National Marathon 2009

This is how I felt at the end.

Let me start at the beginning ...

Crystal, Dad, and I woke up nice and early (5:15am) to get ready for our races. We actually got a really good night's rest, so we felt ready to go. Dad drove us to the Metro, which took us to the DC Armory where the start was. Here is a picture of us on the Metro. It was eerily quiet--filled with nervous runners and sleepy spectators.

Dad snapped a picture of Crystal and me as we walked through the 30 degree temperatures to the warm Armory where Scott (Smith--Jenna's husband) was waiting. We all chatted nervously about our goals and the weather and the course. As usual, it was really neat being surrounded by other runners experiencing the same feelings as us.

We got in line to go to the bathroom with about 25 minutes until the start. We were cutting it close. Here is a picture of the bathroom lines. This is very typical at large races.

After the bathrooms, we headed toward the start line. Scott was in corral 4, Crystal and I were in corral 8 (the last one). We told Scott we would be sending speed vibes his way. He was attempting to qualify for Boston. You'll have to finish reading this post to find out if he did (just like I had to finish my race before I found out).

Here is a picture of Crystal and me passing over the start line (about 7 minutes after the gun went off). We look so happy...

I posted earlier that I would be trying Galloway's run/walk method for this marathon. I wasn't feeling 100% for this race, because I had just done the Myrtle Beach Marathon. So, I was really excited to try this approach. I made it to the first mile marker in just over 10 minutes (the crowd was too big to fight my way through, but that was probably a good thing--to keep me from starting off too fast). I started walking right at the mile marker (one minute at each mile marker) and was praying that these walk breaks would really work--that I wasn't just wasting time. The first few miles were really good. I'm usually pretty tight and uncomfortable for the first 3 miles or so of a race, but I wasn't at all this time. I walked a lot the day before and I think that helped loosen me up.

After a few miles, I started feeling a little sluggish and things started hurting. It wasn't anything new--it just wasn't what I wanted to be feeling on race day. I was actually gradually getting a little bit faster through the first half. But, it was taking more effort than I knew I should be giving in the first half. The first half of Myrtle Beach was pure joy. This wasn't.

The walk breaks were heaven, though. I felt wonderful after each walk break and found myself passing a lot of people once I started running again. My plan was to cut out the walk breaks when I got to mile 18, if I was feeling strong. By about the half marathon mark, I was pretty sure that I would be run/walking to mile 20. I wasn't feeling strong. In fact, here are a few pictures of me at mile 13. I gave a couple thumbs up for the camera. Then, as I passed, I turned around and decided to tell the truth. "I'm hurting, Dad!" I don't think he believed me because I was smiling. Looks can be deceiving.

After the half marathon mark, I started feeling better. It was a wonderful surprise. Maybe it was because I took my first gel at that time, or maybe it was because everything had just gone numb. Either way, I was getting happier and trying to just savor the running atmosphere and the beautiful city. Around mile 14, I kind of got stuck in my thoughts and was just kind of plodding along. And then, I heard my name. Jenna and her kids were waiting for me around mile 15. I was so excited to see them! I didn't think I would see them at all during this race, because I figured they would be chasing Scott around the whole time. I threw my arms out and ran straight to Jared (my 6 year old BFF) for a hug. And I kept on running.

I honestly don't remember much for the next few miles. I do remember crossing over a really long bridge that seemed forever to get across. I wasn't sure if I was slowing down, but I knew things weren't getting a whole lot better. So, when I got to mile 20, I knew that I would be run/walking to at least mile 23. I was really fine with that, because I didn't have a time goal and I was making pretty good time at that point.

Mile 23. Hunger and fatigue and light-headedness hit me like a ton of bricks. I walked for a few minutes and cried in frustration. I wanted somebody to give me a handful of pretzels. That's all I wanted. I knew the pretzels would give me energy. I wasn't sure what to do. I had never experienced this before. I didn't feel like I could finish. I had three miles left and I didn't think I could finish. There is nothing more frustrating than that. I had used up all of my mantras and was left to just this: "I am strong. I am strong. I am strong." I kept telling myself that over and over until I finally started running again. I used the "towel" to wipe the tears out of my eyes and pushed on. I don't know what happened in the next miles.

I saw Ryan and Christopher (the two oldest Smith boys) somewhere in mile 25. I thanked my lucky stars when I saw them, and then I proceeded to walk. I wanted to run all the way in with them, but I knew I had to get one last walk break in. I started running again when I reached them. I told them they had to get me to the finish line. I told them to not stop talking until we got there. They told me about Crystal (finished the half with a 10 min PR in 2:25!). They told me about their dad qualifying for Boston (3:21!). They told me how much further I had to go. Then Scott met us right before mile 26. He kept talking. He told me everything they had to eat at the finish line. He told me about running with the mayor of DC (and beating him in). Then, all of the sudden, they were gone. I was on my own for the finish. I saw the finish line and heard the announcer. I finally knew that I would be able to make it. I passed through the finish line and ran straight into the man who put the medal around my neck. I held onto his arms for a minute or so. I didn't say anything. He told me to hold on, you finished strong, congratulations, good job, you deserve this medal. And then, he gently pushed me along. Someone handed me a big, soft pretzel covered with salt.

Coming in at the finish

I found the gang and got hugs all around. I was so happy to see Dad right there at the end. I knew he wanted to be out there running. He said he almost started running when he heard the start gun go off.

My time was 4:18:19. Exactly 20 seconds faster than Myrtle Beach. I walked over 26 minutes and was feeling pitiful and still beat my time. I am a fan of Jeff Galloway.

I was wanting to run the Nashville Country Music Marathon in April (just so I could say I did 3 marathons in 3 months), but now I'm feeling like I need to rest. Quality over quantity. I want my next marathon to be under 4 hours. I am pretty confident that with a solid training plan and lots of rest and recovery, I'll be able to make my goal in the Fall.

Here is a re-cap of my thoughts on this last marathon.

Things I was experimenting with:

1. I didn't bring any fuel with me. I knew they would have gels at miles 13 and 20, so I wanted to see if that would be enough.

2. Run/walk method.

3. I ate half a powerbar and a whole banana and drank half a bottle of water and half a bottle of gatorade for breakfast. I think these were all good choices.

4. I went with no time goal.

5. Seeing if I could handle two marathons in just over a month.

Lessons learned:

1. Fuel, Fuel, FUEL!!!!! I needed more than two gels. I was craving pretzels or peanuts. My peanuts have worked in the past, so I'm bringing those along next time. And I think I'll start the gels around mile 6 or 8 next time.

2. Run/walk method. Jeff Galloway is an inspired man. I had the worst race of my life (inadequate preparation/insufficient fueling) and made my best time. And I felt great afterwards (walked around DC for 5 hours that afternoon).

3. I did not get any black toenails (this was a first)! I'm still not sure why. Possible reasons: a. new socks b. walk breaks c. my toes have been too beat up to care anymore.

4. Getting a good walk in the day before helped loosen me up for the start.

Here are the official race results.

Jenna, Jared, and me

Dad

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DC Bound

I'm leaving in a few short hours for DC. I went to bed late last night and woke up early this morning. Did I get everything packed? Did I bring the right shoes? Do I have everything ready for the sub? What am I supposed to be eating today? Tomorrow? Am I ready?

Yep, it's race time. See you all on the other side!

Lisa

This Is Who I Am

Running has become such a big part of my life. It's one of the major things that defines me right now. Which is kind of weird because I haven't been running very long. But, I'm addicted. I can't stop. I keep signing up for races. I can't stop that either. If there is any way I can possibly fit a race into my schedule, then I'm there. There's a huge feeling of excitement and anticipation and anxiety before a race (weeks and even months before a race). I thrive on that feeling. The closer I get to a big race, the less sleep I get. I wake up early and just lay in bed thinking about the next race or the next long run. When someone asks me how a training run went, I honestly don't know what to say. I could spend 2 hours answering the perfectly harmless question ("Oh, you know, it started off pretty rough. The first 2 miles are always the toughest for me. I mean, I walked and stretched beforehand but it's like my legs didn't really wake up until after 2 miles. They just felt kind of heavy and tight. But, after mile 2 it was pretty good. I did get a little hungry after that and I just wanted to quit running and go eat, but I ran through the hunger and it eventually went away".... and on and on). Seriously. And I know these kind friends really don't care to know the details. But, I can't talk about a run without giving the details. Sometimes Crystal and I will go to lunch or something just so we can talk about running without feeling bad for the other people who are with us (who really don't care about how many black toenails Lisa has now, etc--and I don't blame them). But, thank you to all of you wonderful friends and family members who patiently listen (or tune me out--that's fine, too). I'm not sure if this running thing is just a phase I'm going through, or if it's the real deal. But, I've found something that I really enjoy. It gives me time to meditate and think about the deeper things in life (okay, that's only when I'm not thinking about how much this body part hurts, or what I'm going to eat when I finish running, or how much further I have to run, or I hope that person sees me and doesn't run into me, etc). It gives me little goals to work toward. Those goals are constantly changing with each race. It gives me something to look forward to at the end of a long, hard day. It gives me confidence that I can do hard things. This is who I am right now. And I'm very happy.



PS--I'm running the National Marathon in Washington, DC this Saturday (race day forecast predicted to be 51 degrees/partly cloudy).

PPS--Read my brother's blog, I Keep Running, for a more eloquent explanation of the running experience.

Reedy River Run

I had a great run on Saturday at the Reedy River 5k. I won’t bore you with details this time. All I want to say is it was hot and it was hard, but I beat my fastest 5k time by 16 seconds.

Here are the official race results.

Chip time: 24:38

Pace: 7:59 min/mile!

I finished:

41/1263 women

5/205 women age 25-29

196/2105 men and women

I enjoyed running this race with three of my great friends—Crystal, Jenna, and Jaelyn! We had a great time being nervous together at the start. As I looked around at the crowd, I don’t think I saw anyone else as (openly) nervous as we all were. Three of us were running with a specific goal and that always makes things a little more interesting on race morning. So much fun! I encourage everyone to get out there and walk or run or do something that makes you happy!!

One Year Ago...

This Saturday I am running the Reedy River Run 5k in downtown Greenville. This will be one year since my very first race. It was actually this exact race that I ran with Megan and Melanie. It was a first for all of us. All three of us had gone through a 5k training program. Megan and I basically trained together, while Melanie trained on her own in Charlotte, NC. None of us were runners, so we were all starting out fresh. By the time of the race, Megan and I had run 3 miles maybe once before. Melanie told us AFTER the race that she hadn’t completed the program, yet. She was a couple weeks behind us. So, the race was her longest run to that point!

Melanie, Mike, and Zoe drove in on Friday. You should have seen us. We were all a nervous wreck. We had never raced before. We were all concerned about what to wear, what to eat, what to drink, how early to get there, how to put the timing chip on, where does the bib go, how do we pace ourselves, etc. I remember I woke up around 5am (the start wasn’t until 9:20am). I was so nervous. I absolutely could not sleep (I think it has become a habit for me before my races now). So, we finally got everything ready and left way too early. We got to the start just in time to stand in the freezing cold for about an hour.

Since we were there so early, we got to see the start of the 10k race. It was really neat watching the elite runners at the front before they started. They were stretching and sprinting back and forth. They looked like the real deal. We got more nervous. While we were waiting for them, I looked across the street and saw someone that I recognized. Crystal—that girl from the stake. We waved to each other, but didn’t know each other well enough to strike up a conversation. It’s a year later and now we’re planning races together that are states away!

It was finally our turn to start. We made last minute stops at the bathroom and said goodbye to Zoe and Mike. Then, we pushed our way into the crowd of runners. They signaled the start and nothing happened. I just assumed that when they said go, everyone would start sprinting. No, it took a minute or so to even get moving, then it took a couple more minutes to make it to the start line.

The three of us stayed together the whole time. All I remember about the beginning is that when we got to the first big hill, Melanie started sprinting up it. As in, she was passing everyone. It was pretty funny. But, we eventually got into a pretty good rhythm. I just remember how neat it felt to be part of the race.

We knew we were nearing the finish line, so Melanie told me to get out my phone and call Mike. She wanted him to be waiting for us at the finish line. Every time I race now I think about that. Talking on the phone during a race.

We knew that we were getting to the end, so Megan sprinted off ahead of us after the last turn. But when she saw that the finish was so close, she stopped and waited for us to catch up and we all ran in together. It was AWESOME! There were so many people. We could barely get through the people to find Mike. I remember the three of us were SO proud of the accomplishment. We ran our first 5k in 35:38. We had no concept of if that was a good time or not. And we didn’t care. All we cared about was that we finished.

So, one year and lots of races later, I’m coming back for more. It’ll just be me this time. I’m thinking of blowing up pictures of Megan and Melanie and carrying them on sticks as I run.

You Can Do It!

Since I couldn't really find a marathon training program that lasted 3-4 weeks, I decided to figure out my own plan. I've been getting lots of advice from friends and family members (how long should my long runs be, what about speedwork, etc). I've also been looking through the Jeff Galloway Marathon book.

I got it when I first started running, but haven't looked at it in a while. So I picked it up one night last week and I haven't been able to put it down since then. I have known about his run/walk method, but haven't been a huge fan of it. But, I got really excited about it last week as I was reading all the success stories. So, I'm going to try it for this next marathon. I will pretty much walk for one minute every mile during my long training runs and during the marathon. He says when you get to mile 18, if you're feeling good, you can take out the walk breaks and run the rest of the way. By putting in consistent walk breaks (and not cheating by shortening them or skipping any), you will supposedly have more energy supplied for the end. I am really excited about experimenting with this method. I'll try the walk breaks for the first time this Saturday on my 20 mile run. If anyone has any success (or otherwise) stories about this, please let me know. I love hearing how other people train.