Freedom's Run Marathon Recap: The Gritty Details, Part 2

Pre-race events are here, part 1 is here...

Miles 16-21

Ok, I am not proud of my performance on this next section.  Before the race I told myself that I would walk the very first hill.  Why?  I don't know.  I think I was scared after looking at the elevation chart.

As soon as I stopped, I knew I didn't need to be walking.  But once you stop, you're not only stopping your physical momentum, but your mental momentum as well.  Physically I felt good, mentally I was arguing with myself to keep running.  And if I'm arguing with myself to keep running, that means I can keep running.  Lesson learned: if you're going to argue with yourself to keep running, do it while you're running.

I walked part of mile 15 and part of mile 16, both times because I mentally gave in to my fatigue (in other words, I shouldn't have walked).  The entire group of runners I had been running with on the trail passed me - and they all ran up the hill.  And as I saw them go, I told myself that I hadn't busted my butt for the first 15 miles of the race, and run almost 10 minutes faster than my goal time, to lose all that progress in the second half of the race.  So I put my butt back into gear.

Around mile 18 we hit an out and back section that has a nice downhill and a killer uphill.  On my way out, I passed Strong Runner Girl on her way in.  I gave her a thumbs up and she smiled back.  I realized I wouldn't see her at the finish line, and wouldn't be able to thank her for helping me run this race so strong.  So, Strong Runner Girl, if by some miraculous chance you've found my little blog and recognize who you are, THANK YOU!!!

As I began up the second part of the mile 18 hill (yes, this hill comes in two parts!), I started feeling a sharp pain in my chest.  Considering the negative attention running sometimes receives, particularly after the death of Micah True, my paranoia immediately jumped to the worst case scenario, "I have cardiomyopathy and I'm going to die!" (yes, I'm that type of person).  I had had this pain once before at the end of a long run (and clearly didn't die), and I resolved it by just finishing my run.  To ease the pain this time, I decided to walk the hill and shed a layer (I was FINALLY warming up!), and see how I felt.

As I was walking, I remembered an episode of Trail Runner Nation podcast in which a runner relates her experienced with chest pain during the Angeles Crest 100.  Apparently, she was running just fine when she suddenly felt a strong pain in her chest and had to stop for 20 minutes.  Come to find out, it was a bout of acid reflux.  So my thought process went from "I have cardiomyopathy and I'm going to die!" to "Hmmm, maybe I have something like acid reflux."

See, until mile 17ish, I had just been using my Amphipod Hydraform Lite Water Bottle for hydration.  I was intending to refill my water bottle at an aid station...but things were going well and I didn't want to stop for that long, so I decided to just keep running and use the water at the aid stations instead.  The 17ish mile aid station was the first one I used.  I'm not at all coordinated, and while I know your supposed to pinch the cub and drink from it on the side of your mouth -- I mean, c'mon.  I walk into walls daily, you expect me to drink from a cup and run at the same time?  So instead, I slowed and took huge gulps of water...and air.  Immediately after that aid station (here we go: tmi), I needed to burp but just couldn't get the air out of me.  I felt the air bubble rise and then change its mind, and head south back into my stomach.  I'm no medical professional, but I'm thinking that may have been a contributing factor to the chest pain.  At the top of the hill, I did manage a small little burp, and found I felt fine, so I started the engine again.

The next few miles are a blur. Running through Antietam was absolutely beautiful...I think. I was pretty focused on the pavement, but the times I did remember to look around, I was stunned. At one point we passed 3 monuments lined in a row and I gave a little salute in memory of the soldiers who died here. Running through such a historical site was pretty incredible.

Antietam Monuments via NPS

As I was approaching the 21ish-mile aid station, a volunteer thrust a cup out at me and said, "Cough syrup?"
I gave her the look of death and her smirk quickly faded as she stuttered, "Kidding, its water. Sorry, its water."  I felt bad - I know she was trying to be funny and she must be tired from working the aid station for almost 4 hours (I'm not being facetious here), but I wasn't sure if she was mocking Gatorade by calling it cough syrup--meaning she was therefore holding a cup of Gatorade--or if she was just bored and looking for laughs, which turns out is what she was doing.  I only drink water on my long runs; even Nuun messes with my stomach.  So I didn't want Gatorade coming anywhere near my lips.  This interaction irked me a bit, but whatevs.  I really had no choice but to take it in stride (pun intended! hehe).

Mile 16: 10:58
Mile 17: 8:55
Mile 18: 8:50 (Confusing. Must've walked this hill hella fast?)
Mile 19: 9:59
Mile 20: 10:25 (Not sure what I was doing here.)
Mile 21: 9:35

Miles 22-26.2!

Soon we were out of the hills of Antietam and running through the streets of Sharpsburg.  I was so happy to see DJ Research and Nugget cheering for me!  Later I learned that just before I ran by, a deer had totally bandited the race.  Was running alongside the runners and everything.

It appeared the deer bandit seemed to be using
the Jeff Galloway Run-Walk-Run method.

It was at this point, around mile 23, that I hit the wall.  I had never hit the wall before, and I didn't know what it felt like, but well...now I know.  You guys, I have never felt like this before.  Feeling like you wanted more than anything to give up, but knowing there was no way you could live with yourself if you did.  It was intense.  I am a very independent and self-sufficient person, but in that dark place it dawned on my that I needed someone.  Someone, anyone, to tell me that I could do this.  To tell me that I could finish this darn race.  That I could keep running and cross that finish line.

So, as I was approaching a group of walkers from the half-marathon, I was completely intending scream into their blissful, comfortable fitness dreamworld, "I NEED YOU TO TELL ME I CAN DO THIS!  I NEED YOU TO TELL ME I CAN FINISH THIS DAMN RACE!"  But at the last second my dignity grabbed me by the shoulders and slapped me across the face.  Instead, I didn't say anything.  Instead, I dug deep and told myself, "Don't stop. Don't stop. Don't stop."  I said it out loud, with every breath, "Don't stop. Don't stop. Don't stop."  I said it out loud to the very end. 

In hindsight, I realize that I had forgotten to take my last Gu Gel pack.  I was carrying 5 gels with me, and had taken one every 4-5 miles: 5, 10, 14, 18.  I should have taken another one at mile 22/23.  But I completely forgot.  I don't know if taking that last gel would have prevented hitting the wall, but I know the last 5 miles of the race would have been easier.

I saw DJ Research and Nugget as I entered the stadium, and when my feet hit the astroturf, I almost cried with joy. I crossed the line at 3:52:50 with my arms in the air, and my head down.  I had beat my sub-4:00 hour goal, but it had taken all I had.

The DJ found me and gave me a big hug.  I started crying into his should, "I did it! I did it!"  I grabbed Nugget and held him close, and he gave me a cute little toddler squeeze back.  "Mommy, run-run! Yaaaay!"  He told me, clapping his hands.  It was the perfect end to a tough but rewarding race.  It was the best feeling.

What's your proudest racing moment?



RAR!

Freedomʻs Run Marathon Recap: The Gritty Details, Part 1

They say you never forget your first time.  And I'm sure I never will.  The short version: despite a tough course, I ran my first marathon in 3:52:50, finishing 4th in my age group, and 11th woman overall.  The long version is long; I have a lot to say.  Pre-race events can be found here, part 1 of the gritty details is below, and part 2 is here. You guys, I'm still walking on air.  But now its time to taper - Richmond Marathon is only four weeks away.

The Start

The sun was just peeking over the horizon when the race began at 7:00am - gorgeous.  Everything about this race was just beautiful.  And at the start, everything about this race was cold.  Cold, cold, COLD.  My toes were tingling, and because I was wearing a running skirt, my thighs were burning.  But these were the conditions, and I wasn't about to let some stupid cold weather get in the way of my race.

Miles 1-4

Even though I started out at the front of the pack, I didn't race right out of the gate with the speedsters.  I ran a comfortable pace for a quarter mile to warm up as we ran towards the Murphy Farm Outlook.  On the gravel road out, I could feel another runner coming up beside me.  As she passed me, I could tell right away she was a strong runner than I am, but she seemed to be running a pace that I could keep up with, at least in the beginning of the race.  Oh wait, let me backtrack and tell you my race strategy:

Race Strategy

The Freedom's Run Marathon course is mostly flat or downhill for the first 15 miles.  10 of those miles are on the C&O Canal tow path.  Miles 15-21 are holy hilly hell through Antietam Battlefield National park, and the last 5 miles are mostly flat with some rolling hills.

Knowing that I am not a strong hill runner, my race strategy for this marathon was to run fast on the flats (through mile 15) to put some miles in the bank early, pull back on the hills, and then pick it up again as we headed into Shepherdstown.  My initial goal was to run a 4:20 marathon, since I didn't know how killer those hills would be.

Then it dawned on me: I didn't bust my butt for 5 months to aim for a 4:20 marathon.  I've worked hard all summer, and I would be cheating myself if I didn't aim as high as I could.  So I decided I was going to shoot for a sub-4:00 marathon, still using my initial strategy of getting miles in the bank early.

Do you follow the same strategy every race? Or do you change your strategy based on course, weather, other life factors, etc.?

Back to the Race (Miles 1-4)

So back to...let's call her Strong Runner Girl.  As she passed me, I decided to keep up with her to see how her pace felt.  And to be honest, it felt good.  Early in my training I focused on my heart rate more than speed, so I knew what it felt like if I was running too fast, and what it felt like if I was running hard but not too hard.  Strong Runner Girl was running the perfect pace for me--hard but not too hard--so I planned to keep up with her until we hit the hills, where I knew there was no way I could keep up with her.

Around mile 3 the road began a steep downhill that went on for a little more than a mile.  I think this long downhill surprised a few runners, but I was lucky enough to have previewed this part of the course when DJ Research ran the Harper's Ferry Half Marathon earlier this year, so I knew that the downhill went on for a while.  (The Half Marathon course runs up the hill, though, and thats not even the toughest hill on the course!)

It was on this downhill that I passed Strong Runner Girl.  I like downhills and try to run them as fast as possible - bringing my hips forward, leaning into the descent, and really focusing on my turnover.  I knew this was a good downhill to run fast because it was so long, and I needed all the extra time I could get.

Once the road flattened out, we were running into Harper's Ferry town and over the Potomac River footbridge.  The view from here is spectacular, but I couldn't really enjoy it because the bridge was so darn slippery.  This was my least favorite part of the race.  I basically ran-walked this portion because I didn't want to fall flat on my face, or worst yet, my tailbone.

View from Potomac River Bridge
taken earlier this year

Splits
Mile 1: 8:39
Mile 2: 8:29
Mile 3: 7:44
Mile 4: 8:10

Miles 5-15

We descended a spiral staircase and got on the C&O Canal tow path, which is a mix of hard-packed dirt and gravel.  This section was stunning, with the Potomac River to our left and the beautiful fall foliage overhead.  It was also still freezing cold.  Cold, cold, COLD.  My hands and feet were still numb.  My legs were still burning.  I tried to open a Gu Gel with my fingers but failed miserably, and had to open the packet with my teeth.  I could barely squeeze my water bottle to squirt water into my mouth (I was running with the Amphipod Hydraform Lite Water Bottle. LOVE this thing).  But what could I do other than keep running?  So I did.

Around mile 7, Strong Runner Girl and another strong runner started passing me on my left.  Again her pace was perfect (I realized I'd been running too slow!)  Again I decided to keep up with her.  (I'm horrible at pacing myself.  Need more experience!)  The three of us ran together for a while, then another runner female showed up and joined our conga line, then another male runner, and the five us of pretty much stuck it out through mile 13.  We would jump frog each other on the trail, or the line-up would change dramatically after an aid station, though Strong Runner Girl was usually in the lead.

I saw DJ Research and Nugget at the last aid station on the tow path, around mile 12 or 13.  I had been so focused on the race, I completely forgot they were there to cheer me on!  At the Marine Corps Historic Half (my last race where they were there to cheer for me), I would stop to give them a kiss every time I saw them on the side.  Not this time.  I just blew them a kiss as I whizzed pass, and I could here Nugget crying, "Mommy!" as I ran off.  Ugh, worst feeling.

Soon after that last aid station, I lost Strong Runner Girl.  I don't quite remember what happened, but suddenly she was gone.  Most of the group was behind me, so I didn't feel too bad since she pretty much blew the rest of us out of the water.  But I had hoped to keep up with her at least until we headed into the hills.

Around mile 15, I saw a hoard of people running on to the tow path.  At first I thought they were bored high schoolers out to mess with the runners (why I thought that I have no idea), but then I realized this was the juncture where the marathon course and half-marathon course met up.  As a half-marathoner got on the tow path, he called out to us "Way to go marathoners!" and my face just lit up.  I was so focused, I pretty much forgot that what I was doing was quite an accomplishment.  Hell yeah! I was running a marathon!!

The half-marathoners were directed to keep going straight on the tow-path, while the full-marathoners were directed to get off the tow-path and head up the road.  Yes, UP.  The hill pretty much started as soon as we got off the canal path.  With my fuzzy math skills, I guesstimated that I had run 8-10 minutes faster than I hoped! (Yes, I owe Strong Runner Girl a HUGE thank you!)

Splits
Mile 5: 8:51
Mile 6: 8:40
Mile 7: 8:36 (w/ Strong Runner Girl)
Mile 8: 8:19 (w/ Strong Runner Girl)
Mile 9: 8:12 (w/ Strong Runner Girl)
Mile 10: 8:15 (w/ Strong Runner Girl)
Mile 11: 8:26 (w/ Strong Runner Girl)
Mile 12: 8:26 (w/ Strong Runner Girl)
Mile 13: 8:34 (w/ Strong Runner Girl)
Mile 14: 8:58
Mile 15: 9:33 (heading into those hills!)

Has a complete stranger ever helped you run/finish a race stronger than you thought you could?  Did you get a chance to thank them at the end? 

Gotta be up early to run, but stay tuned for the rest of the race!

RAR!

Freedomʻs Run Marathon Recap: Pre-Race Events

Have you entered my giveaway yet? Win awesome, healthy snacks from Naturebox!

This weekend I ran the Freedomʻs Run Marathon in Shepherdstown, West Virginia.  Even though Iʻve been training for the Richmond Marathon, after my 24-miler last weekend--and with Richmond still five weeks away--I was ready for 26.  So I signed up for Freedomʻs Run at the last minute, making it my very first marathon.

Although Shepherdstown is only a little more than an hour away from us, it was still a bit of a scramble to get there.  With the holidays coming up, neither DJ Research nor I wanted to use our leave for this weekend, so we left right after work on Friday, meaning we got to packet picket just before they closed at 8:00pm.  DJ Research made us this snack of nutella and ritz crackers for the ride, much to Nuggetʻs delight.  

Yum-Yummy!

We missed most of the Expo since we got there so late, but I did manage to get a pair of Freedomʻs Run socks made by Swiftwick!  I have a pair of Swiftwick compression socks, which I love - theyʻre so comfy! (though I run in Pro Compression socks, because they offer more compression, which I like).

Freedomʻs Run Marathon Swiftwick Socks

I got my bib and my race shirt.  At first glance, the race shirt is pretty hideous, but lots of people were wearing it during the race and it actually looked ok when worn.  Iʻm planning to wear it during the Richmond Marathon.  Its also made from 10 recycled plastic bottles, which is pretty cool.

Not my favorite color,
but I love that its long-sleeve

Since it was late, choices for dinner were few, so we opted for Kings NY Style Pizza, which also serves pasta.  Since we still needed to check into the Holiday Inn Express Charles Town, we took our food back to the hotel.  We stayed at a Holiday Inn Express in Fredericksburg, VA for the Marine Corps Historic Half, and I really liked it.  The rooms are nice and the rates are really reasonable.  The Holiday Inn Express in Charles Town, WV did not disappoint!

Home away from home

After dinner, I laid out all my gear while Nugget got some work done.  I think we made it to bed by 11:00.

Racing in Fall Colors

All the cool toddlers are sporting this look

Despite my pre-race jitters and the fact that I got to bed late the night before, I slept well and was feeling good when I awoke.  I was up at 5:00am to catch the 6:00am shuttle that River Riders, a sponsor of the race, was providing to the start of the race.  For breakfast, I had a piece of toast with almond butter, a banana, and some coffee.  I knew it was cold out, so I wore two additional layers over my tech shirt, plus ear warmers and fingerless gloves that I made from a pair of my socks.  Its not as gross as it sounds, and they really helped, but I think actual gloves would be better next time (I just didnʻt have time to buy a disposable pair).

Layers (so not enough)

On the shuttle over, I met another runner who was attempting 50 marathons in all 50 states.  Sheʻs only done a handful and still has a ways to go.  She ran the Richmond Marathon as her Virginia race, and said she LOVED it.  I only hear good things about Richmond, so Iʻm excited for that race!

Even though I knew it was cold out, I was not prepared for just how cold.  To give you an idea, a Freeze Alert had been issued for the area; DJ Research said it took forever (plus or minus a few years) to get the ice off the car.  Luckily, we were allowed into the heated Harperʻs Ferry National Park visitors center for the hour we had to wait before race time.  We were quite cozy and packed in that little building like sardines. :)

Coffee and water was supplied at the start, and on top of that, there were REAL bathrooms.  With electricity, and flushing toilets, and running water.  If youʻve raced before, you know how rare that amenity is!

About 15 minutes before race time, I decided to brave the cold and do some light running to warm up.  And by warm up, I really mean try not to freeze to death.  It was sooooo cold.  I had to wiggle my toes constantly for fear they might fall off.  As I was just trying to shake myself loose, another runner comes up to me and introduces herself as Abbi from Higher Miles.  She was running Freedomʻs Run for the second time, and using it as a training run for the JFK 50.  She is basically living my dream.  We didnʻt get to chat much since the race was about to begin, but it was super awesome to meet her in person!

The race director, Dr. Mark Cucuzella, announced that the race is about to start and asks that everyone proceed to the starting line: a piece of tape on the ground between two cones.  I loved that there was no big hoopla at the beginning.  Because race times were determined according to gun time, I positioned myself at the front of the pack because I wanted my official final time to be as close to my actual running time as possible.  There was lots of space to spread out early in the race, so I didnʻt feel bad starting to close to the front.

At the start

On Dr. Cucuzellaʻs command, the race began: "Runners take your mark! Go!"  And we were off!!


More to come...stay tuned! :)




RAR!

Ants in My Pants

Ok, you guys.  I just had to do it.  My training had me running 24 miles last week, and with the Richmond Marathon still 5 (yes, FIVE) weeks away, I'm not ready to start my taper.  I was planning on running 26 miles this weekend, so I figured I might as well...yup, you guessed it -

I signed up for the Freedom's Run Marathon.

Admittedly, I've been thinking of running Freedom's Run for a while.  I had it in my mind that if my training was going well, I would give it a go.  And after my 24-miler this weekend, I'm feeling really good about my running.  But as soon as I sign up, guess what?  Yup, self-doubt starts to creep in.

Even though I have done 4 20+ mile runs over the past 6 weeks, I'm still feeling really, really nervous.  Looking at the course map, I see the numbers 15, 20, 25  popping out at me like I've never seen them before; I'm starting to feel the anxiety that I felt when I was first tackling those distances.  But I know I can run this.  Pre-race jitters are normal right?

Do you get nervous before a big race?  Do you have any pre-race rituals?

Freedom's Run will be a different beast than the Richmond Marathon.  From what I understand, Richmond is mostly flat, while Freedom's Run boasts some really nice hills from miles 16-21 when we run through the Antietam Battlefield.

Running through the Antietam National Battlefield is one of the reasons I wanted to run this race, in part because I've never been there and also because this is the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Antietam.  I'm excited to be there to honor those who fought and those who fell, and the significance of this event to our nation.

Have you ever raced through/near a place of historical significance?

Freedom's Run is sponsored by Two Rivers Treads in Shepherdstown, WV, which is the first exclusively minimalist running shoe store in the country.  DJ Research ran the Harper's Ferry Half (also sponsored by TRT) earlier this year and we LOVED this race; its great for both runners and spectators.  So, we're expecting more of the same: low-key race with beautiful scenery along a challenging course and enthusiastic runners who just love to run.

Ready for that 26.2!!

Gaaaaahhhh!!  Suddenly my first marathon has gone from being 5 weeks away to less than 2 days away.  What do I wear?!?

How far in advance do you plan your race day outfits?

RAR!

Goldilocks and the Marathon Training Plan

Searching for a marathon training plan had me feeling a little like Goldilocks.  I was looking for a training plan that would be challenging enough to keep me interested, but that wasn't so challenging I would feel broken at the end of every week.  Essentially I was looking for a training plan that wasn't too easy, wasn't too hard, but was juuuuuust right.

Admittedly, I didn't look too hard.  There are probably other training plans out there I could have considered, as well as other variations of the training plans I did consider that may very well have suited my needs.  In the end, these were the contenders:

Jeff Galloway's Marathon Training Plan: Too easy.  Jeff Galloway teaches the run/walk approach to running and thus, incorporates walking into his training.  As much as I find that fascinating, for my first marathon I want to run the whole thing.  I am interested in this approach, though, and will likely give it a shot in the future.

Cool Running Beginner Marathon Training Plan: Too hard.  As much as I would have loved the challenge, my current life schedule would not be able to handle the weekly mileage of this plan.

Hal Higdon's Novice 2 Marathon Training Plan: Juuuuuuust right.  Hal Higdon training plans are some of the most popular training plans out there.  I opted for the Novice 2 plan because the mileage is slightly higher than Novice 1, and because it incorporates "race pace" runs.  These runs are shorter in length and should be run at the pace I intend to run my marathon, as opposed to the long runs which should be run 30-90 seconds slower than race pace.

2012 Marathon Training Plan

I will also include three sessions of core workouts per week, following the workouts provided by the Nike Training Club app.  Have you guys seen this app?  So fun!  It provides you with a ton of different workouts, and as you accomplish each one, you earn badges and unlock more workouts (one of which features Hope Solo, the amazing U.S. Women's Soccer goalkeeper, of whom I am a huge fan).  I HATE core work, so this is a fun way to keep me interested (you gotta do what you gotta do, ya know?)

Home Screen for
Nike Training Club (NTC) app

There is a slight caveat to my training.  Since this training plan is only 18 weeks, technically training doesn't start until July (for my November 10th race).  But I'm too impatient to wait.  I started my training last week in preparation for a half-marathon I am running in early July.  After the half-marathon, I will dial it back a bit and start my training plan again from the beginning.

Runners just gotta run.  

Are you using a training plan to train for a fall race?  Oooh, what are you racing?

RAR!