I know that my last post focused mostly on my personal experience and not a lot on the race itself. I have compiled a few of the good and not-so-good things about the Long Beach Marathon.
PROS
*Runner communication—The staff at RunRacing did a good job of keeping runners informed about everything. By following/liking the race on Facebook and Twitter, I felt completely connected to everything going on with the race. They really did an excellent job of getting everyone excited from posting pictures of the medal to various spots on the course.
*Pre-paid parking—Since I had VIP parking, I didn’t take advantage of this, but I think it is a brilliant idea. It takes one less thing to stress about on race morning.
*Expo- I discussed the expo here.
*Shirt—I like the shirt a lot. It is a more unique color (not white or navy blue) and the stripes make it very flattering. They had women’s sizes, so the fit is better. It is one of my favorite race shirts.
*Location- I had never realized that Long Beach was so nice. Before training for this race, I had a certain opinion about Long Beach. Years ago, before moving to Southern California, a friend and I drove from San Diego to Santa Barbara along PCH. My memory of that trip was that Long Beach was one of the least scenic parts. I now know that the scenic parts of Long Beach are not along the Coast Highway. The harbors and waterways in Long Beach are beautiful. The race course really takes advantage of that.
*Post race food in a bag- This is SO convenient. At the LA Rock ‘n Roll Half* they just had all the food set out to grab, but it was in the finishers’ area so you couldn’t go back for more. We looked silly trying to carry water, Cytomax, banana, bagel, cereal etc. out of the finishers’ area. At Long Beach, they handed you a bag which made it so much easier.
*Chocolate milk! When I saw all the chocolate milk, I was so happy. It is a great recovery drink. Often in races there is some sort of recovery drink, but it is hit and miss. They are usually out of the flavor I like. You know what you are getting with chocolate milk. No surprises there.
Great volunteers—Everyone I came in contact with was really nice. The only issue I would have was that a few of them didn’t seem super informed. I asked where the VIP tent was and two volunteers didn’t know (it turned out to be about fifty feet from where they were standing).
*Plenty of aid stations and medical tents—This doesn’t need much explaining.
*Plenty of porta potties along the route—I am so thankful for this. There was a porta potty right when I needed it!
CONS
*Flat concrete path—I knew about it, but didn’t think it would be an issue at all, but the more I think about it, the more I think it may have been more difficult than I anticipated.
*Powerade—it could have been my faulty taste buds, but this stuff tasted sickly sweet. Luckily, I had brought my own Gatorade, but late in the race I was out. It was pretty humid, so I was trying to keep my electrolytes up.
*No race clocks at mile markers—This wasn’t a big issue for me, but I know a lot of people that like seeing where they are in the race. With such a big race, very few people run anywhere near the gun time, so most of us have to do math to know where we are. It is just something I am used to seeing in big races.
*The wave lineup—There was no way to get from the back of the pack to an earlier wave without pushing through masses of people. There were no breaks in the fence (I think this is a permanent fence for the Grand Prix) so I am not sure how you could fix that. That said, once we made it up the the front of Wave 2, the start was the perfect pace. I didn’t have to do a lot of weaving. I suppose the people that want to be in Waves 1 and 2 are motivated to get there while the walkers will stay at the back.
*BAG CHECK—This was, by far, the race organizer’s biggest failure. They brought in Jet Blue to handle the bags. It makes sense to assume that people that deal with luggage every day shouldn’t have a problem dealing with runners’ bags. It was a complete mess. First, there was a line to check bags in. It wasn’t long, but in other races I have just walked up and been done.
The line after the race was unacceptable. I hear it was longest for the half marathoners. My friend, Stacey, ran the half in 2:14 (yeah, Stacey!!) They waited in the line long enough to watch me cross the finish line nearly two hours later.**
When I finished my race, all I wanted to do was get my bag with my flip flops and sweatshirt. I waited for probably about 40 minutes or so. When I got up to the tent a volunteer told someone ahead of me that her bib number was on the other end of the tent. I looked at the back wall of the (very small) tent and saw bib numbers. I went over to where I saw the 2000’s, The line suddenly disintegrated. Runners stormed the tent. There were tables laying on their sides and I stood behind one. Those of us behind the tables were holding up their bibs, hoping someone would spot their number on a bag. Meanwhile, runners were in the tent stepping through the piles of bags. A guy behind me was yelling at them to get the hell out of there and let the volunteers do their jobs. The volunteers were clearly in a situation that was out of control. One of the runners near me said, “I’m going in.” I told him my bag was a blue “Dana Point Turkey Trot” bag, instead of the Long Beach red bag given at the expo. Thank Goodness!! He found my bag and gave it to me.
I understand that it is tricky to deal with thousands of bags. I would have more patience with the situation if I hadn’t had such great experiences in the past. Actually, they weren’t great experiences, just non-noteworthy experiences. I have run other large races including three Rock ‘n Roll events, Surf City and the Camp Pendleton Mud Run. In all of these races, there was no wait at all. Rock ‘n Roll events use UPS and organize bags by runners’ last name. You go to the truck with the first letter of your last name and they have the bags organized by bib number. Simple.
I didn’t really mean to go on and on about the situation. I know that the race management staff is fully aware of that situation and will make it better next year.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Overall, the Long Beach Marathon was a well-run event. There were a lot of people, which always makes for issues. The race director, for the most part, had everything under control. Despite my negative personal experience, I would definitely run this race again.
Happy Running...
*Race report for the Inaugural Rock ‘n Roll Half is coming soon!
**You may wonder why my friend Stacey wasn’t there when I was done or why my car wasn’t there. Our plans were for Stacey to take my car to Huntington Beach where her sister’s boat is. Then they all (both families) came in the boat to Long Beach and picked me up at the public dock where we hung out for a while. The only reason I had to wait for them was the line for the bags. Otherwise, Stacey would have been in Huntington Beach long before I crossed the finish line.
Showing posts with label Long Beach Marathon. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Long Beach Marathon. Show all posts
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Long Beach Marathon Race Report
Last week, I actually thought that I might skip my race report this time. I was pretty bummed. But I also told myself that I would probably not run a marathon again… and we all know how those statements turn out. So here is my race report. I write this as much for me as for anyone reading it. I still don’t know what went wrong. With my other races that didn’t go my way, I could point to a reason why it fell apart. I’m still trying to sort all that out.
I carbo loaded the same way I did for Surf City. I ate a lower carb diet in the early part of the week and then ramped up later in the week. In retrospect, maybe I could have gone heavier at lunch and then lighter at dinner. That worked really well in Carlsbad. However, my food the day before the race was no different than before any of my long runs.
I took it easy all day Saturday, having gone to the expo on Friday. I had everything set out early and was in bed at a reasonable hour. I slept surprisingly well. I only woke up once, where I usually wake up every hour before a race. I woke up a couple minutes before my alarm (the first of three that I had set). I was ready to go and excited.
I picked up my friend Marci at 5:15 and we were both feeling good. I made a comment that maybe it was a bad sign that I wasn’t more nervous. Foreshadowing??
We got there in great time. The route I chose was perfect and we didn’t hit any traffic. Parking was a breeze. A friend of mine had been able to get us VIP parking and access to the VIP tent. We parked, walked over the bridge and used the porta potty in the VIP tent…avoiding all potty lines! I wished my friend Stacey and her brothers good luck and Marci and I headed out to check my bag and line up at the start. We made our way up into Wave 1 (I thought it was Wave 2 until I saw the 3:40 pacer). Things were going great!
That first mile was 8:34…a bit faster than my plan, but nothing too bad. The next ten miles were all between 8:34 and 8:48—exactly where I wanted to be. Unfortunately, I was not running the tangents very well and my Garmin was off from the mile markers. According to my pace band, I was right on target for a 3:50 finish. There wasn’t much room for error.
Marci was looking good. Around the third or fourth mile, she started pulling away. I was ok with that, because my pace was right where I wanted it to be. I wanted to run my race and I let her run hers.
I noticed pretty early on that my running did not feel “effortless.” My legs felt a little heavy and I couldn’t quite get into a really easy rhythm with my breathing. In the beginning, I was thinking that I just needed to warm up. Often on long runs, I don’t get into a good groove until at least mile five or six. However, once I got onto the beach path, my legs felt really heavy. I had to focus on each step. A few people have commented that the concrete path was really difficult. At the time, I didn’t think much of it. But, looking back, the concrete may have contributed to my overall decline at the end of the race.
Right as I started on the bike path, Marci appeared out of a bathroom. We were thrilled to have found each other again. Things were looking up. however, my leg was starting to get pretty tight. I stopped at the Kool ‘n Fit spray tent at mile 10 and had them spray my thigh and knee. I was hoping to prevent future issues.
Marci and I ran together until sometime around mile 11 when I felt a horrible feeling-- I had to go to the bathroom! I thought I had gone plenty of times before as part of my typical pre-race ritual. Hmmm…. now I am wondering if I should try the Immodium route like so many others do, but it still makes me nervous. But that feeling where you desperately need a porta potty is one of the worst feelings in the world. I know now that it was the beginning of the end.
I found a bathroom—thank God. I was in there a little over a minute. I knew I had some time to make up to make my goal. Once out of the potty, I hit the lap button on my Garmin to make sure I ran at the right pace and took off. But, for some reason, I never quite got back to my pace. It took more and more work just to keep my pace under 9:00. My stomach was still feeling “icky” and I thought at one point that I was gong to throw up.
It didn’t take long for me to realize that 3:50 was now not possible. I shook off that goal and decided that I would be going for a less aggressive goal. I wanted to finish under my PR of 3:57. I knew that the pace for that time was 9:03. If I kept my pace under 9:00 for the rest of the race, I could manage a PR. No problem, right?
I saw Marci’s husband around mile 16. I wasn’t feeling speedy, but I was feeling ok. The feeling that I was going to throw up wasn’t as strong and I was encouraged when he told me that he had only seen Marci a couple minutes before. Seeing her family really gave me a boost and I was still feeling optimistic.
I was walking at the water stops at this point, even though I had carried plenty of water. I was using the stops as an excuse to rest. I was feeling a bit winded, something I never feel. In looking back, I wonder if my initial desire to make up the time in the porta potty made me run with an elevated heart rate. I don’t run with a monitor, but I would be really curious to see where my heart rate was before the bathroom stop and after.
The course turned into the CSULB campus and I knew the last major hill of the course was around the campus. As I struggled up the hill, I started to notice that my IT band was getting really uncomfortable. Ironically, this is also the area where my favorite spot in the course was. The Fraternities and Sororities of the university all converged in one area to cheer on the runners. They were so loud and having fun. They were cheering for each one of the runners individually. They were, by far, the best spectators of the entire course. In fact, they may have been the best spectators of any race I have run. It could have been that I needed that kind of lift right then. It was the first time I had smiled in a while.
It was around this time that I knew that my PR was gone. However, I was encouraged to see the four-hour pacer up ahead of me. I wanted…no, I needed to catch up with her. I didn’t catch her on the uphill, but I thought I might be able to close the gap on the downhill. Unfortunately, her group picked it up a bit on that downhill too. Right past mile 19, I was still in reach and as I accelerated, my knee started hurting a lot. In fact, every time I ran faster than 9:00, I felt a shooting pain in the side of my knee. I had to walk at the water station. I watched her red and white balloons of the four hour pacer getting further and further away from me.
The next miles were the hardest miles of any race I have ever run. My body hurt everywhere and mentally, I was DONE. Whenever I stopped to walk, I started to cry. It was odd to cry with no tears…I’m pretty sure I sweated all my tears out long before that point. I was mad at myself. I felt weak. It was during the next couple miles that I doubted my mental strength to push through pain. I stopped trying. I stopped and walked whenever I felt like it, not waiting for an aid station. This week, looking back at my race, it was these last few miles that I am most disappointed with. I keep wondering if I gave up because I was off my goal or because I was physically incapable of pushing myself. I don’t think I’ll ever know.
Around mile 22 or so, I tried to rally some fun. Some guy was offering beer in dixie cups and I took one. I knew it couldn’t hurt. Unfortunately, it tasted horrible. I’m not sure if it was just bad beer or if my taste buds were not tasting correctly. Earlier, I had eaten a couple of my Sour Patch Kids and they tasted nasty too. Next, there were some people handing out Mardi Gras beads. “Bead me!” I said to them. I thought I might as well look like a party if I didn’t feel like one. Unfortunately, they were really annoying and did nothing to improve my mood. But at that point, I am not sure if anything would.
It was around this time that I saw Lety. I had met Lety in Long Beach when I went down to run with my friend Nadine’s running group. She and Nadine had given me a tour of Long Beach and told me about the race. I was relieved to see a friendly face. I knew that if I forced myself to stay with her, I could finish strong, or at least finish. She told me that pain was “weakness leaving the body.” As we hit mile 23, I said, “I can do a 5K!” She reminded me that “5Ks hurt.” Oh, how right she was.
While I was running with Lety, I saw Aron on the sidelines. I knew that Aron knew exactly how I was feeling. I really felt connected to her when I read her race report from the Eugene Marathon in 2009. I truly felt her emotion in that post. How little did I know at the time that I would have a similar experience 18 months later. Some of the things she wrote, I can write myself today*. So when I saw her, I knew she was someone who would understand. I ran right up to her and said, “I need a hug.” Of course, she was so sweet and gave me a genuine hug. As I ran away from her, I realized that a) she had finished running the half and was long past sweaty and the last thing she needed was a sweaty runner giving her a hug and b) she and I have never actually met in person, so hugging a stranger might feel odd. But of course, she is a great person who has hugs to give.
I continued to run with Lety. My knee was really hurting me. I saw a woman spraying more of the Kool ‘N Fit spray. This time it really didn’t make a dent in the pain. Nothing was going to help at this point. I walked a bit and soon I saw Lety disappearing into the crowd. I was on my own for the last bit of the race. I have never wanted to quit any race more than I did at that moment.
Right before the course turned off of Ocean toward the finish, I realized that I was in no mood to finish with my Mardi Gras beads. I didn’t want anything to suggest I was in a party mood. I saw a little girl on the side of the road. I asked her mother if I could give her the beads. The little girl was thrilled. At least they did some good and made someone’s day.
I ran into the finish. Apparently, my friend, Stacey, watched me come in and cheered like crazy for me. I didn’t hear her. I think I was focusing on getting to that finish line. After finishing, all I could do was cry. I got my medal, my bag of food and a chocolate milk. I wanted to get out of there and go meet my friends and family** I went to go get my bag and waited in line an eternity***. Marci found me in line and as soon as I saw her, I started to cry. I was happy that she ran her sub-four marathon, but I was so disappointed in myself. I feel horrible that my sadness over my failure may have taken some of Marci’s wind out of her sails. She should have been able to celebrate her great accomplishment with me.
I was able to meet up with Aron and her friends and sat on the grass for them for a while. I had a bit of a wait for my people to get me and sitting with other marathoners was a nice way to keep from feeling too sorry for myself.
After the Northern California girls let for their hotel, I wandered around the area waiting for my family and friends. This was the toughest part of my post race experience. I was having a pretty good pity party. Luckily, I was able to bounce back pretty quickly once joining my post race party.**
I know I physically pushed my body by how sore I was the next few days. I was surprisingly sore. I feel better now. I feel better both physically and emotionally. It has been a good week and I have learned a lot**** There are no more tears and I have come to terms with the disaster of a race. I think the initial disappointment hurt so much because I had such high expectations.
Sometimes I wonder if I enjoy training for a marathon more than actually running it. I have only run four marathons, which makes me practically a novice. I definitely have a renewed respect for the marathon. I know that I have a lot to learn.
I do know that 4:15 is a decent marathon time. I know that crossing the finish line of any marathon is an accomplishment. It is easy to say those things a week later. But I am not in any rush to feel that disappointment again. I know that when I do finally run that dream race, it will feel that much more satisfying.
Thank you all for the support and encouragement. Thanks to all of you who read this novel of a race report. I know it was a long rambling mess.
Happy Running….
*Aron wrote this in her post about her unsuccessful BQ attempt:
***I will write about some specific race issues in a separate post.
****I have a new perspective brought on by an outpouring of support from my friends and family. I will write about that in another post.
I carbo loaded the same way I did for Surf City. I ate a lower carb diet in the early part of the week and then ramped up later in the week. In retrospect, maybe I could have gone heavier at lunch and then lighter at dinner. That worked really well in Carlsbad. However, my food the day before the race was no different than before any of my long runs.
I took it easy all day Saturday, having gone to the expo on Friday. I had everything set out early and was in bed at a reasonable hour. I slept surprisingly well. I only woke up once, where I usually wake up every hour before a race. I woke up a couple minutes before my alarm (the first of three that I had set). I was ready to go and excited.
I picked up my friend Marci at 5:15 and we were both feeling good. I made a comment that maybe it was a bad sign that I wasn’t more nervous. Foreshadowing??
We got there in great time. The route I chose was perfect and we didn’t hit any traffic. Parking was a breeze. A friend of mine had been able to get us VIP parking and access to the VIP tent. We parked, walked over the bridge and used the porta potty in the VIP tent…avoiding all potty lines! I wished my friend Stacey and her brothers good luck and Marci and I headed out to check my bag and line up at the start. We made our way up into Wave 1 (I thought it was Wave 2 until I saw the 3:40 pacer). Things were going great!
Marci and I are ready to go!
Stacey and I before her first half marathon
After the typical announcements, National Anthem, etc. we were off! I kept remembering Alissa telling me that the first ten miles of a marathon should be the easiest ten miles I have run. I easily ran under my target pace. In fact, I had to slow myself (and Marci) down. It was a bit humid, but it was overcast and the temperature was nice. That first mile was 8:34…a bit faster than my plan, but nothing too bad. The next ten miles were all between 8:34 and 8:48—exactly where I wanted to be. Unfortunately, I was not running the tangents very well and my Garmin was off from the mile markers. According to my pace band, I was right on target for a 3:50 finish. There wasn’t much room for error.
Marci was looking good. Around the third or fourth mile, she started pulling away. I was ok with that, because my pace was right where I wanted it to be. I wanted to run my race and I let her run hers.
I noticed pretty early on that my running did not feel “effortless.” My legs felt a little heavy and I couldn’t quite get into a really easy rhythm with my breathing. In the beginning, I was thinking that I just needed to warm up. Often on long runs, I don’t get into a good groove until at least mile five or six. However, once I got onto the beach path, my legs felt really heavy. I had to focus on each step. A few people have commented that the concrete path was really difficult. At the time, I didn’t think much of it. But, looking back, the concrete may have contributed to my overall decline at the end of the race.
Right as I started on the bike path, Marci appeared out of a bathroom. We were thrilled to have found each other again. Things were looking up. however, my leg was starting to get pretty tight. I stopped at the Kool ‘n Fit spray tent at mile 10 and had them spray my thigh and knee. I was hoping to prevent future issues.
Marci and I ran together until sometime around mile 11 when I felt a horrible feeling-- I had to go to the bathroom! I thought I had gone plenty of times before as part of my typical pre-race ritual. Hmmm…. now I am wondering if I should try the Immodium route like so many others do, but it still makes me nervous. But that feeling where you desperately need a porta potty is one of the worst feelings in the world. I know now that it was the beginning of the end.
I found a bathroom—thank God. I was in there a little over a minute. I knew I had some time to make up to make my goal. Once out of the potty, I hit the lap button on my Garmin to make sure I ran at the right pace and took off. But, for some reason, I never quite got back to my pace. It took more and more work just to keep my pace under 9:00. My stomach was still feeling “icky” and I thought at one point that I was gong to throw up.
It didn’t take long for me to realize that 3:50 was now not possible. I shook off that goal and decided that I would be going for a less aggressive goal. I wanted to finish under my PR of 3:57. I knew that the pace for that time was 9:03. If I kept my pace under 9:00 for the rest of the race, I could manage a PR. No problem, right?
I saw Marci’s husband around mile 16. I wasn’t feeling speedy, but I was feeling ok. The feeling that I was going to throw up wasn’t as strong and I was encouraged when he told me that he had only seen Marci a couple minutes before. Seeing her family really gave me a boost and I was still feeling optimistic.
I was walking at the water stops at this point, even though I had carried plenty of water. I was using the stops as an excuse to rest. I was feeling a bit winded, something I never feel. In looking back, I wonder if my initial desire to make up the time in the porta potty made me run with an elevated heart rate. I don’t run with a monitor, but I would be really curious to see where my heart rate was before the bathroom stop and after.
The course turned into the CSULB campus and I knew the last major hill of the course was around the campus. As I struggled up the hill, I started to notice that my IT band was getting really uncomfortable. Ironically, this is also the area where my favorite spot in the course was. The Fraternities and Sororities of the university all converged in one area to cheer on the runners. They were so loud and having fun. They were cheering for each one of the runners individually. They were, by far, the best spectators of the entire course. In fact, they may have been the best spectators of any race I have run. It could have been that I needed that kind of lift right then. It was the first time I had smiled in a while.
It was around this time that I knew that my PR was gone. However, I was encouraged to see the four-hour pacer up ahead of me. I wanted…no, I needed to catch up with her. I didn’t catch her on the uphill, but I thought I might be able to close the gap on the downhill. Unfortunately, her group picked it up a bit on that downhill too. Right past mile 19, I was still in reach and as I accelerated, my knee started hurting a lot. In fact, every time I ran faster than 9:00, I felt a shooting pain in the side of my knee. I had to walk at the water station. I watched her red and white balloons of the four hour pacer getting further and further away from me.
The next miles were the hardest miles of any race I have ever run. My body hurt everywhere and mentally, I was DONE. Whenever I stopped to walk, I started to cry. It was odd to cry with no tears…I’m pretty sure I sweated all my tears out long before that point. I was mad at myself. I felt weak. It was during the next couple miles that I doubted my mental strength to push through pain. I stopped trying. I stopped and walked whenever I felt like it, not waiting for an aid station. This week, looking back at my race, it was these last few miles that I am most disappointed with. I keep wondering if I gave up because I was off my goal or because I was physically incapable of pushing myself. I don’t think I’ll ever know.
Around mile 22 or so, I tried to rally some fun. Some guy was offering beer in dixie cups and I took one. I knew it couldn’t hurt. Unfortunately, it tasted horrible. I’m not sure if it was just bad beer or if my taste buds were not tasting correctly. Earlier, I had eaten a couple of my Sour Patch Kids and they tasted nasty too. Next, there were some people handing out Mardi Gras beads. “Bead me!” I said to them. I thought I might as well look like a party if I didn’t feel like one. Unfortunately, they were really annoying and did nothing to improve my mood. But at that point, I am not sure if anything would.
It was around this time that I saw Lety. I had met Lety in Long Beach when I went down to run with my friend Nadine’s running group. She and Nadine had given me a tour of Long Beach and told me about the race. I was relieved to see a friendly face. I knew that if I forced myself to stay with her, I could finish strong, or at least finish. She told me that pain was “weakness leaving the body.” As we hit mile 23, I said, “I can do a 5K!” She reminded me that “5Ks hurt.” Oh, how right she was.
While I was running with Lety, I saw Aron on the sidelines. I knew that Aron knew exactly how I was feeling. I really felt connected to her when I read her race report from the Eugene Marathon in 2009. I truly felt her emotion in that post. How little did I know at the time that I would have a similar experience 18 months later. Some of the things she wrote, I can write myself today*. So when I saw her, I knew she was someone who would understand. I ran right up to her and said, “I need a hug.” Of course, she was so sweet and gave me a genuine hug. As I ran away from her, I realized that a) she had finished running the half and was long past sweaty and the last thing she needed was a sweaty runner giving her a hug and b) she and I have never actually met in person, so hugging a stranger might feel odd. But of course, she is a great person who has hugs to give.
I continued to run with Lety. My knee was really hurting me. I saw a woman spraying more of the Kool ‘N Fit spray. This time it really didn’t make a dent in the pain. Nothing was going to help at this point. I walked a bit and soon I saw Lety disappearing into the crowd. I was on my own for the last bit of the race. I have never wanted to quit any race more than I did at that moment.
Right before the course turned off of Ocean toward the finish, I realized that I was in no mood to finish with my Mardi Gras beads. I didn’t want anything to suggest I was in a party mood. I saw a little girl on the side of the road. I asked her mother if I could give her the beads. The little girl was thrilled. At least they did some good and made someone’s day.
I ran into the finish. Apparently, my friend, Stacey, watched me come in and cheered like crazy for me. I didn’t hear her. I think I was focusing on getting to that finish line. After finishing, all I could do was cry. I got my medal, my bag of food and a chocolate milk. I wanted to get out of there and go meet my friends and family** I went to go get my bag and waited in line an eternity***. Marci found me in line and as soon as I saw her, I started to cry. I was happy that she ran her sub-four marathon, but I was so disappointed in myself. I feel horrible that my sadness over my failure may have taken some of Marci’s wind out of her sails. She should have been able to celebrate her great accomplishment with me.
I was able to meet up with Aron and her friends and sat on the grass for them for a while. I had a bit of a wait for my people to get me and sitting with other marathoners was a nice way to keep from feeling too sorry for myself.
After the Northern California girls let for their hotel, I wandered around the area waiting for my family and friends. This was the toughest part of my post race experience. I was having a pretty good pity party. Luckily, I was able to bounce back pretty quickly once joining my post race party.**
I know I physically pushed my body by how sore I was the next few days. I was surprisingly sore. I feel better now. I feel better both physically and emotionally. It has been a good week and I have learned a lot**** There are no more tears and I have come to terms with the disaster of a race. I think the initial disappointment hurt so much because I had such high expectations.
Sometimes I wonder if I enjoy training for a marathon more than actually running it. I have only run four marathons, which makes me practically a novice. I definitely have a renewed respect for the marathon. I know that I have a lot to learn.
I do know that 4:15 is a decent marathon time. I know that crossing the finish line of any marathon is an accomplishment. It is easy to say those things a week later. But I am not in any rush to feel that disappointment again. I know that when I do finally run that dream race, it will feel that much more satisfying.
Thank you all for the support and encouragement. Thanks to all of you who read this novel of a race report. I know it was a long rambling mess.
Happy Running….
*Aron wrote this in her post about her unsuccessful BQ attempt:
i do know this… no matter how much i hated the marathon today and wanted to quit, i know i will be back and i know i have that BQ in me. …, “i am just waiting for the perfect race to let my secret out” and i know when it does happen it will be that much better.**My family and Stacey’s family went out on a boat after the race and had a fabulous time. It was exactly what I needed to prevent me from wallowing in self pity. How can you pout about a race when you are on the ocean watching dolphins frolic. Seriously. The beer and company didn’t hurt either. ;-)
***I will write about some specific race issues in a separate post.
****I have a new perspective brought on by an outpouring of support from my friends and family. I will write about that in another post.
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Not my day…
The Long Beach Marathon was not a good race for me. I had such high expectations for this race so the fall was much farther; I hit harder. I have shed my tears and am now ready to move forward. I am starting on my race report and post mortem. I wanted to update here for any readers who don’t follow me on Twitter or Facebook. I’m still not sure exactly what happened…. more in the race report.
results: 4:15:32
place: 1248/3527
women: 364/1369
F 40-44: 63/210
results: 4:15:32
place: 1248/3527
women: 364/1369
F 40-44: 63/210
Saturday, October 16, 2010
Long Beach Expo--check!
I went to the expo yesterday to get my bib, shirt and goodies. I didn’t feel particularly nervous until I was driving through Long Beach near the course (and at one point across the course). As I recognized the area from two of my long training runs*, I felt my heart rate increase and that familiar feel of adrenaline rushing through me. I feel it right now as I think about how at this time tomorrow, I will be halfway done with my fourth marathon.
The expo was great. It was large enough to have plenty to look at and be worth driving all the way down there but not so big to be overwhelming. The Rock and Roll San Diego expos that I have been to seemed almost too big. The La Jolla Half Marathon, however, was an expo that was way too small (one or two vendors). If you are required to pick up your bib before race day. the expo should be worth your while. This one was perfect.
The lines were organized by bib number and moved pretty quickly. The volunteers were friendly** I was able to pick up my bib as well as my friend, Stacey’s with no hassle.
I stopped by the registration area to say hi to Danica. I know how hard she has been working, but she had a huge smile on her face. I knew that she was the face behind the marathon’s Facebook and Twitter accounts and I had asked her several questions about the race so far. I thanked her for putting up with my pre-race neuroses. She was super gracious and wished me luck on my BQ attempt.
The shirt is really nice. I have seen previous Long Beach
Marathon shirts and they are nice, but a simple white shirt. This one is darker (making sports bra choice so much easier***) There is a darker stripe down the side which is flattering. It is nice to have something different.
I wandered around for a while, wishing I had unlimited funds for gear, shirts, shoes and trips. The vendors were friendly and helpful. I wasn’t a huge fan of the big booth for the time share. Talk about hard sell! They handed me a card to “swipe and win.” As soon as I found out that it was a timeshare, I walked away. That wasn’t so easy. A guy saw me and started talking about how I could get these GREAT prizes for NO obligation, yada yada yada. How could I turn down something for FREE? My husband and I have a lot on our minds these days and taking time to get a sitter to go listen to a 90-minute presentation is not something we want to do. He had a hard time taking no for an answer.
I was really impressed by the mile markers. They had patients from the Miller Children’s Hospital do the artwork on the mile markers and were offering them in a silent auction to raise money. Brilliant. These mile markers were really neat. If I had the room to display something like that, it would be so cool to have one!
You all know that my race tomorrow is a big deal for me and I am taking it pretty seriously. However, I want to have fun. If I am so focused on my pace, race plan etc., how am I going to have fun? So walking through the expo, I saw a way. Add a little whimsy! At first, I was going to walk by the Team Sparkle booth, but the gals in the booth were so nice and Danica was there as well. She encouraged me to be a little spontaneous**** I decided to wear a bright pink sequined sparkle skirt during the race. I love a little attention while running and when people cheer for my skirt, it will make me smile. I know you aren’t supposed to try anything new on race day, but this skirt is super lightweight and is barely noticeable. However, it is noticeable to everyone else!
So now I have to figure out what top to wear. The weather is supposed to be drizzly and in the 60’s. I had planned on wearing a tank top, but will I be too cold? I might go with a tank and my arm warmers. I am going to be pretty darn PINK.
I had planned on wearing my Lucy shorts, but now that the weather is cooler, I wonder if I should go with my capris. Decisions, decisions!
So the obsession has begun. I am trying to get things laid out early since my last marathon was a crazy scramble the night before. Thanks for all the supportive comments. I will try to post something here as soon as possible.
Good luck to everyone running and racing this weekend!
Happy Running…
*I was able to join my Team Jamba buddy, Nadine for two training runs with her running group AREC. We ran eighteen and twenty-two miles through Long Beach where Nadine pointed out various sights, including which roads were on the marathon course.
**I was at the expo during the first hour, so everyone was still fresh. They probably hadn’t had any psycho runners yell at them yet. ;-)*
***There is nothing worse than digging through laundry finding a white sports bra so I can wear a particular white running top.
****This, coming from a girl who wore a pink tutu in one of her marathons. ;-)
The expo was great. It was large enough to have plenty to look at and be worth driving all the way down there but not so big to be overwhelming. The Rock and Roll San Diego expos that I have been to seemed almost too big. The La Jolla Half Marathon, however, was an expo that was way too small (one or two vendors). If you are required to pick up your bib before race day. the expo should be worth your while. This one was perfect.
The lines were organized by bib number and moved pretty quickly. The volunteers were friendly** I was able to pick up my bib as well as my friend, Stacey’s with no hassle.
I stopped by the registration area to say hi to Danica. I know how hard she has been working, but she had a huge smile on her face. I knew that she was the face behind the marathon’s Facebook and Twitter accounts and I had asked her several questions about the race so far. I thanked her for putting up with my pre-race neuroses. She was super gracious and wished me luck on my BQ attempt.
The shirt is really nice. I have seen previous Long Beach
Marathon shirts and they are nice, but a simple white shirt. This one is darker (making sports bra choice so much easier***) There is a darker stripe down the side which is flattering. It is nice to have something different. I wandered around for a while, wishing I had unlimited funds for gear, shirts, shoes and trips. The vendors were friendly and helpful. I wasn’t a huge fan of the big booth for the time share. Talk about hard sell! They handed me a card to “swipe and win.” As soon as I found out that it was a timeshare, I walked away. That wasn’t so easy. A guy saw me and started talking about how I could get these GREAT prizes for NO obligation, yada yada yada. How could I turn down something for FREE? My husband and I have a lot on our minds these days and taking time to get a sitter to go listen to a 90-minute presentation is not something we want to do. He had a hard time taking no for an answer.
I was really impressed by the mile markers. They had patients from the Miller Children’s Hospital do the artwork on the mile markers and were offering them in a silent auction to raise money. Brilliant. These mile markers were really neat. If I had the room to display something like that, it would be so cool to have one!
You all know that my race tomorrow is a big deal for me and I am taking it pretty seriously. However, I want to have fun. If I am so focused on my pace, race plan etc., how am I going to have fun? So walking through the expo, I saw a way. Add a little whimsy! At first, I was going to walk by the Team Sparkle booth, but the gals in the booth were so nice and Danica was there as well. She encouraged me to be a little spontaneous**** I decided to wear a bright pink sequined sparkle skirt during the race. I love a little attention while running and when people cheer for my skirt, it will make me smile. I know you aren’t supposed to try anything new on race day, but this skirt is super lightweight and is barely noticeable. However, it is noticeable to everyone else!
So now I have to figure out what top to wear. The weather is supposed to be drizzly and in the 60’s. I had planned on wearing a tank top, but will I be too cold? I might go with a tank and my arm warmers. I am going to be pretty darn PINK.
I had planned on wearing my Lucy shorts, but now that the weather is cooler, I wonder if I should go with my capris. Decisions, decisions!
So the obsession has begun. I am trying to get things laid out early since my last marathon was a crazy scramble the night before. Thanks for all the supportive comments. I will try to post something here as soon as possible.
Good luck to everyone running and racing this weekend!
Happy Running…
*I was able to join my Team Jamba buddy, Nadine for two training runs with her running group AREC. We ran eighteen and twenty-two miles through Long Beach where Nadine pointed out various sights, including which roads were on the marathon course.
**I was at the expo during the first hour, so everyone was still fresh. They probably hadn’t had any psycho runners yell at them yet. ;-)*
***There is nothing worse than digging through laundry finding a white sports bra so I can wear a particular white running top.
****This, coming from a girl who wore a pink tutu in one of her marathons. ;-)
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Goals for the Long Beach Marathon
I know I have alluded to my goals for this weekend’s Long Beach Marathon, but I am not sure if I have spelled them out. Honestly, I thought that if I admitted my goal I would be that much more disappointed if it doesn’t happen. But as I get closer, I realize that knowing that I have people pulling for me will be a big boost out there on the course.
I am going to try to qualify for the Boston Marathon.
There, I said it. I can’t take it back. It is out here in cyberspace.
Long Beach is the perfect timed race for me. It sits right in the “Perfect Storm” for me for qualifying for Boston. October of this year is the only time where I can qualify for two different Boston Marathons in two different age divisions*. I will be 44 years old for 2011 and will turn 45 two days before the 2012 race. Boston uses qualifying times from races eighteen months back. 2012 Boston Marathon will take times from races as early as late-September 2010** which includes Sunday’s race. The Boston Marathon sold out in November last year, so this is it for 2011.
My number one goal is to run this marathon under 3:50.*** That will qualify me to run the Boston Marathon on April 18, 2011. My plan is to run right under 8:45 per mile. My pace for my last marathon was 9:03. Eighteen seconds per mile is achievable, but not easy.
My second goal is to PR. My current PR is 3:57:17. That will qualify me to run the Boston Marathon in April, 2012. In fact, anything under 4:00 would qualify for Boston 2012.
I am looking forward to really enjoying myself on Sunday. A marathon is a tough thing to do when you aren’t having fun. I want to keep a smile on my face, and take in the great course. The weather is predicted to be perfect running weather and I can’t wait.
I am running the marathon with my friend, Marci. She and I are really well matched in terms of our pace. Most of the time I feel like she is faster than I am. However, we ran a 10K in July together and I had a bit more kick at the end. We push each other well. I am really looking forward to having the company and sharing this with her. I do need to focus on running my own race. In the past, I have let someone else dictate my pace and I regretted it as I struggled through the last half of the race. Luckily, Marci and I have a great understanding that we are both there to run our own race. I hope that we can run the entire thing together.
I know a ton of people who are running the half. I have written two training plans for friends running their first half marathons and I am super excited for them. I am looking forward to celebrating after the race with my friend Stacey who has run many of my midweek runs with me the past few months. I also know quite a few bloggers who will be running the half. AKA Alice, Aron, Luis, Glenn are all bloggers who will be there (I hope I am not missing someone). There are several out-and-back sections of the course and I am hoping to see some friends along the way.
I am trying to stay positive and ignore all the taper demons screaming at me. I am going to trust my training and stick to my plan.
Happy Running…
*Obviously, this will also happen in five years, but this year is my first opportunity.
**This year, they will accept times run on or after September 20, 2009
***Qualifying time for Women 40-44 is 3:50:59; Women 45-49 is 4:00:59
I am going to try to qualify for the Boston Marathon.
There, I said it. I can’t take it back. It is out here in cyberspace.
Long Beach is the perfect timed race for me. It sits right in the “Perfect Storm” for me for qualifying for Boston. October of this year is the only time where I can qualify for two different Boston Marathons in two different age divisions*. I will be 44 years old for 2011 and will turn 45 two days before the 2012 race. Boston uses qualifying times from races eighteen months back. 2012 Boston Marathon will take times from races as early as late-September 2010** which includes Sunday’s race. The Boston Marathon sold out in November last year, so this is it for 2011.
My number one goal is to run this marathon under 3:50.*** That will qualify me to run the Boston Marathon on April 18, 2011. My plan is to run right under 8:45 per mile. My pace for my last marathon was 9:03. Eighteen seconds per mile is achievable, but not easy.
My second goal is to PR. My current PR is 3:57:17. That will qualify me to run the Boston Marathon in April, 2012. In fact, anything under 4:00 would qualify for Boston 2012.
I am looking forward to really enjoying myself on Sunday. A marathon is a tough thing to do when you aren’t having fun. I want to keep a smile on my face, and take in the great course. The weather is predicted to be perfect running weather and I can’t wait.
I am running the marathon with my friend, Marci. She and I are really well matched in terms of our pace. Most of the time I feel like she is faster than I am. However, we ran a 10K in July together and I had a bit more kick at the end. We push each other well. I am really looking forward to having the company and sharing this with her. I do need to focus on running my own race. In the past, I have let someone else dictate my pace and I regretted it as I struggled through the last half of the race. Luckily, Marci and I have a great understanding that we are both there to run our own race. I hope that we can run the entire thing together.
I know a ton of people who are running the half. I have written two training plans for friends running their first half marathons and I am super excited for them. I am looking forward to celebrating after the race with my friend Stacey who has run many of my midweek runs with me the past few months. I also know quite a few bloggers who will be running the half. AKA Alice, Aron, Luis, Glenn are all bloggers who will be there (I hope I am not missing someone). There are several out-and-back sections of the course and I am hoping to see some friends along the way.
I am trying to stay positive and ignore all the taper demons screaming at me. I am going to trust my training and stick to my plan.
Happy Running…
*Obviously, this will also happen in five years, but this year is my first opportunity.
**This year, they will accept times run on or after September 20, 2009
***Qualifying time for Women 40-44 is 3:50:59; Women 45-49 is 4:00:59
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
25 Days
That is how long before the Long Beach Marathon. I feel good. I have the endurance. I could run a marathon tomorrow. The question is: can I run a marathon in 3:49 or less?
I began training in April with the St. George Marathon as my goal. After a slow start and a failed St. George lottery attempt, I ramped up my mileage. I had plans to run a 50K in August, but that didn’t work out, so I put my focus on a marathon and a BQ attempt. I decided to run Long Beach when I met a friend who had a similar pace and goal and was running it. I had heard good things about the race from other runners I have met, as well as other bloggers like Danica.
I have already run two twenty-milers and a couple eighteens*. I ran four half marathons (well, three half marathons and a 22K). During this training cycle, I set PRs in the half, 10K and 5K distances. I have run over 800 miles, gone through several pairs of shoes and had two sports massages. But as I sit here reflecting on it all, I can’t help wondering: is it enough?
I have one more long run before I start to taper. I am planning on running twenty-two miles this weekend. I have never run that distance in training. I wonder if having such a long training plan (26 weeks) had me peaking too early. There is something to be said for the Higdon program I did for my first marathon where I built mileage each week, culminating in one twenty mile run right before the taper. However, I really wanted to get in three or four twenty+ mile runs this time.
This morning I went to the track to do some 800m repeats. My friend couldn’t make it, so I was on my own. It is harder to motivate yourself to go that fast by yourself, especially when your running partner is just a little bit faster. Our plan is to use Yasso as our guide. The goal pace is 3:45 and we are building up to ten repeats. Two weeks ago we did four. This morning, I only had time for six. While my times were slower this time than my previous track workout,** all six repeats were at or below my goal pace and my recovery time was shorter.*** I’m not going to lie; they weren’t easy. I am pretty sure that I could have pushed out a few more given the time, but who knows. As it was, I kept fighting with myself to keep going. First, I told myself that four repeats would be plenty. But I kept going. Then I justified that five would be one more than last time. I still kept going. On the last repeat, I told myself that a 400 for the last interval would be fine. Then I heard my thoughts wonder if 600m would give the same benefit as 800. I finished all six repeats, feeling pretty spent at the end of each of them. My 800m times were: 3:45, 3:41, 3:42, 3:35, 3:38 and 3:43. I walked 200m between each interval.
So I am basically at a point where I have to trust in my training. Did I stick to my plan completely? No. But I did come pretty close. I kept the mileage higher than any of my previous marathons. I had hoped to do a bit more tempo runs and speedwork, but as you can see above, when I have done them, I have been able to hit my marks. If I am obsessing about all this now, what kind of a mess am I going to be during my taper?
25 days. Bring it on.
Happy Running…
*We averaged 9:00 minutes on my eighteen miler last weekend!
**Two weeks ago we did four 800m repeats with 400m recovery with times of: 3:24, 3:28, 3:38 and 3:30.
***This morning I recovered for 200m instead of 400m.
I began training in April with the St. George Marathon as my goal. After a slow start and a failed St. George lottery attempt, I ramped up my mileage. I had plans to run a 50K in August, but that didn’t work out, so I put my focus on a marathon and a BQ attempt. I decided to run Long Beach when I met a friend who had a similar pace and goal and was running it. I had heard good things about the race from other runners I have met, as well as other bloggers like Danica.
I have already run two twenty-milers and a couple eighteens*. I ran four half marathons (well, three half marathons and a 22K). During this training cycle, I set PRs in the half, 10K and 5K distances. I have run over 800 miles, gone through several pairs of shoes and had two sports massages. But as I sit here reflecting on it all, I can’t help wondering: is it enough?
I have one more long run before I start to taper. I am planning on running twenty-two miles this weekend. I have never run that distance in training. I wonder if having such a long training plan (26 weeks) had me peaking too early. There is something to be said for the Higdon program I did for my first marathon where I built mileage each week, culminating in one twenty mile run right before the taper. However, I really wanted to get in three or four twenty+ mile runs this time.
This morning I went to the track to do some 800m repeats. My friend couldn’t make it, so I was on my own. It is harder to motivate yourself to go that fast by yourself, especially when your running partner is just a little bit faster. Our plan is to use Yasso as our guide. The goal pace is 3:45 and we are building up to ten repeats. Two weeks ago we did four. This morning, I only had time for six. While my times were slower this time than my previous track workout,** all six repeats were at or below my goal pace and my recovery time was shorter.*** I’m not going to lie; they weren’t easy. I am pretty sure that I could have pushed out a few more given the time, but who knows. As it was, I kept fighting with myself to keep going. First, I told myself that four repeats would be plenty. But I kept going. Then I justified that five would be one more than last time. I still kept going. On the last repeat, I told myself that a 400 for the last interval would be fine. Then I heard my thoughts wonder if 600m would give the same benefit as 800. I finished all six repeats, feeling pretty spent at the end of each of them. My 800m times were: 3:45, 3:41, 3:42, 3:35, 3:38 and 3:43. I walked 200m between each interval.
So I am basically at a point where I have to trust in my training. Did I stick to my plan completely? No. But I did come pretty close. I kept the mileage higher than any of my previous marathons. I had hoped to do a bit more tempo runs and speedwork, but as you can see above, when I have done them, I have been able to hit my marks. If I am obsessing about all this now, what kind of a mess am I going to be during my taper?
25 days. Bring it on.
Happy Running…
*We averaged 9:00 minutes on my eighteen miler last weekend!
**Two weeks ago we did four 800m repeats with 400m recovery with times of: 3:24, 3:28, 3:38 and 3:30.
***This morning I recovered for 200m instead of 400m.
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