Austin Marathon (Read 737 times)

So, I went into this race pretty down. I wasn't excited for it, I wanted it just to be over. I haven't really trained since the beginning of January, and had a pretty low opinion of my performing ability. Every training for the past month felt like i was dragging elephants, probably due to a weight increase of about 5 lbs. I had some local friends who were ever so kind as to get up at 5:30 this morning drive me, in the dark, to the start, where they had very cute pink and blue port-a-potties that I finally made it out of at 6:59, for a 7 AM race start. I jogged to the 4:00 pace group, and hung with them about mile 3. When I looked at my heart rate monitor, I realized I wasn't working at all (I don't trust feeling at races), so I pushed ahead. It was a perfect morning. When the sun came up, it was just under 50 degrees and sunny. An entrancing fog was sitting over the river. I called into my "course support" at mile 7, letting them know I'd lose some Gu and my GPS was running out of batteries, could they please bring my Polar when I see them at mile 18. I felt silly, but also cool at the same time that I had a support group. At mile 8, the hills hit. I was surprised at how easy they felt, considering I am not an uphill runner. This course has a net 17 feet uphill, until mile 18, when the net downhills start. By mile 10, I was well on pace to beat my husband's PR of 3:49:14. The 3:50 pace group was just ahead of me. Austin is quite hilly - this is, after all, where Lance Armstrong trains. They don't call it "Hill Country" for nothing. There was a guy dressed as fries, yes, french fries that I kept seeing along the course with signs like "Keep running until you Ketchup." At mile 13, I overheard some spectators. "Wow, I didn't know XXX[their neighbor] was so fit. He knows everyone!" "Er, they have their names on their bibs." "Oh." That was at least a mile of laughter for me. At mile 18, I felt like, you know, like I was on mile 18 of a marathon, but I was still going strong. Still happy and still on course to beat my husband's PR. I gave a woman my extra gel, apparently she had run out and had been hoping for some on course. At mile 20, two guys ahead of me looked at the spray paint on the course and said "Oh, it says, 'this is where your race starts. That's funny.'" I could only reply, "No, it really isn't." The next six miles are a horrible blur, where everything hurt and my GPS died, so I didn't know my time and I kept forgetting what mile I was on. The polar was tracking only HR. I remember a perky woman who was nearly running circles around everyone and chatting with them. I remember trying to thank spectators who were calling my name, but hearing only a croak. I debating ripping my name off my pink dress, but couldn't quite work up the energy. I hated every turn, not sure I could make my legs take turns any more. I hated the mile markers, because it meant I needed fuel, but I didn't want to waste energy pulling sugar out of my pockets. Less than a mile from the end was the most brutal hill. It was was long and sloping and mountainous. I ran past the 3:50 pace group leader, who was dejectedly walking it. It was a cruel, cruel hill. Apparently my friends were yelling my anthem, "French toast! (why is this not showing up as a link? http://derekrose.com/wp/?p=864)) and had gotten some kids yelling it also, near the finish line, but I didn't hear them. I could only think on how 1 mile had never seemed so far. I was looking forward to the 30 or so bands that were supposed to be on course, but about half seem to have bailed. There was supposed to be a band less than every mile, and there was, for the first 8 miles, after that, they were scarce. One band was playing "Eye of the Tiger," my favorite "But-I-don't-wanna-work-out-today" exercise motivation song. I finished in 3:49:56, only 40 seconds longer than my husband (if I'd only known), and a, um, oh, I can't do math, but I PR'd in some number of minutes over 4:14:31 (Marine Corps 2006). Still, the hills made for a tough course (I can't run hills at all - I had my a$$ handed to me just a few weeks ago on a very hilly course - see training log for details), but I still finished this race on a faster pace than my first 5k, and I'm happy. And, I just had three margaritas, and I'm happy about that too. Oddly, everyone is napping right now except me. I guess my course support had a tough day. Me, looking about as good as I felt, soaking wet and approaching the finish line (notice the multiple heart rate monitors):

I should get you to talk to all my Yankee friends who think all of Texas is flat, LOL! I tell them that Austin is hillier than Portland, Maine, but they don't believe me. My parents' neighborhood will be very challenging for me to run in when I'm there in April.

Great job Erica!! I loved the race report!! Have another margarita for me!!!

At last check (Can't ... do... it... Help?), school was messing up your training and you were giving serious consideration to not running the race. Then you go out and run a PR of 3:49:56 on a challenging course. All I can say is it's nice to be young! Well done Erica! Hope you recover well, be sure to say hi next time you pass the old guy from the Heights on the bikepath.

At mile 20, two guys ahead of me looked at the spray paint on the course and said "Oh, it says, 'this is where your race starts. That's funny.'" I could only reply, "No, it really isn't."

I'm sure I wouldn't be finding the humor in that, either. Great report and you rocked that...wow, what a PR under the circumstances!

Oddly, everyone is naping right now except me.

Hehe... that made me chuckle. Way to go Erica! Awesome race and report!

Excellent. Great race--great report. All the best. Recover wisely. Nick

I tried the ice bath thing this morning. I do not have the cajones for it. However, my near total inability to walk keeps me safely away from any form of exercise. E

At last check (Can't ... do... it... Help?), school was messing up your training and you were giving serious consideration to not running the race. Then you go out and run a PR of 3:49:56 on a challenging course. All I can say is it's nice to be young! Well done Erica! Hope you recover well, be sure to say hi next time you pass the old guy from the Heights on the bikepath.

Whaddup E-dawg? Hah! No more long, long runs for a while, hopefully I'll be less self-absorbed next time! I honestly have no idea where I pulled Sunday's race out of. I can't help thinking I owe someone my soul.