I RAN A MARATHON! Part 2
Race Recap!
From the moment the alarm went off to crossing the finish line!
Now please note - the miles might be a bit off. But give me a break - it was my first time running the course, and the last thing I cared about was memorizing the course layout at that moment in time!
The first post was about the emotional journey leading me up to the start. Now we have a bit of fun as I take you through the whirlwind that is race day!
5:20AM: The alarm goes off. I surprisingly got a decent amount of sleep despite the excitement! My gear and fuel were already prepped the night before, so I get dressed and get my carb-biased breakfast and electrolytes in– rice cakes, peanut butter, honey, a date, a verb energy bar. I luckily have a successful bathroom run before heading out :P
6:30AM: Dropped off by the parentals, I head toward security then immediately find my corral and warmup. It was a lot easier than I thought!
6:50AM: I toss my sweatshirt (I think it’s awesome that all the clothes get donated). I probably could have waited to toss it a bit later, but luckily it wasn’t too cold.
7:00AM: We sing the national anthem – now it feels even more real. I say a few prayers, give myself a pep talk, shake my jitters that never truly go away, get my music ready.
7:35ish AM: Just before the gun goes off I realize that I’m actually a corral behind (and I already went back a corral). I slither my away through the barrier toward the back of the corral just as the gun goes off! As we pass the flags along Ben Frankling Parkway, I desperately look for my family and see them, having to scream as I notice my brother hadn’t caught sight of me. Finally they all see me and cheer me on!
Miles 1-4: I cruise down toward Cherry St Pier. I look at my watch every few minutes to make sure I’m in tune with my pacing alerts, but with such a nice downhill slope/flat terrain, I let myself ride with the hills and ignored the alerts. The crowd is loud and cheers us on. One random girl holds a sign - “Only hot girls run!” - We make eye contact and nod in agreement.
Mile 4.5: First mid-run fuel. I hit any power up posters I see.
Mile 6-8: The crowd dies down a little bit. My body finally gets used to the rhythm, and things are feeling good. I’m surprised to hear some friends shouting out my name!
Mile 9: I look for my parents and sister-in-law and find them, looking forward to see what posters she has in store. Immediate energy boost! Also get my second fuel in. Still feeling decent. Pace always above my conservative schedule, but I make sure to stay in Zone 2ish so I conserve my energy. More power up posters.
Mile 10-12: I start to worry because my longest run this season was 12 miles. Can my body handle more? I feel a few aches and twinges here and there, but nothing out of the ordinary. Until my hip suddenly gives a sharp twinge. Luckily it goes away right away. We’re good. Then I finally come across my family again, my dad running with me for a minute, his smile radiating. I push forward.
Mile 12-14ish: A deceptive, slow uphill. Toward silence. Few spectators. Lots of nature. And then I see the loop where the earlier corrals are coming from. They look so far away! I take the chance to walk a bit and get more fuel in. AND THEN MY HEADPHONES DIE. GOODBYE TO MY CURATED PLAYLIST AND MOTIVATIONAL SPEECH AT MILE 18.
Mile 15: I see my family again! The crowd is great and loud again.
Miles 16-18: I see people sidelined, stretching, crouching. Some start walking, their legs stiff. And I feel my calves start to tighten up a bit. I modify my foot strike to minimize a forefoot strike. The calves calm down. I see the fruit energy bars they’re offering. I originally planned to avoid them, not know how my stomach would handle it. But at that point I figure what the heck (it wasn’t that tasty).
Mile 18: Just as I go to grab more fuel, my friends once again show up – and quickly hand me a cupcake which is gone in thirty seconds. Best damn cupcake I’ve had. And then I see the uphill leading into Manayunk and I smile cynically. What did I get myself into?
Mile 19-20: The buzz of the crowd GETS ME GOING. The music and cheers are loud, hydration stations seem closer than what I remember (not that I’m complaining).
Mile 20-21: The uphill slowly becomes downhill. At this point, my knees and quads start to burn (and hurt) more than I’m used to. I see the time and realize I might just beat sub 5, my plan B time goal.
Mile 22-24: This. HURTS. My knees are not telling me to stop, and of course if it were a typical training session, I would have. But not today. I try to land more on my forefoot again since my calves calmed down, leaning forward more, and try to spend less time on the ground to give my muscles a break and bias my tendons more, which as a fatigued hypermobile individual, I have no idea how that worked. I try to open bag of fruit gummies for 3 minutes, but it doesn’t open. So I grab my M&M’s instead.
Mile 25: There is no way in hell I am stopping. I came this far, my legs are gonna suck it up and take it. And then – “KATY!” I look over and see my best friend and her husband sprinting with me, camera ready to catch my glamorously tired smile, and my heart swells enough to push me toward the last mile.
Mile 26: I desperately look for the finish line. All the screams and shouts saying we’re there, but we’re not. My run club sees me and eggs me on. I try to speed up to more of a threshold pace, but I wax and wane between that and a slower pace.
Mile 26.1: I see the finish line. I see my family for the last time during the race. I dig deep and find whatever is left, using my strides in training to go the last tenth of a mile. I pass by some runners, feeling fast (the videos say otherwise).
And we cross the finish line.
And now, 2 days later, feeling less sore than I thought. I’m excited to sign up for the next one!