Spin Dr - RnR Marathon - Race Report (Read 564 times)

Spin Dr – RnR Marathon – Race Report As I sit down to write this, I think back to my first post on RA when I first started training for this marathon and realizing then what a lofty goal this was and wondering if I would be able to stick it out and finish. Saturday, went down to the expo, picked up my stuff and met up with a co-worker and two guys I hadn’t seen since boot camp. Went to Dick’s Last Resort to “carb-load”. Big pasta & shrimp dinner, 2 pints of Sam Adams should do the trick. Head back to my co-workers apartment to settle in for the night. He apartment is only 1 block away from mile 18, so we were already seeing signs of the race being set up. 9:30 go to bed overhearing some of his neighbors talking about their planned exploits for the night. His little apartment is amongst many in Pacific Beach which are housed by mostly college students. It’s Saturday night, so what do you expect college students do? 2:20, they come home with a couple “giggly girls” and the party continues which included a drunken fight with the stereo blasting. Damn, so much for a good nights rest. 3:45 get up, get dressed, pack up and take everything out to the truck. On the way back to the house, drunk neighbor sees my bib, “dude, you running that thing today?” ‘yep’, “you gonna win?” ‘yep’. “right-on”. Shakes my hand. ‘thanks pal, come out and cheer us on’. “Oh yeah, that’d be fun”. Hmm, should have stayed home and drove, oh well. Get to the start area no problem at 5:30. Mill about, take care of business, twice, hydrate and meet up with some friends. Enter corral #14 full of butterflies, but thought back on my training, “Hal Higdon, don’t let me down”. National Anthem starts, 20,000 go quiet except for one voice. Awesome. Heart pounding. Never did hear a gun go off, but by about 6:40, we start moving. Pass the start line, press start on the watch, salute the marine and we’re off. Get settled into a groove by mile 3, little faster than I thought I should be at but feeling good, plus its all downhill to the city. Cruise through till mile 8 when we start up 163. Not as bad as I thought it would be. Hear a lot of grumblings about the canted freeway, but it didn’t bother me. Crested the hill and started down towards mile 11. Called my wife Jen to let her know I was almost to mile 12 where she’d be waiting with the kids. All set. Start getting close to the meeting point, and eyeing all the faces as I run by. Slow down so I make sure I don’t miss them. Get past mile 12 and the crowd starts to thin down to no-one. Uh oh. Call Jen, find out that I missed them. Seriously bummed. By mile 14 I was over it and got back on pace. Cruised along till about mile 19 when Jen called to tell me how sorry she was, and gave me a ton of support. I talked to my daughter Kate who told me “sorry I missed you, daddy, you a great runner”. Tears streamed down my face, and I picked up the pace. Jen told me they were at the finish area just getting through security and would be sure to find a place to see me. Feeling revitalized the next couple miles went by like nothing. By mile 21, I looked at my watch, did some quick calculations and realized I was on a 4:15 pace. No way! Well, I was soon corrected when the sun came out. Whoa, felt like I was melting. Definitely slowed down, but did not walk. At about 21 1/2 ran by the hash house harriers table where they were giving out beer. I thought, hey this is supposed to be fun so why not. Took a cup of ice cold domestic, and drank it down. Almost went back for seconds it tasted so good. Kept plodding along feeling it, and seeing many around me start to walk. Thought about it, but decided to just keep moving knowing the next water stop was just around the corner. At the next water stop, downed a packet of salt washed it down. Met up with another Navy guy who was looking pretty rough. We talked a bit and he asked if it was my first, and congratulated me. Told me it was he third and was on pace to break his PR of 4:45. I said, “lets go”. So we “ran” together for the next couple miles. About this time I looked at my watch and noticed it was 3:40, I thought about Lifesabeach Jen, and that hopefully she was sprinting towards the finish. As it turned out she was! Over the next couple miles, more and more people were walking, and saw one guy passed out on the side being attended to by medical. Just then an ambulance was headed up the street. Hope he is ok. Saw a few people sitting on the curb, shoes off. I hope they were able to finish, especially being so close. As I crossed 25 miles, I saw my co-worker bill a couple hundred yards ahead. I was amazed as he has completed 16 marathons. I started to pick up the pace trying to catch him. Entered into the Marine Corps Base knowing it was now less than a mile to go. Just passed 26 miles I was probably 30 ft from Bill, but then I saw Jen and the kids. To hell with Bill. I ran over to them, kissed Jen, gave Kate a hug and kiss, and high five-ed Will. Although he was more interested in eating the orange barricade. (he’s only 10 mos, so what do you expect? Told them I loved them, and started my sprint to the finish! Crossed the line, hit my watch and, HOO-YA broke 4:30! 4:29:25 Bill came over, shook my hand and told me “damn, I thought I’d buried you long ago”. I told him I had him in my sights at the end, but family came first. He laughed and said it was good cause he didn’t want to have to race me down the homestretch. Great job to him as he PR’ed by over 10 minutes. As I hobbled through the finish area I started to go over the journey that brought me to that point. All of a sudden I got all choked up and tears started to stream. I wiped them off, gained composure and called the wife to find out where they were. So now as I think back to that original post on RA I have to thank many of you for the encouragement, motivation and training you provided to helping me reach a very lofty goal. Thank you! Jason

Great job on your first marathon, Jason! It's stories like all these I read here that keep me coming back, and give me encouragement to reach for my running goals. Thanks!

Awesome race report and big congrats on finishing your marathon especially ahead of your goal!

Congratulations and thanks for sharing. How warm and humid was it?

Great race! Congratulations Jason!

What great race reports! Loved reading them...shed a few more tears I have to say. Best part is about the family, the most important thing in my book too! Thanks, really enjoyed reading it and Congrats!!!

I love this time of year! I love all these race reports. Congratulations Jason.! I am so envious that you got to see you wife and kids at the finish of your first marathon! Dave

Called my wife Jen to let her know I was almost to mile 12 where she’d be waiting with the kids. All set.

No you didn't carry a cell-phone! (O.M.G. Sheesh!) What is the world coming too! Great race report though and CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!