of steam in the end. I tried to refrain from running fast and attempted to slow down...first 3 miles were under an 8 minute mile...the course was good...I actually really enjoyed it!! I was afraid it might be a little desolate and boring (especially just after running in Chicago), but it wasn't...AND the spectators were GREAT!! I was pleasantly surprised...so, here's the deal...hips started to hurt at about mile 6...I tried really hard to push through the pain...even tried "exhaling" the pain out of my body!! I think it may have worked for a little while...at least it distracted me some. I ended up running behind a group of 3 runners (2 guys and a girl who looked about half my age). I decided I'd try to hang with this group for as long as I could...I was with them until about the half marathon mark and they stopped to use the bathroom...oh crap, now what?? There were a couple other people I kept my eye on, but by about mile 14, I was ready to be done!! I was starting to struggle a bit at this point, but was still running pretty strong...there was a long hill around mile 13 or 14 and that may have had something to with it (oh, I hate hills)! Quads were starting to burn which may have masked the hip pain I was having...I also had side stitches (cramps) pretty much the entire race and I tried to massage them out...I kind of got to the point where so much stuff hurt, I didn't worry about it anymore!! I saw a dead squirrel on the side of the road and thought at this point that I'd almost rather be him...LOL!!! I started to feel my calves tweak a bit around mile 18, but I wasn't concerned about it at this point...the fun started at mile 20...damn muscle spasms started in the calves, but I kept charging forward. I tried to continue at the same pace, but it became next to impossible...every time I'd speed up, my muscles would lock up...Cyndi and Mel were waiting for me with their yellow cow bells at around mile 21. They had the whole crowd cheer for me when I went by...I was pretty emotional at this point and started to cry...they jumped on the course the last 5 miles taking turns running with me...OMG, it was the best having them there!! One would run for a bit, switch, jump in the van and shout out the window while driving next to me...they'd park and run with me...then drive...etc...I think it may have hard for them to see me in so much pain...my legs would lock up, then I'd shout out loud...they kept telling me words of encouragement to get me through...THANK YOU Cyndi and Melissa...you have no idea how much it meant to me to have you there and I wouldn't have finished as strong without you!!!! Surprisingly, I was still on target for a 3:45 finish until about mile 24 (that is if I could have managed to run an 8:35/mile pace)...what a heartbreaker!! A guy in a red shirt who I'd been running by heard me moaning....he asked what was wrong...I told him about the spasms...he encouraged me to keep going...I know he heard me cry out in pain numerous times...poor people around me...I must have been so annoying....LOL!!! I have to say as much as I wanted to stop and walk, I didn't...I kept plugging away, even though it was sllllooooowww. I remembered to run the first 3rd of the race with my head (although I started out too fast), the second part with my personality (stubborn and determined) and the last part with my heart (I really wanted it bad). I actually ran through all water stops except for 2 or 3...I normally walk through all the water stations to catch my breath and to regroup, but not today! Okay, so with 1/2 mile to go, the legs totally locked up and I crumpled to the pavement...a police officer picked me up and a nice guy offered me either bottled water or sports drink. I chose the sports drink...I opened it, took a few sips, threw it on the ground, then took off again...OMG, it felt like I was running sideways at times...I willed my legs to keep moving even though they were stuck...I did anything I could to get to that finish line. I usually finish hard...run as fast as I can, but today, I was just trying to GET to the finish...no sprinting today....once I crossed the finish line, I collapsed to the ground. A fellow runner came over to me and told me to get up...I couldn't move...I think about 4 people came over to get me to my feet (I was crying the whole time...mostly in frustration). Two stayed with me and walked me over to the building where the medical staff was. I remember how they were holding me...guy on the left, girl on the right with their arms hooked under mine...my god they were strong, but I needed them to help me walk. I sat down on a cot and had my blood pressure and pulse taken...I just sat there drinking water feeling defeated, frustrated and upset...my god, I just finished another freaking marathon and slashed 11 minutes off my time from 3 weeks ago and 31 minutes from my first marathon in April...what is wrong with me?!?! I'm okay now, but it still stings a bit...my time was 3:50:25 (8:48 pace)...4 minutes & 26 seconds short of my 3:45:59 goal (but 10 minutes under my original goal of 4 hours). I ended up finishing 380 overall out of 1,109...13th out of 66 in my age group...first 1/2 marathon time was 1:46:28 (8:03 pace)...second 1/2 marathon was 2:04:51 (9:32 pace). I have decided to take a much needed break from marathon running (at least until I start training for Chicago next year)....I'm so glad I had to opportunity to run today...all I can ever ask of myself is to do the best I can and that's what I did today...I did the best I could and couldn't have changed anything...
Sooo, after the marathon, I was reunited with Cyndi and Mel...we went back to the hotel where I showered and changed...we then went out to lunch at Houlihan's downtown. We had a blast at lunch...Mel had a frozen margarita and filet mignon...Cyndi had a Coor's Light and an Asian chopped salad and I had a two Blue Moons and a 1/2 slab of ribs (mmmm, yummy)...I ordered oatmeal cookie shots for Mel and I (I had two) for dessert, oh so good!! I was feeling pretty good and wanted to continue the party...I offered to get a hotel for the night, but Cyndi was being rational and said we should go home (especially since she had a sick son at home)...now, we're all back at home and back to reality!! Thanks again Cyndi and Mel for coming with me....we have yet another great experience under our belts!!!
1 comment:
Holy molly. I woke up sore this morning!!! LOL... JUST KIDDING!!!! JUST KIDDING!!!! Thought I can get a laugh out of you. I hope you are doing better today. I'm so, so, proud of you for finishing. You improved your CHICAGO time!! I wish I had a quarter of your determination, you are definitely extraordinary! 3 marathons in one year! No one can take that from you, not even Boston. AMAZING! I'm glad I was there to experience and attempt to bring you in!!! Damn, them for not letting the mini van all the way through :o)
Love yah!
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