Route 66 Marathon

     On Saturday afternoon I go to the race expo to get my packet.  I go to the packet pickup and give them my ID.  A few seconds later the young man with my bib in his hand says loudly we have a first time marathoner.  Everyone behind the table start yelling and ringing cowbells.  I turn bright red and silently pray the floor opens up and takes me away.   No luck and now people in line are wishing me luck and saying how great it is.  I smile and nod, say thank you and keep moving away. OMG people should warn you that they do that.
 
   5 am Sunday the alarm goes off, first instinct is to hit snooze, second thought is Oh hell it is RACE DAY! I get up make coffee, let the dog out, bathroom, dog in, breakfast, brush the teeth, wash the face, comb the hair, bathroom, & get dressed.  Get the race bib straight, earbuds, garmin, protein/Ucan shake, house key, & phone. All morning I focus on the small details because the minute my mind goes to the race, I am nauseous. Run to Quik Trip for a Cliff bar I forgot to buy on Saturday and head over to meet with the run group before the start.

     Take some pics with run club, bathroom again and walk to the corrals. Find corral C and meet with some friends I met at the OKC half marathon. We take a few pics, chit chat and they talk about me doing the Full. I'm trying not to hurl. My trainer Nate comes by for a few words of advice, "Start slow, it should feel slow, it should feel easy!" Ok Nate! Is what I say out loud but what is running through my mind is: don't puke, don't puke, don't puke!

 7:55 gun sounds & confetti cannon erupts for the wheelchair races. Gulp!

 8:00 guns sound for Corral A! Ugh!

 8:10 gun  for Corral B. Shit!

 8:15 gun for Corral C damn it here we go!
   
   Slow down, breathe, slower, breathe, slower, breathe, ok,,, stay here this pace just keep it steady. This is just a 10 mile easy run, followed by a 10 mile pace run and ended with a 10K finish. Hahaha yeah right.

     Mile 1-5 were mostly about me settling into a groove and focusing on the mile at hand and not the other 21 to go. The terrain is mostly level with some very small hills followed by a downhill. The weather is 55-60 degrees, humid, partly cloudy with wind gusts.  The crowd is scattered along the course, cheering with signs and cowbells.  At mile 5 a male runner passes me and I read the back of his shirt "They shall run and not be weary." Isaiah 40:31. I say a prayer of thanks.

      Miles 6-10 are mostly level ground. The run is feeling good.  I am constantly checking my pace, my breathing, heart rate and level of effort. My heart rate reads high but I feel good.  The crowds are thicker here on Brookside.  I come up on Emily a fellow run club member. We chat for a bit and then I move on.  At this point I laugh out loud at a sign on the course that says "Smile if you have to Pee!"  I laugh and point at the man's sign and say why yes I do, so thanks for reminding me. haha!

     Miles 11-15 start a constant uphill.  I do a quick check. Breathing good, heart rate good, legs good, now my feet are getting a little tender from the minimal shoes and hard ground but not bad.  At about mile 12 we part ways from the half marathoners and head out for the other 14 miles.  This is the point of no return now. Oh crap did I really sign up for the FULL? Why did I do this?  Oh well here we go.  At mile 13 we run right by my car. Really? I even have the key with me. No Keep going cupcake.  Mile 14 we go by within a block of my apartment. Really? Oh well I don't have the house key with me.  Mile 15 is port-a-potty time. Yuck!  By the way running tights and sweat do not aide in a speedy pit stop.

    Miles 16-20 is still a constant upward climb.  The crowds says the top of the hill is right up there.  Yeah right. You get to the top take a corner and go uphill some more.  None of the hills are straight up or steep it is just a constant  medium grade incline.  Mile 16 my feet are really feeling the force of the ground but it is endurable.  Mile 18 my right lateral thigh is aching but again it is not bad. I just attribute it to fatigue.  Mile 20 I stop and stretch my right quad and hip flexor which seems to help.  Now just before mile 21 starts I have another laugh out loud moment.  Somebody has tacked a sign on a pole at a point where the course takes a left turn.  There are no spectators here it is just the sign on the pole that says "SMILE IF YOU MASTURBATE!"  So random, who puts a sign up like that. Dang it, laughing hurts too.

     Miles 21-25 Unchartered territory which is going to take me right by my house and my car again.   Mile 21 starts the downhill to the finish.  Mile 21 introduces a new pain.  A stitch in my right side of my abdomen that  causes a spasm in my diaphragm.  I am not out of breath but with this spasm in my diaphragm I can not draw a good breath.  At first instinct you want to panic, but I force myself to calm down.  Am I breathing? Yes.  Am I getting enough air? Yes.  What to do? I decide it is probably dehydration/electrolyte imbalance.  At the next water station I walk through it and drink a Gatorade, a water and chew on some of the Cliff bar.  It helps for a bit.  At mile 23 it starts to spasm again, luckily a woman had set up her own refreshment table and had her carton of salt out and would pour it into your hand to lick off.  It was awesome and probably is what kept me from having to walk to the finish.  Bless her soul!  Mile 24 brings my male runner back to pass me again. Yes it was the same man with the Isaiah 40:13 verse on the back of his shirt. I don't know how or when he got behind me because I promise I only seen him the 2 times and both times he passes me and got right in front of me long enough for me to read the shirt and say a Thank you Lord.  Then he keeps going till out of sight.  I am really tired at this point.  Everything hurts.  I keep running.   I will not stop.  I have to finish.  Mile 25  Ronnie from my run club, runs out to me on the course pats me on the back and tells me "you have got this Michelle.  Turn up here to do the Center of the Universe tour then a couple more turns and you will be at the finish.  You look strong Michelle."  This brings tears to my eyes because I really needed it.  My side hurts. My diaphragm is still having spasms. I pretty sure my feet are going to be a bloody mess if I ever take my shoes off.  I turn and do the universe detour and hear Gary from run club call out to me and say "looking great Michelle you got this!'  I wave and say thanks!

     Now I come back down from the detour and see Amanda from run club on the corner and she yells "Go Michelle!"  As she says it I hear all of you saying it too.  I can feel all of you with me on the last leg of this course.  I make a turn and there is the lady from the running store.  She has been everywhere on this course.  This is the 5th time I have seen her along the course.  Each time she has razzed me about my beauty queen wave, this time she jumps up and high 5's me and says the finish line is around the corner.  I believe her because she is sitting by the 25.9 mile marker.  I hear all of you yelling GO! GO! FINISH!

     Mile 26 I can see the finish line and the crowds lined up on either side of the course.  I pick up my pace. I lean forward and start kicking it to the finish.  I see Nate my trainer on my left and hear him yelling.  I hear other run club members yelling. I see Bart Yasso and he says he likes my kick!  I high fived Bart Yasso as I cross the finish line at a chip time of 5:31:59.  I collect water, Gatorade and my medal!  I assure the medical people that I am OK! 

     I am a Marathoner! A year ago I did my first 5K in over 45 minutes.  Six months ago it took well over 3 hours to do a half marathon. 6 months ago I smoked. 4 months ago I could finally run a mile nonstop outside.  Today I am runner, an athlete, a marathoner and anything else I decide to take on.

Live Epic!
Michelle

Tapers, Nerves & Countdowns!

     In training for a marathon, you learn all sorts of terms. Things such as time on feet, quality runs, long runs, pace runs, tempo runs, yasso's, cumulative fatigue, cross training, rest days, foam rolling, hill repeats, cadence, heart rate zones.and last but not least the Taper.  Some of these I have a good understanding of, some of them I will get a better understanding of in my next training cycle, right now I am getting an understanding of the Taper.

     Runners will tell you a good taper is vital for optimum race day performance and I agree with them. They will tell you it is to recover from cumulative fatigue and overuse injuries. It is time to perfect your nutrition, sleep and hydration.  To visualize your race and plan your stategdy.

     Now during marathon training you have a schedule that is about 12-16 weeks long. The schedule tells you what days to run, how long to run, how fast or how hard to run. It tells you what days to rest and what days to cross train. A schedule is revered and followed to the last mile. Every week the mileage or time running increases unless it is a drop down week.  The schedule consists of your first double digit run the 10 miler. The week you do a half or 13 miles and you secretly wonder are you able to run double that number.  The 16 miler that you complete easily and know you could have went further.  The 18 miler that strips away your belief that you can and forces you to face the question, Can you really? Then the 20 miler that is so much easier than the 18 but makes you ask could I really do another 6.2 miles more? I don't know?

     Everybody says if you can do 20 then you can do 26.2 on race day. That nerves, momentum, crowds and fear of a DNF will carry you through the last 6.2 miles.  Everyone tells you when nerves arise to trust your training because you put in the miles. Then they tell you to taper for 3 weeks!

     The Taper is the 2-3 weeks before your race. Each week your mileage or time running decreases up till Race Day.  That is 21 days spent with less time running. 21 days to analyze every run. 21 days to remember every missed training mile.  21 days to remember every run you might not have given all your focus. 21 days to remember each poor meal choices. 21 days to remember the extra Cape Cod drink. 21 days to remember the nights of poor sleep. 21 days to remember all the days you didn't drink water, stretch, or foam roll.  21 days or 504 hours for your nerves to build and nightmares of DNF to occur.

     As you taper and have more time on your hands you might catch up on social media, nonrunning friends and family. Bad idea. Every friend you have is suddenly an expert on running and have nothing else to talk about except your upcoming race.  Family members all have that one person who blew out their knee in a race and were in a full body cast for a year.  Every time you get on a social web site you will be confronted with an image of a countdown to your race. Such as the link below.
http://route66marathon.com/expopacket-group/health-and-fitness-expo/

     Now a well executed taper does help resolve cumulative fatigue. Overuse injuries will heal during this time. You will focus on the things you can control, your nutrition, hydration and rest.  You will focus on what you didn't do. You will question your ability to finish. Your nerves will get out of control.  You wil resolve your mind to the fact that you will finish, even if you have to crawl.

     Race Day will dawn. You will be rested. You will be hydrated. You will be fueled.  You will be a jumble of nervous energy, excitement and scared witless! But really if you are calm and not scared then you are not dreaming big enough! OMG 4 Days to Race Day!

Live Epic!
Michelle

Jenk's Half Marathon

     This last week was all about prepping for my half marathon on Saturday and it was the first official week of the marathon taper. The taper is a discussion for another post all by itself.  This is all about my second half marathon.

     Now my first half marathon was in April at the Oklahoma City Memorial marathon.  It started after a 2 hour severe weather delay. In ended with temperatures in the 90's and high humidity.  Back then I was walk/run method, I finished with a chip time of 3:12:59 and a gun time of 3:27:39. Now my trainer did the full marathon in 2:52 something.  Did you see that he did twice the mileage 20 minutes faster than I did half of it.  That pissed me off.  Probably why I kept running and trying to improve.  The bitch of it was I couldn't even cuss about it because he stayed and cheered me in and told me how great I did.  Don't you just hate it when you want to have a melt down cussing fit and you can't because people are being nice. Geesh!

     The Jenk's Half Marathon dawned on a windy crisp 55 degrees and started right on time at 8 am.  There was 500 and something entrants.  It started just down the street from the Jenk's track and ended on the track.  The gun goes off and here we go.

     Miles 1-2 seemed to drag by mainly I think because I kept looking at my watch for my pace and trying to slow myself down.  I did not want to repeat the Tulsa Run experience of just hanging on the last 2 miles. 

      Mile 3-4 were easy pace wise. I was running by a group called Running the Streets which is mentoring program for teens in Bartlesville OK.  One of the girls started asking me about how long I had been running and what all distances I had ran.  I told her I was a newbie and training for my first full.  She allowed this was her fifth half marathon.  She wants to do a full but her dad won't let her until she turns 16!  OMG!  Nice kid, I passed her eventually but just because she had to stay with the group.  I may have to look into one of the mentoring running groups.

      Miles 5-7 were rolling hills but manageable.  Mile 8 was a hill a mile long straight into the wind.  I did not think it was ever going to be over.   Mile 9 was downhill always my favorite.  I may have picked off a few people here. Since most people use the downhill to recover instead of attacking.

       Mile 10 I realized it was almost over with just a 5K left.  I looked at my watch and knew if I picked up my pace a bit and maintained I could be under 2:30. So I did.  I picked off people and no they did not come back for me like at the Tulsa run.

     The Splits were as follows:

Mile   1 - 11:21
Mile   2 - 11:30
Mile   3 - 11:39
Mile   4 - 11:39
Mile   5 - 11:20
Mile   6 - 11:38
Mile   7 - 11:28
Mile   8 - 11:11
Mile   9 - 11:02
Mile 10 - 11:21
Mile 11 - 10:41
Mile 12 - 10:51
Mile 13 - 10:19
Mile .2 -   9:22

    Chip Time was 2:27:52   Gun Time 2:28:26

     Now if you do the math that is a Chip time PR of 46 minutes. Which is great and I am damn proud of it, but when you go from walk/run to a constant run big PR's should happen.  Now beating my own best goal of 2:30 with a 2:27:52 is great. My last mile being my fastest mile is fantastic. The last 6.5 miles faster & stronger than the first 6.5 miles is priceless.

   I can build on this.  I have something to work with. I have a new goal to work towards with this data.  I want a sub 2:15 half.  I am sure I will want a better marathon time than what I finish with in two weeks.

     So I will savor my success for a few days and then get back to work and try to taper effectively and patiently.  I mean because really there is some work to do.  A man in my Run Club who is 58 years ran a sub 2 hour Half at Jenk's.  Well hell that pisses me off.  A 58 year old beat me by 30 minutes and of course I have to be nice since he is so encouraging. Damn it here we go!

Live Epic!
Michelle