I had just started ramping up mileage and was running really strong when I was involved in a car accident on 4/9. I knew at that point that my goals for this race needed to be adjusted. It would be weeks before I could really run again. I knew several weeks lost in training would require new goals.
Goal one: Get to the starting line. I had to reclaim my healthy, active life. I missed me during those weeks immediately following the accident. I was unhappy, angry, and recovering from injuries sustained in the accident. My top goal was then decided. I didn't care if I had to walk the whole 26.2 miles, I wasn't going to change to the HM and I wasn't going to opt out altogether. At times, people thought I was crazy and rushing my recovery, but I needed it for me.
Goal two: Once I started getting back into training and knew my body was going to be okay, I realized that my Hansons training was going very well. Maybe due to my strong desire to be at the race? Paces were spot on. Distances were covered. I felt really good. I wasn't able to do any strength training (and I still haven't done any yet, post-accident), unfortunately, but everything with running was going really well. Goal two was to run a new personal best.
Goal three: Run so well that I qualify for Boston. That would be a 3:45 finish for me. My previous best was a 3:53:50-something at Eugene. I knew it would be a stretch to knock almost 9 minutes off my time, but I also knew running was going well and I wanted it more than anything.
Goal one: check!
Goal two: check!!
Goal three: will have to wait for another day, and that's okay.
I'm so thrilled to have not only made it back to the starting line but also to run as well as I did. The last 5 miles were quite painful with bad cramping from my ankles to my butt. I suspected I might have issues when I began sweating profusely at mile 2. Mile Two! Yikes. I didn't notice anyone else around the 3:45 pace group sweating like I did. Was it extra humid? I don't know. All I know is there was a lot of sweating already happening. I carried nuun in my hydration bottle and sipped from that the whole race, even filling up again around mile 16. There were aid stations every two miles so I just made sure I was drinking at those intervals, at a minimum. Still, the cramping was pretty bad in those last miles. Down hills were the worst!
Mike dropped me off at the race start. I had just enough time to use the Hilton's restroom and check my gear. I found the 3:45 group and was happy to see an old friend from our Portland neighborhood also in the group. We were both hoping for BQs (note: neither of us got that today -- she ran a 3:45:52 or something). I ran with the 3:45 group for the first 6 miles. They were running just under 8:30 to "bank some time" before the hills that start at mile 14. Around mile 6, they started to slow and I moved slightly ahead of them. They remained just a few steps behind me for the next 13 miles. When I hit the hill around mile 19.5 or 20, my pace started to fall. Splits from my watch:
1- 8:23
2- 8:35
3- 8:18
4- 8:24
5- 8:23
6- 8:32
7- 8:18
8- 8:17
9- 8:23
10- 8:25
11- 8:22
12- 8:28
13- 8:17
14- 8:25
15- 8:38
16- 8:35
17- 8:52
18- 8:23
19- 8:47
20- 10:23*
21- 9:10
22- 8:45
23- 8:50
24- 9:07
25- 11:03*
26- 10:50
Note: First half is pretty flat and straight. Second half has lots of turns and hills, most noticeably at miles 20 and 25. (*)
Once I hit the hills, I had a hard time maintaining a good pace. The first hill is pretty long. My legs were cramping and this part of the race has a lot of turns, some pretty sharp. If it weren't for the cramping, I probably could have finished a lot stronger and with an even bigger PR. Mike caught up to me around mile 21. The 3:45 group had just passed and I was cramping going down a hill. It was really nice to have him there beside me for the remainder of the race. I stopped a few times to catch my breath and tray to shake out the cramps, but I know I would have stopped more if he hadn't been there, encouraging me all the way.
Hansons Training Method: I love this way of training! I worried a little about the long runs and only running a max of 16 miles in a single run. However, I repeated to myself many times over the weeks to trust the training. I really think it made a difference in how I felt on this run. Until the late cramping, I felt really strong and it felt comfortably hard. I'm looking forward to training with Hansons again for the next marathon!
Chip Time: 3:52:16
Pace: 8:52
Age Division: 16 / 61
Place Overall: 226 / 757
Sex Overall: 78 / 364
| 7.6 mile split: 1:04:04, 8:26 pace |
2:58:44, 8:38 pace
