Notes
Whew...after 3 years with an injury, 2 surgeries, lots of anxiety and crazy health things going on, I finally accomplished what I didn't think would ever be possible in 2012. I finished my 2nd marathoner.
First, I have to talk about taper for the next time...3 weeks of taper. I was tired...My last 2 long runs felt horrible. The weather got hotter and I barely made my last 20. My first long run during taper was a 14-miler...again, another warm day...and barely made through. This taper was rougher than I remember. Muscles felt fatigued and tight I was tired all the way up to the day before the race. I even walked just a bit the last two days and almost felt like I was overdoing it because my legs felt sore. The reason why I'm writing this is because it all went away on race day. No matter how anxious I was about how I was feeling about my pre-race prep, as soon as the race started, the magical race dust kicked in and I was fine.
Second, need to talk about pre-race nutrition...I felt like I did this perfectly. Had a pretty decent pasta dinner 2 nights before the race...then the day before, I had a huge carb brunch around 1pm. Pretty much platefuls of french toast. Then for dinner, I had a pretty small pasta bowl. I ate that early...around 5 or 6pm... I drank water throughout the day....ate a roll or two in the evening before bedtime.
Also the day before, I did some walking around...and was out most of the day from about 9am until 6pm. That wiped me out enough so that I was able to get to sleep by 9pm...and even slept soundly through the night.
Anyways...race day. Got up at 4am. Just stuck my head in the shower for a quick wake up...got dressed and out the door. I had planned on taking the San Diego metro (per hotel's suggestion) to the official shuttle meetup spot...and apparently the hotel didn't realize that the metro only runs up to a certain point. They took us to about a mile and change away from the starting line. So had to make a 1.5 mile hike up a couple of hills just to get to the starting point. I got there around 5am and had a ton of time to kill. Pretty much spent the time, sipping a gatorade, using the portapotty and repeating until start time.
I was in corral 5, which wasn't too far from the start. Apparently there are 30,000 runner, but only 5,000 full marathoners. I sad in front of the corral and just waited until about 15 minutes before start to line up. Nothing too special with the start to me. I don't know if I was in a daze or what, but it was pretty much a standard race start. I just race it at a comfy pace and didn't push it. In fact, a lot of runner were passing me, but I just started it as if I were starting a nomal long run...get comfy first and then get into a groove pace.
Miles 0-5
I actually don't remember too much, because I was probably in a daze at the start. I know that we ran through balboa park..I didn't notice the zoo or any other interesting buildings. Perhaps I was just focused on the race itself. I did notice that it was a already a little rolling...and while I was waiting for a large downhill to hit, like it seemed like it would in the elevation chart, it never happened. I think, while the overall elevation was negative, there were enough of rolling hills to make me not notice. I started to get into a groove by around mile 3. The one landmark that I did notice was Petco Park. I didn't realize that it came so early...but it was a nice distraction from the race.
Also a nice feature of the race was the music. They did have live bands every couple of miles. the course also had Dj's blasting music as you pass...and there were a number of spectators throughout the first 5 miles. There were a lot of signs from the crowd. Lots of encouragement...I'll be honest and got a little sniffly thinking about where I was and what I was doing.
the course offered water at every couple of miles, and gatorade endurance every other mile...I made sure that I got something at each stop...gatorade when I could. Also was lucid enough to see the photographers on the course.
Mile 6-10
I was already in a groove at this point. There were still rollers, but nothing too crazy...lighter than my normal training runs at the metroparks. I was feeling decent, but while the bands were nice, I was looking for something more scenic to distract myself. Around this point, we ended up running b y Little Italy, which so happened to be right by my hotel. Unfortunately, I had just visited this area the night before, so the novelty was never quite there.
I think by mile 8, we were in a mexican area which I hadn't seen. Crowd support was kind of funny, because it felt like an old western movie. People were sitting in rocking chairs outside of buildings watching the runners as if we were outlaws riding through town. Ok, maybe, I'm imagining that second part, but there were people all just sitting in benches outside their restaurants.
One thing that I noticed in this race, was that no one really talked. Not that I expect lots of conversation during the race, but in Akron, people cracked jokes every now and then...or you would hear someone say something during the race. Nothing...all quiet runners...except for me. I ran past an elderly guy who had "100th marathon" on the back of his shirt. I wished him Happy 100 as I passed his slow ass. Just kidding about slow ass...he was amazing. If I were able to do 5, that would be an accomplishment...I can't imagine 100.
Still felt good in this stretch...Stuck with the water and gatorade plan. Also took a Chocolate Gu around mile 6. Funny how quickly I can wolf those down in a race versus a training run.
Mile 10-15
Still felt pretty good around this time...I think it got into some flatter parts of the course, with the occasional roller thrown in. Band were still fun. Around Mile 11, we were running by Fiesta Island and the Enchanted Isle. We were on the short that was adjacent to the island. The view was amazing. I spent much of that area running with my head turn just to look at the view. I think the path that we were on was a biking trail which was well kept. Since there's a turnaround at mile 14, we saw some of the faster runners on their way back.
I Gu'd at mile 13...no problems...was happy that the halfway point didn't feel rough at all. Miles were going by quickly.
Mile 15-20
Well, the first part of this stretch was still the trail...or at least adjacent to the trail. We turned around at 14 and saw the slower runners still at mile 12 (nothing wrong with that). Still only slight rollers at the time. I think my pace was still pretty even.
Earlier on, I remember latching onto some runners from behind and keeping pace with them. I remember seeing one runner pretty much through the first 8-9 miles...and was keeping up with her. Then she saw one of her friends on the side over the rode and then immediately got an adrenaline boost and pushed way ahead where I lost her. I remembered that happened to me in Akron, when I saw a friend and did the same thing. Since this was an out of town marathon, I didn't think that was gonna happen this time around. But then I saw my cousin Chris, off the side of the course calling my name at mile 17. Somehow I was lucid enough to recognize him. Not sure that gave me an adrenalize boost, but it kept my pace from falling too much at a point when I could have wavered.
I know after mile 17, the course started to get harder, with the peak coming at mile 20. I know I started to feel my muscle aching a little by then, and I decided to try salt. The only problem was that the salt packet broke in my pocket, and I had a bunch of loose salt in my pocket. ha...so here I am reaching in, and then licking the salt off of my hand. Not sure if it helped, but if anything it looked pretty funny.
I remember at mile 19 there was a steep hill. I remember thinking to myself, perhaps they got the course elevation wrong and placed that horrible hill at 19 instead of 20. I knew I-163 was the dreaded hill, entered 163 midway through mile 19. Anyways, I got up the hill and thought to myself, if that was the hill, then I'm golden. Alas, that wasn't the case, and the magical experience of 163 indeed came at mile 20.
Mile 20-22
Well this was it..I remember seeing a sign at an aid station saying last water station for 2.4 miles. I knew exactly why. It started out flat enough...but as I ran past the aid station, there it was in all its glory. Luckily I felt pretty good going into mile 20. I believe I was still a sub-4 marathon pace. As soon as I started up the road, though, I knew it was gonna be difficult to achieve. It was honestly steeper than I had anticipated. I think this area was when runners started dropping like flies. I'd say about 1/3 of the runners had walked up the hill.
On the way up the hill, there were some dude with his pickup truck handing out bottles of water. It was so awesome for him to be out there...not sure if he was race affiliated or what, but that helped a ton. I wasn't going very fast, so I took him up on his offer...grabbed a bottle, took a Gu and continued my slow trek up the hill.
To add insult to injury on this hill was that as you're slogging through the elevation, in the distance, you can actually see the hill turn to the right, giving the runners a horizontal view of how bad the elevation gets. I took this nice and easy...I didn't force anything, but made sure not to walk. My strategy again was to just run fast when I could, and when I can't (like during this hill) just run at whatever pace. I think I looked down at my watch and saw an 11 minute pace at one point. It was at this point that I knew a sub-4 wasn't going to happen, but that I was ok with it because of the course.
Finally, conquered the hill, whichi took a lot out of me. There was an aid station at the end of it...which I actually just walked through just so I didn't puke up gatorade and then went on my merry way.
Mile 22-24
As expected, while the hill at mile 20 sucked...I got through that relatively pain-free...but it was the rollers in this stretch that was the true challenge. I can honesty say that I wasn't hurting too much physically at this point...and actually aerobically was actually pretty decent as well. I knew since I made it this far, the marathon finish was gonna happen. I thought to myself that I've run hundreds of miles to get to this point and I only have 4 more to go. Again, with the rollers, it was hard to maintain pace after mile 20...but just stuck to the game plan.
Mile 24 - 26.2
Well, at mile 24, that's when the tightening started to happen. Just like in Akron, my muscles started to feel like they were gonna cramp up at any moment. My calf muscles started to feel twinges of potential charlie horses. First my left, then my right...Also my hammies. But one muscle that was new to this whole cramping up feeling were my quads. The vastus medialis to be exact. It was the quad muscle on your inner thigh, just above the knee. I could feel it tightening like crazy on my right leg. Then my left. Just like in Akron, it was only a matter of time which one was gonna cramp up.
At mile 25.8, I ran past a gal that had stopped and started walking. As I was running past her, I clapped my hands and yelled out, "C'mon you got this...only .4 to go!" She looked up at me, said thanks, and then started running. Looked like she cramped up, but I'm glad that she got moving again. Who knows what she was shooting for, but hopefully I helped her gain a few seconds.
At mile 26, my right vastus medialis completely cramped up....full charlie horse style. I literally yelled at it, and kept running. I did an exaggerated stride every step I took, just to stretch it out to get to the finish. I thought to myself, no stopping now...same advice that I gave the one gal only moments earlier.
There was a fools finish in the distance. It looked like a finish line, with a big rock and roll banner and everything. Seeing my watch, I knew I still had more to go. It was actually a kind of evil thing to put on the course. I crossed it and then saw the actual finish off in the distance. I saw the photographer, gave a big smile and trudged forward. I knew my time didn't beat Akron's, but just running course and knowing the difficulty level, I didn't care about the time. I ran through the finish and just soaked it all in.
In fact, as I ran into the finish area, I bumped into one of the runners that I had met on the way to san diego. He had just finished a few minutes after I did. We conveyed horror stories about mile 20, so I know it wasn't just me. Also talked to some random people who I remembered on the course...shared a similar tale.
All in all, I was happy with the run...and even though it was my 2nd marathon...I think I appreciated this one more than my first, having had to train from scratch and knowing what it took to get here.
Watch distance: 26.47
Watch time: 4:07:00.74
Watch pace: 9:20