I'm working it the other direction. I started out  with chewing tobacco as a young boy playing baseball but that didn't last long. Then, I smoked cig's as a teenager then quit when it winded me too bad so as I couldn't surf. Then I switched to dip or snuff which was VERY hard to quit due to the concentrated nicotine dose. Plus, I worked outside and could dip round the clock. I've quit that for the last 15 years then started with the cigars couple years ago. I like them, but they reek and aren't too convenient to smoke. They last a long time. A pipe I can really appreciate the tobacco without being an addict and enjoy the sensations it gives me as a clean, simple, pleasure. Lovin it so far. Thanks for the warning though. 

 I wanted to do it the inaugural year. That had appeal to me, but wasn't focused enough. The idea of 85 miles of single track through national forest land sounds too good to pass up. I can't wait. 

I had a goal of running 10:22 pace for the duration of the marathon. I was fairly confident that I could do it give or take a little. 

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As we started running the weather and my mood and how the morning had gone were all good. I was motivated and my digestive system was quiet. I was calm and had all my Race Ready pockets full of Clif Shot Bloks, Nuun-Tabs, and S-Caps. My Hand held bottle was with me and the Garmin strapped on with a fully charged battery. What could go wrong?!

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Somewhere around mile 3 my right hip started speaking to me. It was just hurting a little. I was a little surprised as I had actually anticipated problems with the right knee if anything. Intentionally, I had given my body a lot of rest over the last 2-3 weeks before the race to get a chance to heal all of those niggles.

The hip did not quiet down - it kept nagging me. I was aware of it but didn't want to let it get the upper hand and just kind of aknowledged it was there while I kept running and focusing on keeping my pace.

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At the HM point I knew this wasn't going to be an easy marathon for me. I was getting tired (leg muscles) and the hip pain was bothering me. It was putting a strain on the entire experience. If it hadn't been for the hip pain I think I could have run a little better in the second half of the marathon. However, I noticed that when I stopped at a water station to refill my bottle and then proceeded to run after a short walk while screwing the cap on and putting my gloves back on the hip felt much better when I started to run again. So in other words, walking for a little while helped the hip to calm down and I could then run again. I proceeded like this - I noticed my pace had slowed but at this point it had become more important to find a way to complete the marathon than to keep my time goal.

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Around mile 20 it became obvious to me that I had hit the wall. I had to take frequent walk breaks in order to make my leg muscles fire properly to be able to run for a while again. This would have been OK with me if I was doing a 50K trail run. But I did not feel it was OK with me to do it in a marathon. I had expectations of running it!! 

Instead of fighting it I decided to go with the flow and enjoy the day. I found other people to run walk with as there were many of us who had hit the wall and struggled to get to the finish. From that point on I enjoyed the fact that I knew I was going to have my 3rd marathon under my belt at the end of the day and that I had finally gotten out of the house and out of my RUT and I was experiencing a marathon the same way that thousands of other runners experience it. It wasn't that bad - but I did have a lot of time to question why I was doing it?!

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I came in right under 5 hours.

Way to gut through it, Flower.  And it helps when others are around to help take your mind off what's going with you.  Good job, and thanks for reporting.

Way to gut through it, Flower. 

And it helps when others are around to help take your mind off what's going with you.  

 

Yes, some of us just laughed and cracked some jokes while walk/jog/walk/jogging it in over the last 3 or so miles. At that point it time there was nothing we could do to change anything - just relax and let it take the time it would take to finish. There'll be another marathon. And that's where your aunt and uncle and my husband and many other members of my family just don't get it - they don't understand why we do it when so much pain and suffering is involved. What can I say - they simply don't understand. I don't talk much about it with people that don't understand it; they think I am sick.....!!! I guess they would find it more normal if I were obese. My husband supports me though, in his own special way he tries hard not to talk me out of doing marathons and ultras.

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I don't have any pictures from the race.... bummer. I went there alone. I will see if I can find a way to take a picture of the medal and post it here - it is very cool and I LOVE it! I collect Marathon Medals.

 

I quit smoking the pipe 30 years ago. I get my high from a good piece of chocolate or gourmet orange marmalade. Smoking kills the taste buds and other senses -  not worth the short lived high; that's just my 2 cents worth on the subject - I don't care if you smoke or don't smoke. But you're right, shoulda smoked a pipe Saturday - woulda helped. 

 Funny, when I told a couple of people I started smoking a pipe, they said, "Crack?" Times have a changed. For the record, we're talking a tobacco pipe here. 

flower sorry you didn't do as well as you wished in your marathon.  Sounds like you made the best out of it, though.  Wished I'd had such company as you did at my marathon last year when I had to walk so much the last five miles.

flower sorry you didn't do as well as you wished in your marathon.  Sounds like you made the best out of it, though.  Wished I'd had such company as you did at my marathon last year when I had to walk so much the last five miles.

Thank you!! I have now had a few days to recover from it. I think so much of how you feel about your experience has to do with your expectations. I am very happy that I ran the marathon - it's exactly what I wanted to do. I just want to run these events - I no longer want to sit at home injured or sit at home waiting for conditions to be 100% perfect. I am no longer waiting until my training is ideal or my time trials show I am ready for a PR - that's a thing of the past. I have finally pulled myself out of that mode and it feels good. It's not that bad to be at the mid to back of the pack. I much prefer it over not participating at all. And the medal is gorgeous; I treasure it and the memories connected with it. I hope to see you at one of Ultraterri's trail runs in the spring or summer. I have not yet decided what my goal is going to be for the 24hr event, which is her first, it comes in April. I feel I am not experienced enough to aim for the full 24hrs. However, I am thinking seriously about doing half of that, which is 12 hrs, or aiming for 50 miles, which is 20 miles longer than I have ever gone. Maybe I can do 50 miles in 12 hours?