Race Report: Another one from Baystate (Read 881 times)

My goal for this race was a Boston Qualifier. Since I haven't raced much this year, I judged from the speed on my long runs that it was going to be pretty tight. I planned on even splits on the first half, and then to make a decision about attempting negative splits on the second half, but then, I never follow my plans: I hitched a ride with a local runner, and arrived really early. This worked out well, since my Garmin had discharged its entire battery overnight, so I found BadDawg and chatted with him while it charged. Before I knew it, it was time to head to the start. En route, I found (a very nice) Nathan with my "stalker sheet." I kept looking around for JeffDonahue, but unfortunately never found him. I realize when I got to the start, that I hadn't quite thought things through. I'd forgotten my sunglasses and my sunscreen. I had put all my sugar items in one plastic baggy in a hurry and thrown it into the back of my shorts. It was really heavy, and pulling them down. And, crap, all of a sudden we are off. I spent most of mile one being even more of a disaster, rearranging my pockets, dropping my phone (and apologizing profusely for being an idiot), losing my hat and one glove, but I ran it in 8:23. Perfectly on pace. I ditched my sweatshirt, and cruise through miles two and three without paying too much attention to pace: Mile 2: 7:58 Mile 3: 8:01. Oops. I try sticking myself behind some other women that I overhear are going for a 3:40. Mile 4: 8:04 Mile 5: 7:55 Yikes! At this point, I'm joking with a few people about how I'm actually planning to blow out halfway through, but in reality, I'm feeling pretty comfortable here. Somewhere in this time, it occurs to me to look at my heart rate - 83%. Apparently, this IS the appropriate pace. So, I bring it up to 84-85% and pass the women I've been following. Mile 6: 8:03 Mile 7: 8:11 Now I'm in a great mood, and I exchange pleasantries with a volunteer as I make the turn onto the bridge. He tells me I better have that smile on my face next time around. I promise I'll try. I'm not loving the bridge so much, as it sways under all the runner's footsteps, making it awkward to balance on. But the river is beautiful under the fall foliage, and I turn my attention toward it. Mile 8: 8:00 Mile 9: 7:48 Mile 10: 7:52 Mile 11: 7:52 I am loving the costumed kids screaming their heads off at the mile 10/11water stop - especially the girl dressed as a banana. I grab some water from her. I feel my first black toenail developing. I consider switching brands of sneakers, but my feet swell up like crazy when I race, and I'm not sure that different sneakers would make a huge difference. My sciatic nerve is starting to nag me on the right side, but it's a familiar pain, and the nagging stays at a pretty low-level constant the rest of the race. I deal with it. On the whole, I'm still feeling great, and I can't believe it. I start chatting with a woman next to me who is racing in a triathlon top about this summer's tris, but she falls back after a mile or so. Mile 12: 7:49 I come up a woman I met early in the race, who was shooting for a 3:30, and check in. She's feeling great, but I eventually pass her, too. Mile 13: 8:00 At this point, I laugh, because this race is going so much better than I'd imagined. I make a call to husband and aunt, and let them know I might come in a little earlier than planned. Shortly after this, I start hearing footsteps behind me - it's a guy in white, who hangs a few feet behind me until mile 18. Every time he drops behind for a bit, and comes back up on me, I turn to him and smile, trying to encourage him to stay with me. Even though we never say anything to each other, his footsteps have become so familiar that I am sorry to hear him drop away. Mile 14: 7:40 Mile 15: 7:53 At this point, I don't think I stopped grinning for the rest of the race - I knew I had my BQ, and probably even better. But I know there's still plenty of miles to plough through, and now I'm starting to really feel the race. Everyone around me is quiet now, and a few people are starting to walk. It seems we're all in the same place. I'm looking forward to the 16-17 mile water stop (Tewksbury High School, I think), because they had been so enthusiastic the first time around. They were just as enthusiastic this time, and gave me juice for another couple miles. I'm embarrassed to admit it, but before the race, I'd made a little card with running-related inspirational quotes on it. I'm not usually big on this sort of thing, but late in a race, I know that I can get emotionally labile, and it's important to keep those emotions directed in the right direction. At this point, I pull it out and start reading a different one every mile so I have something to think about. Mile 16: 7:52 "Are you going to be strong, or are you going to be a wimp today?" Mile 17: 8:02 "Have faith in your training." Mile 18: 7:54 "Sweat cleanses from the inside. It comes from a place a shower will never reach." I see the same volunteer near the bridge again, and he tells me he's happy to see I'm still here - I give him a big smile and thumbs up. A man in an orange jacket stops walking and runs next to me for a little bit. He was hoping for a 3:30 and Boston Qualifier - I let him know that he's still on pace, but he's not looking so good, and I don't know what else to say. He drops back pretty quickly. After I lose my white shadow, I start running along side a guy in a red shirt, and it occurs to me to wonder why JeffDonahue hasn't passed me. I've been spying on all the numbers on the red shirts that I see. This guy tells me to stop looking at my watch and run, but I'm just watching my heart rate, so I don't blow it so late in the race. Mile 19: 7:52 "To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift." Coming up on mile 20, I start laughing. I have a full hour to finish this race and still qualify, but I'm still hitting approximately 8-minute miles. I am psyched. Mile 20: 7:58 "You have a choice. You can throw in the towel, or use it to wipe the sweat off your face." I realize I still have a full hour to finish this race, and make my time. I laugh out loud. Now my memory blurs a little, my head isn't all there, and neither are my legs. Mile 21: 8:03 "A race is a work of art that people can look at and be affected in as many ways they’re capable of understanding." The guy in the red shirt drops back. He'll find me again at the end, and we'll congratulate each other on a great race. Mile 22: 8:08 I no longer have an energy to read from the card I'm holding in my hand. I think this is where the wind really started to pick up. I ask a few people on the sidelines to turn it off. For some reason, they won't help me out. I'm leaning into it, trying to keep myself from feeling miserable, remembering that this is a marathon, there's so much time for things to go wrong, and if this is the worst thing I have to deal with, then I'm doing pretty well. Mile 23: 8:10 Mile 24: 8:36 Mile 25: 8:25 This wind is killing me, but I think we might have come off the river around this point onto some slight uphills. Most of what I remember toward the end is running uphill. Mile 26: 7:56 My husband is here in this mile somewhere. I don't even recognize him at first when he jumps in next to me to run me in. I tell him to just stay in front of me and to keep passing people. Just before we head into the arena, he leaves me. I hear my name being called as enter. Running around the diamond is really fun, and I giggle to myself the whole way. Not only did I qualify for Boston, but I really felt like I nailed this race, and, aside from spending much of August throwing up, I didn't even have to undertrain. Chip time: 3:31:37 I find BadDawg at the end and we're both laughing. Me because I'm out of my mind with low blood sugar, adrenaline and excitement, and him because, well, I'll let him tell that story. I give him a big hug and go find my family. BadDawg and Me We're leaving up the (*@#$&*(@#$&@# bleacher stairs when I hear JeffDonahue's name being called. I tell my husband that I have to meet this guy, and come back down to wait for him to come in. I introduce myself, say something, who knows what, (I hope I remembered to congratulate him) and leave. I spend the rest of the afternoon with some friends, some wine, some Jack Daniels and a couple cosmos. Awesome. Ice bath with JD. All night, when I'm able to sleep, I dream that my foot is in a meat grinder, because my black toes hurt under the weight of the blankets. Now I need a new goal. NYC qualifying time? (Splits are a little off, since they're the miles from my Garmin - I forgot to shut off the autolap feature.)

I'm leaning into it, trying to keep myself from feeling miserable, remembering that this is a marathon, there's so much time for things to go wrong, and if this is the worst thing I have to deal with, then I'm doing pretty well.

Great race. Funny, I said almost the same exact thing to myself at almost the same exact time. Miles 22-25 into the wind were tough. Well done.

Awesome Erica simply awesome! Have fun in the spring at Hop town!

I find BadDawg at the end and we're both laughing. Me because I'm out of my mind with low blood sugar, adrenaline and excitement, and him because, well, I'll let him tell that story.

I wasn't going to 'fess up about going off course AGAIN, but I guess I gots to now. Awesome kiddo, just AWESOME. (Hey wait, another Bostonian already used that in this thread. Wicked good kiddo, wicked good) MTA: this is my favorite part of an excellent race report:

Mile 22: 8:08 I no longer have an energy to read from the card I'm holding in my hand.

That sums up the end of a marathon rather nicely.

Great running & the report was really good. I love the inspirational quotes as well!

Great job, Erica! Congrats on your BQ !

Congratulations on your BQ. Nice work.

Nice race .. an excellent example of a marathon being a two-part task: 20 miles + the last 10K. You dominated the first half of the task, then overcame the second part through sheer strength, willpower and determination (despite the tough conditions). Inspiring stuff.